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Reference section 5 — Radar
How radar works
Northstar 6000i
How radar works
The word “radar” is an acronym for “Radio
Detecting and Ranging.” A radio trans-
mitter sends out a very short microwave
pulse, and then a receiver listens for that
signal’s echo when it’s bounced back from
a target in its path. Targets, which may be
other boats or ships, navigational markers,
flocks of birds, or land masses, are
displayed on the 6000i’s screen. By
knowing how long it takes for a signal to
return, the distance to a target can be
determined. As the radar antenna scans
through a 360-degree rotation, it shows the
target’s location relative to your position.
By watching repeated scans of a target,
such as another vessel, you can see how
that target is moving.
Northstar radar models
There are two types of radar units from
Northstar. The 4kW, 6kW, 12 kW and
25kW units all are operated in the same
way. The new 2kW Northstar radar works
slightly differently, and these differences
are clearly indicated in this manual. The
major differences are:
• in the 2kW radar, auto modes do not
continuously adjust themselves
• ranges of manual settings are different
between the two types of units
• the 2kW unit does not have a STC
curve adjustment
Turning the radar transmitter on and off
Each time you turn on the Northstar 6000i,
the radar transmitter must be turned on
separately, as a safety feature.
When you first press the RADAR key after
turning the system on, the unit displays:
The Radar TX is off.
Do you want to turn it on?
Press ENTER to turn it on, or CLEAR to
access the radar adjustment pages without
turning the transmitter on.
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