The Netherlands’ Rijkswaterstaat has awarded Tideland Signal a contract to supply, maintain, repair and demobilise racons both on North Sea buoys and in inland waters, until and including 2015.
This contract follows a sequence of orders for Tideland SeaBeacon 2 System 6 dual-band racon, supplied via Tideland’s representative in the Netherlands, PC Jansen Marine Agencies, to Rijkswaterstaat’s Directie Noordzee in Rijswijk.
Rijkswaterstaat currently operates 21 racon buoys in the North Sea, many of which are fitted either with Tideland System 6 racons or the earlier System 5 version.
Tideland has supplied over 900 System 6 racons to customers all round the world, one of whom has calculated that cost-of-ownership is less than 5% of the initial investment. Tideland’s racons have proven extremely economical and reliable in operation, particularly compared with competing models, having established an average trouble-free service life to date of over 14 years for the System 6 model.
One of the key features of the SeaBeacon 2 System 6 dual-band racon is its exceptional dynamic range, sensitivity of -50dBm for both X- and S- band, making it visible from greater distances. Because of its reliability and extremely economical power consumption, it is highly suitable for remote, solar-powered installations as well as offshore and mains-powered installations.
SeaBeacon 2 System 6 can respond simultaneously and with a unique level of frequency accuracy to both X and S-band radars, even those with very narrow receiver bandwidths.
The design gives operators an exceptionally clear indication of its identity and location and proportional scaling ensures that the racon trace remains clearly visible on radar displays regardless of the range scale selected.
SeaBeacon 2 System 6 features an intelligent power management system that makes it possible to programme precise quiescent and active periods as required to match performance with power consumption. In addition, it will automatically return to quiescent mode after a four-second active period, if there is no local radar activity. The Tideland racon is available in three versions: GMU for general marine use and certified versions for use in Zone 1 or Zone 2 hazardous areas.