Navigation General · Radar Aids
A 'racon' is a:
- AType of magnetic compass
- BRain clutter setting
- CRadar beacon that, when triggered by a ship's radar, paints a coded signal (often a Morse character) on the radar screen✓ Correct
- DRecovery anchor
Explanation
A racon (radar beacon) responds to a vessel's radar pulse by transmitting a coded reply that appears on the radar as a line or Morse character outward from the aid's position, positively identifying important marks such as landfall buoys and bridges.
Authority: USCG Light List; IALA
Practice the full Navigation General bank
Free spaced-repetition quizzing across 2190 USCG exam questions — it schedules your reviews so the ones you miss come back until they stick.
Related Navigation General questions
- Radar Aids
On a radar display, an activated SART (search and rescue transponder) appears as:
- Dead Reckoning
A vessel departs a known position at 0800 on course 090°T at 12 knots. What is the DR position at 1100?
- Time-Speed-Distance
Using the 60 D = S × T formula, how long will it take a vessel traveling at 15 knots to cover 45 nautical miles?
- Time-Speed-Distance
A vessel travels 90 nautical miles in 6 hours. What is the vessel's speed?
- Dead Reckoning
Which of the following is the best definition of a Dead Reckoning (DR) position?
- Set & Drift
A vessel steers 000°T at 10 knots for 2 hours. The observed position shows the vessel is 4 nm east of the DR position. What is the set and drift of the current?