In stabilized mode, what input is required?

• A. Heading
• B. Wind direction
• C. Time of day
• D. Bearing to nearest land

Answer: (A)

Stabilized mode keeps the radar display oriented with the vessel’s pointing direction, so it needs the ship’s heading as input. The heading, provided by the ship’s gyro/compass, tells the system which way the vessel is pointing, and the radar processor uses that to rotate or align the display accordingly. This stabilization makes the picture steady relative to the ship, even as the vessel rolls, pitches, or turns, so targets don’t drift on the screen just because the ship moved.

Wind direction, time of day, and bearing to nearest land don’t drive stabilization. They can be useful for other tasks, but they don’t control how the radar image is stabilized.