Radartutorial .euChapter: “Weather Radar”
The meteorologists like to forgive me for it, that I interfere in their subject with my dangerous superficial knowledge. This section isn't usable in the meteorology for studying purposes either. Notes shall be given only for radar technicians of surveillance radars, that a meteorological radar is technically also only an ordinary radar set, but the application as a meteorological radar uses completely different mathematical bases. Many technical variations are necessary in the architecture therefore.
The deal with this topic gets a bigger and bigger importance since more air surveillance radar sets get a weather channel today. I personally assess the worth of these weather channels as low for the meteorology. But these weather channels must be serviced by the radar technician. And this one already should know what he maintains so.
At the comparison between air surveillance radar and meteorological radar one always should think of the main difference:
A meteorological radar doesn't only locate a target, but it estimate its value!
Key question: How weather radar operate.