S-Pol
Description of the radar set, tactical-technical characteristics

Figure 1: S-Pol Radar during Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), Photo by Scott Ellis
(Source: NCAR/UCAR Image and Multimedia Gallery )

Figure 1: S-Pol Radar during Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), Photo by Scott Ellis
(Source: NCAR/UCAR Image and Multimedia Gallery )
Specifications | |
---|---|
frequency: | 2.7 … 2.9 GHz
(S-Band) |
pulse repetition time (PRT): | |
pulse repetition frequency (PRF): | 325 … 1 200 Hz |
pulsewidth (τ): | 0.3 … 1.4 µs |
receiving time: | |
dead time: | |
peak power: | > 1 MW |
average power: | |
instrumented range: | |
range resolution: | 37.5 … 1 000 m |
accuracy: | |
beamwidth: | 0.92° |
hits per scan: | |
antenna rotation: | |
MTBCF: | |
MTTR: |
S-Pol
The S-Pol is a dual polarized weather radar operating in the S-band, built in 1995 for research purposes.
It uses a centrally fed parabolic antenna with 8.5 m diameter. The transmitter was developed from the ASR-9 and uses an air-cooled klystron that provides about 1 MW of pulse power at a pulse duration of 1 µs. The radar is equipped with two receivers operating simultaneously for horizontal and vertical polarization, but can only transmit mechanically switchable in one of the two polarization directions. The receivers have a sensitivity of -115 dBm with a receiver dynamic range of 90 dB.
In a later upgrade, an additional radar operating in Ka-Band was mounted at the lower edge of the parabolic antenna. This resulted in the name S-Polka.