Factors Affecting Radar Performance

Question 1

4 external factors that effect radar performance

Answer 1

Clutter
Target characteristics
External noise
Atmospheric attenuation

Question 2

What’s clutter?

Answer 2

Unwanted echoes received

Question 3

3 characteristics of a target that affect radar performance

Answer 3

Shape
Size
Distance

Question 4

Four internal design factors affecting radar performance

Answer 4

TX Peak Power
PRF
PW OR PD
FREQUENCY OF OPERATION

Question 5

4 factors governing choice of transmitter frequency

Answer 5

Size of target
Beam width
Detection range
Size of aerial

Question 6

4 factors governing choice of PRF

Answer 6

Max required range
Aerial scan speed
Display definition
TX Mean Power

Question 7

If PRF is increased what happens to radar scan speed

Answer 7

Increases

Question 8

How can display definition be improved

Answer 8

Higher frequency or narrower beam

Question 9

In order to improve range discrimination and reduce blind area, what needs to be changed and how?

Answer 9

Pulse width, decreased

Question 10

Four main factors governing choice of pulse width

Answer 10

Minimum detection range
Target discrimination
TX mean power
RX Bandwidth

Question 11

For a cylindrical resonant cavity where are coupling probes and loops positioned and which energy field do they react with

Answer 11

Loops- perpendicular to H field
Probes- parallel with E fields

Question 12

Function of cavity magnetron

Answer 12

High power RF oscillator

Question 13

Function of travelling wave tubes

Answer 13

High gain microwave amp

Question 14

Function of Gunn diode in a varactor tuned microwave resonant cavity oscillator

Answer 14

Low power microwave oscillator

Question 15

Function of a dummy load

Answer 15

Absorbs microwave energy without reflections

Question 16

Function of a slot coupled attenuator

Answer 16

Sample TX energy
Checks frequency, Power and PRF