This site will look much better in a browser that supports web standards,but it is accessible to any browser or Internet device.

Title.gif

WCR Standard Operating Modes

When installed on the King Air, the radar can be configured to operate with up to 4 antennas(see below). For installation on NCAR C130 the WCR can operate up to 3 antennas (up, down and down-aft). Typically the radar is operated with maximum range set between 1 and 6 km, minimum range of 105 m, and minimum range gate spacing of 15 m (see examples below).

The radar is also available in a ground mobile platform, "Microwave Atmospheric Remote Sensing Facility" (MARSF). In this configuration it uses a 0.6m cassegrain antenna and a scanning installation that allows 360 deg azimuthal covarage and 180 deg elevation coverage. The ground platform is a 28-foot trailer.

WCR Configurations on the KingAir

Installation:

The King Air WCR installation has 4 antennas in the following configuration.

  • Antenna1: Up/Side pointing antenna with linear single- or dual-polarization(H/V) capability
  • Antenna2: Down (near nadir) pointing antenna with single polarization
  • Antenna3: Side-fore(~35 deg forward from side) pointing antenna with single polarization
  • Antenna4: Down-fore(~30 deg forward from nadir) pointing antenna with single polarization

Antenna configurations:

The radar can switch between the antennas on a pulse-by-pulse basis. Only Antenna 1 (side/up) allows dual-polarization therefore any configuration that includes this antenna allow recording of its polarimetric measurements. Any combination of one to four antennas is supported.

Limitations:

Antenna 1 can be switched between SIDE and UP during flight while the radar is in idle. A software controlled switch repositioning a mirror plate redirecting the antenna beam is used.

Radar DSP algorithms

  • Single Antenna/Polarization Mode (SPP)
Transmit:
h-pol or v-pol 8-pulse bursts for Antenna 1 or single-pol for any of the other 3 antennas
Receive:
co-pol and cross-pol power for Antenna 1 and co-pol only for all other antennas
Calculate:
Averaged co-(and cross- for Ant.1)pol returned power magnitude
Averaged pulse-pair retrieved phase
  • Pulse-pair mode using 2 to 12 pulse burst (CPP)
Transmit:
sequence of 2 to 12 pulses
Receive:
co-pol backscatter for each antenna and cross-pol for Antenna1
Calculate:
Averaged received power and pulse-pair retrieved phase for pulses
defined in a custome designed configuration text file; any meaningful
combination of pulse pairs and received pulse power is allowed.
  • FFT Mode
Transmit:
sequence of 16 to 512 single-pol pulses for 1 to 4 antennas
Receive:
co-pol and cross-pol (optional) backscatter
Calculate:
Averaged Doppler spectra