Sunday, June 7, 2015

What You Need To Know About The Monopulse Comparator And Radars In General

By Elaine Guthrie


Fans of military technology may be quite familiar with radar technology. Individuals who enjoy air or marine travel have also benefited from this technology as well. Radar systems have changed quite a bit since the early days and one major change is the switch to a monopulse system. A monopulse comparator is a part of this system that has greatly increased the accuracy of modern systems. Here is what you need to know about these devices and how they have improved radar systems in general.

Radar systems were first developed and used by the military. Various countries found it very helpful to be able to detect approaching objects, find out how fast they were moving and what direction they were moving in. It allowed them to detect potential incoming attacks while paying less attention to non-hostile objects or aircraft. Now these systems are used by many different groups and organizations.

Meteorologists have also started using these systems to monitor the weather and create forecasts. They can be very helpful if a severe weather system is expected. Radar can be used to determine how large or severe a storm such as a hurricane or a tornado is. Other types of storms such as blizzards and thunderstorms can also be mapped using these systems.

Radar is also used in marine environments. Ships can use it to detect other vessels that may be occupying the same area of water and can also use it to determine where they are located. This is done by bouncing signals off of known reference points such as buoys or, if close enough, the shoreline as well.

There are several components that make up a radar system. The signal is generated by a transmitter. This is sent out to an antenna by a waveguide. A duplexer that is connected to the antenna switches the system from sending to receiving and the resulting signal is then captured by a receiver. The information is processed and sent to a display processor so that the radar operator can see a visual picture of what the system has picked up.

Jamming used to be a significant issue with early systems. While most people think of jamming as an enemy action, this is not always the case. Jamming simply refers to interference from radio waves of the same frequency as a particular radar system. It can obscure objects or give an inaccurate idea of how fast they are traveling or the direction in which they are moving.

With modern systems, a single beam is emitted that is then split into two sections. They are directed in the same general direction but because they are positioned in slightly different ways it is possible to compare the returning signals to make sure that the results are accurate. A comparator is the device used to combine the signals into the single cohesive image that the radar operator will interpret.

These tend to be very specialized items and may not be commonly available. There are websites that offer different versions of comparators. If you are purchasing this type of item, it is important to read the description carefully and ensure you are purchasing the right kind of comparator.




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