Understanding Radar & GR3

[rdale]

PAR's negative side is that the resolution is WORSE than 88D, so details would be even more muddied. It would be better to mix some MPAR radars in with other types, so you could take advantage of its volume scan / instant updates and combine that with better resolution from other types of radars on features of interest.

 

[Greg Stumpf]

PAR's negative side is that the resolution is WORSE than 88D, so details would be even more muddied.

The prototype phased array radar being used by NSSL currently has degraded spatial resolution. It also is a radar that was converted from military use to weather detection (it is 38 years old). However, the specifications of that particular radar will not represent the final specifications of any future deployed operational system for the NWS, and is intended to have equitable spatial resolution. Over the next 10-15 years, engineers will be developing new detection concepts and techniques with the prototype PAR in order to develop an operational radar that will be much better than the 88Ds. The biggest gains for PAR will be, 1) faster scanning capability (5-10x faster than 88D), 2) on-demand scan strategies (including split scanning, e.g. to follow non-cooperating aircraft), and 3) lower maintenance costs (no moving parts).

 

[Greg Blumberg]

The PAR is going to have more advantages than the 88D when it is released. It's just a work in progress.

Here's a link to the PAR and NEXRAD comparisons. It's a pretty nice site that you can view experimental data:

http://wdssii.nssl.noaa.gov/web/wdss2/products/radar/nwrtktlx.shtml

 

[Bruce M. Sumner]

Thanks for the links. Good info for those learning

 

[Travis Stone]

ok here is a good one. One night I had a dream about having 360 different radars positioned so that they did not have to rotate. other than financial cost why wouldn't this be an advantage. to further explain each has its own degree of the compass as its sole responsibility.

thank you for the above as it did answer my question.

 

[rdale]

360 individual radars instead of 1 per radarsite, would be impossible to do and unusably expensive even if it was possible...

 

[Travis Stone]

like I said this came to me in a dream. And wee all know that crazier thing have had money spent on them. lol