RADAR BEACON

A radar beacons is a small radar set consisting of a receiver , a separate transmitter and an antenna which is often omnidirectional

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The system consists of transponders, installed in aircraft, and secondary surveillance radars (SSRs), installed at air traffic control facilities. The SSR transmits interrogations and listens for any replies. Transponders that receive an interrogation decode it, decide whether to reply, and then respond with the requested information when appropriate .The transponder does not transmit pulses continuously in the same way SSR but only responds to the correct interrogation.

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APPLICATIONS
Used to air traffic control system

Radar beacon can be use as a lighthouse.

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BECAN RANGE EQUATION

From the general equation of the radar range we know that the power intercepted by the beacon antenna is

PB
Where AoB

A pT PlT A0 B 4r
2

is the capture area of the beacon. ApT is the maximum power gain. PtT is the transmitted power of the pulses

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If Pmin,B is the minimum power receivable by the beacon, the maximum range the for the interrogation link is

rm ax,B
The maximum power gain

A pT PlT A0 B 4P m in,B

A pT
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4A0T

Transmitted power

Pm in,B kT0f ( FB 1)
Hence the maximum range for the interrogation link is

rmax,l

A 0T PlT A0 B 2 kT 0f ( FB 1)

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The maximum range for the reply link is

rmax,R

A 0T PlB A0 B 2 kT 0f ( FT 1)

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