Name: Score/Mark:

Year and Section: Date:

LEARNING ACTIVITY NO. 2 for week no. 2

Course Operational use of RADAR / ARPA

Topic Types and Characteristics of RADAR/ARPA

1.2 Discuss the different types and characteristics of RADAR and

Learning Outcome(s)
ARPA .

Instructor Capt. Raymundo Rafael B. Cabrejas

LESSON MAP

Overview of Boiler
and Boiler Feed Water

Types of Boiler Feed Water

Introduction to
and its
Marine Boiler Marine Boiler Contaminants

DIFFEFRENT TYPES OF RADAR

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1. Bistatic radar
- is a radar system that comprises of a transmitter and a receiver that are
separated by a distance that is equal to the distance of the expected target.

2. A continuous wave radar

- is a type of radar where a known stable frequency continuous wave radio
energy is transmitted and then received from any of the objects that reflect the
waves.

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3. A Doppler radar
- is a special form of radar that employs the use of Doppler Effect
to produce velocity data about an object at a given distance.
The Doppler effect (or the Doppler shift) is the change in frequency
of a wave in relation to an observer who is moving relative to the wave
source.

4. A monopulse radar
- is a radar system that compares the received signal from a single
radar pulse against itself with an aim of comparing the signal as seen in
multiple polarizations or directions.

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5. A passive radar system
- is a type of radar that is designed to detect and track objects by
processing reflections from non-cooperative sources of illumination in
the environment.

6. Instrumentation radars
- are radars that are designed to test rockets, missiles, aircrafts and
ammunitions on government and private test ranges.

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7. Weather radars
- are radar systems that are used for weather sensing and detection.
This radar uses radio waves along with horizontal or circular polarization.

8. Mapping radars
- are used to scan a large geographical region for geography and remote
sensing applications.

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9. Navigational radars
- are generally the same as search radars. However, they come with much
shorter wavelengths that are capable of reflecting from the earth and from stones.
They are mostly common on commercial ships and other long distance commercial
aircrafts.

Types Of Marine Radars:

X-Band Radar
- 3 cm wavelength
- 9 GHz frequency
- Can detect SART
- In fair weather target will show better
- For high discrimination, good sensitivity and tracking performance
- Less affected by target swap
- Can see small targets due to high frequency.

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S-Band Radar
- 10 cm wavelength
- 3 GHz frequency
- Better target detecting in RAIN & heavy weather
- Better for long range detection (radar horizon greater than 9 GHz)
- Good sea clutter response, target less likely to be hidden.
- Better for sea and rain clutter

Types of ARPA (Automatic Radar Plotting Aid)

 Stand-alone ARPA
Stand-alone ARPA works by the radar system receiving all the raw data and
transmitting all these data to ARPA for processing.

 Integral ARPA
In the modern integral ARPAs, a computer usually referred to as the
processor, is incorporated in the radar/ARPA system so that the ARPA data can be
displayed on the same screen as the conventional radar data. The main operational
advantage is that the radar and ARPA data are readily comparable.

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RADAR/ARPA CHARACTERISTICS

Basically ARPA radar is the equipment by means of a computer system operating in

conjunction with radar. Radar transmitter generates very short pulses of radio waves.
When the waves of one of these pulses encounter any obstacle, such as a ship or
shore line, part of the radiated energy is reflected and received by the original radar.
The reflected pulse constitutes a radio echo. The time between radiating the pulse
and receiving the echo can be accurately measured. Therefore the distance between
the radar and the ship is calculated. The direction of the ship is the direction of the
pulse transmitted.

All radar installations should comply with IMO minimum requirements. The
variable range marker should enable the range of an object to be measured with an
error not exceeding 1.5 per cent of the maximum range of the scale in use, or 70
meters, whichever is the greater. The means provided for bearings should enable the
bearing of a target whose echo appears at the edge of the display to be measured
with an accuracy of plus or minus 1 degree or better.

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Features of ARPA:
- Daylight - bright high -resolution display
- 28 inch diagonal CRT presents radar picture of 360 mm effective diameter with
alphanumeric data area around it.
- User friendly operation by combination of tactile backlit touch pads, a trackball
and rotary controls
- Audio-visual alert for targets in guard zone
- Echo trail to assess targets’ speed and course by simulated afterglow
- Electronic plotting of up to 10 targets in different symbols.
- Electronic parallel index lines
- Interswitch (optional) built in RADAR or ARPA display unit
- Enhanced visual target detection by Echo Average, Echo Stretch, Interference
Rejector and multi-level quantization
- Stylish display
- Choice of 10, 25 or 50 KW output for X-band; 30 KW output for S-band, either in
the transceiver aloft (gearbox) or RF down (transceiver in bridge)
- Acquires up to 20 targets automatically.
- Movement of tracked targets shown by true or relative vectors (Vector length 1 to
99 min. Selected in 1 min steps)
- Setting of nav lines, buoy marks and other symbols to enhance navigation safety
- On-screen digital read outs of range, bearing, course, speed, CPA, TCPA, BCR
(Bow Crossing Range) and BCT (Bow Crossing Time) of two targets out of all
tracked targets.
- Audible and visual alarms against threatening targets coming into operator-selected
CPA/TCPA limits, lost targets, two guard rings, visual alarm against system failure
and target full situation

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Student Reflection:

Write a min. of 100-words per question. Write in your own words and submit your work
before the deadline.

1. What was the most important things you have learnt in the different types and
characteristics of Radar/Arpa?

The most important lesson that I’ve learned in the fundamental principles of
Radar/Arpa operation is that The x-band (10 GHz) and S-band (3GHz) frequencies
are used in marine radar. The x-band, which has a higher frequency, is used for a
sharper image and better resolution, whereas the S-band is used for identification
and tracking, especially in rain or fog.

Another important lesson that I learned is the working principle of RADAR.

The basic principle of marine radar is electromagnetic waves. The radar antenna
transmits high-speed electromagnetic waves to determine the object's location, which
is defined as the distance, velocity, and direction of travel of the wave, as well as the
object's altitude, whether moving or stationary.

2. What area/s of the topic did you fail to grasp on the types of Radar/Arpa?
The topic that I fail to grasp on the components of Radar/Arpa is how the
components could be maintained in proper working condition and could be
troubleshoot/repair in case that there is a damage.

Nonetheless, I already know the basic components of radar, as well as its purpose.
The basic components are transmitter, an antenna, a receiver, and an indicator ,
duplexer. The transmitter's job is to generate a specific RF waveform at a specific
power level. A power oscillator, such as a magnetron, or an extended interaction
oscillator (EIO) or an RF amplifier, can provide the required RF power directly .The
basic function of the radar antenna is to couple RF energy from the radar
transmission line into the propagation medium and vice versa. The radar receiver's
main functions are to accept weak target signals, amplify them to a usable level, and

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translate the information from RF to baseband. The primary function and purpose of
the radar indicator is to provide the user with target information.

3. Which point/s of the topics is/are still not clear enough in your mind?

What is not clear to me is how radar wave behavior can be used to properly
and accurately use the ARPA/RADAR with lessened effect from the wave behaviors.
I already know that the scattering and absorption of energy in the radar beam as it
passes through the atmosphere is known as attenuation. The echo strength is reduced
as a result. It was also taught to us that the bending of radar rays as they travel to
and from a target due to atmospheric density gradients is known as refraction. It was
also mentioned that the waves bouncing back from a surface are known as reflection.
The bending of a wave as it passes through an obstruction is known as diffraction
and that the radar beam illuminates the region behind an obstruction or target to
some extent due to diffraction. However, I don’t know what must be done to reduce
the effects of these wave behaviors.

Student Additional Activity:

1. Watch the video:

 Video Link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkW5X2FPZX8

2. Make a summary of the difference of Radar and Arpa discussed on the video. Write
your summary below. Write with your own words.Minimum of 100 words.

From the video, I realized that ARPA and RADAR are two different units
that serve different purpose. RADAR stands for RAdio Detection And Ranging.
Radar is a system that detects and locates the presence of objects such as ships,
vehicles, and planes. On the other hand, ARPA (Automatic Radar Plotting Aid) is
just an additional feature of RADAR. ARPA takes data from the user's ship's course
and speed, as well as the target's course and speed, and calculates collision
avoidance data, removing the need for the user to do so themselves.

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 The difference between these two is that Radar is an electromagnetic sensor
that detects, locates, tracks, and recognizes a variety of objects over long distances.
It works by sending electromagnetic energy toward objects, which are referred to as
targets, and then listening for echoes back. On contrary, ARPA cannot detect nor
transmit electromagnetic waves. It is merely a feature of RADAR that helps it to
calculate speed and course of selected objects. The main benefits of ARPA is the
reduction in the workload of bridge personnel as well as more complete and faster
information on specific targets.

Another difference is that ARPA determines the likelihood of a collision and

allows the operator to view proposed maneuvers by their own ship. ARPA processes
radar data at a much faster rate than traditional radar.

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT:
True or False: Write True if the answer is correct and False if it is wrong on the
space provided.

____False____________1. The change of frequency of a wave in relation to an observer who

is moving relative to the wave source is bistatic.

____False____________2. A continuous wave radar is a radar system that comprises of a

transmitter and a receiver that are separated by a distance that is equal to the distance of the
expected target.

____True____________3. A passive radar system is designed to detect and track objects by

processing reflections from non-cooperative source of illumination in the environment.

____True____________4. Weather radar uses radio waves along the horizontal or circular
polarization.

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____False____________5. A 3 GHz frequency radar can detect SART.

____True____________6. A 10 cm radar can see small targets due to its high frequency.

____True____________7. An S-Band radar is better for sea and rain clutter.

____True____________8. A 3 GHz frequency radar has good sea clutter response, target less
likely to be hidden.
___False_________9. The variable range marker should enable the range of an object to
be measured with an error not exceeding 1.0 percent of the maximum range of the scale in
use.

____False____________10. ARPA should acquires up to 30 targets automatically.

Essay :

Differentiate the different types and characteristics of Radar and

Automatic Radar Plotting Aid? (minimum of 200 words). Write your
answer on the space below.

As it was the mentioned in our discussion, the types of radar include the following:
Bistatic radar, Continuous wave radar, Instrumentation radars, Weather radars, Mapping
radars, Doppler radar, monopulse radar, passive radar, and navigational radars.

Bistatic radar is a radar system that consists of a transmitter and a receiver separated
by a distance equal to the expected target's distance. On the other hand, continuous wave
radar is a type of radar that transmits and receives a known stable frequency continuous wave
radio energy from any object that reflects the waves. Instrumentation radars are radars used
on government and private test ranges to evaluate rockets, missiles, aircraft, and ammunition.
Weather radars are a type of weather radar that can be used to forecast the weather. They are
radar systems that are used to detect and detect weather. Mapping radars are used to scan a
large geographic area for applications such as geography and remote sensing. A Doppler
radar is a type of radar that uses the Doppler Effect to generate velocity data about an object
at a specific distance. The Doppler effect (also known as the Doppler shift) is the change in
frequency of a wave as the observer moves away from the wave source. A monopulse radar is
a radar that emits only one pulse at a time. A passive radar system is a type of radar that
detects and tracks objects in the environment by processing reflections from non-cooperative
sources of illumination. Last is the navigational radars. They have much shorter wavelengths
than normal radars that can be reflected from the earth and stones. They're mostly found on
commercial ships and other long-haul commercial planes.

I also learned from our discussion that RADAR stands for RAdio Detection And
Ranging. Radar is a system that detects and locates the presence of objects such as ships,
vehicles, and planes.

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 The principle of a Radar is the same as that of sound, though it uses short-wave
microwaves instead of sound waves. When waves collide with an object, they reverberate,
allowing the distance and direction of the target to be accurately calculated. This data is then
displayed on a screen in the form of visual data, making it readable.

On contrary, ARPA (Automatic Radar Plotting Aid) is an additional computer-

assisted radar feature. ARPA takes data from the user's ship's course and speed, as well as the
target's course and speed, and calculates collision avoidance data, removing the need for the
user to do so themselves. ARPA also includes a number of other features and controls.
Automatic radar plotting aids are primarily used to improve collision avoidance standards at
sea.

Essentially, ARPA radar is equipment that uses a computer system to work in tandem
with radar. The radio waves produced by a radar transmitter are very short pulses. Part of the
radiated energy is reflected and received by the original radar when the waves of one of these
pulses collide with an obstacle, such as a ship or the shore line. A radio echo is formed by the
reflected pulse. It is possible to precisely measure the time between emitting the pulse and
receiving the echo. As a result, the radar's distance from the ship is calculated. The direction
of the ship is the direction of the pulse transmitted.

References :

 Radar and ARPA Manual, 3rd Edition, A. Bole, A. Wall, A. Norris., the Boulevard,
Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1 GB, UK, ISBN 978-0-08-097752-2, 2014.

 Shipborne Navigation Radar, Liu Tong and Zhang Bin., Dalian Maritime University
Press, ISBN 978-7-5632-2937-6, 2013.

 Radar Observer's Handbook for Merchant Navy Officers, 9th Edition., W. Burger.,
Glasgow, Brown, Son and Ferguson LTD., ISBN 0-85174-666-7, 1998, Reprinted 2008.

 Radar for Mariners, David F. Burch, Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Burch, David, ISBN 0-07-139867-8, 2005.

 A Guide to the Collision Avoidance Rules, 5th Edition., A.N. Cockcroft and J.N.F.
Lameijer, Oxford, Heinemann Professional Publishing, ISBN 0-434-90274-8, 1996.

 Electronic Aids to Navigation: Radar and ARPA, R. Lownsborough and D. Calcutt.,

London, Edward Arnold, ISBN 0-340-59258-3, 1993.

 Parallel Indexing Techniques, I. Smith and R. A. Mulroney, Warsash Publishing, ISBN 0 948646 55

1, 1979.

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