RADAR OPERATING

CONTROLS

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-Brillance control
-Receiver gain control
-Tuning control
-Proper radar tuning
-Sea and rain clutter
-Factors affecting maximum range
-Factors affecting minimum range
-Factors affcting range resolution
-Factors affecting bearing resolution

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 Brillance control
Also called intensity, brightness

-Determines the overall brightness of the PPI display

-BC is adjısted to make the trace of the rotating
sweep visible but not too bright
-then it is adjusted so that the trace just fades
-with too little brillance The PPI display is difficult to see,
echoes may be missed
-with excesive brillance the display is unfocused,
discrimination and the accuracy of range and bearing
measuremnt can be reduced
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 Receiver gain control
-Sometimes referred to as the sensivity control

-Adjusts the amounts by which all received echoes

and receiver noise are amplified.

-is adjusted until a speckled back graound just appear

on the PPI

-if the gain is too weakweak echoes may not be dedected

-with excessive gain strong echoes may not be

dedected because of the poor contrast between
echoes and the background of the PPI display 4
--This control is adjusted in accordance with the range
scale being used.

--When dedection at the maximum possible range is

the primary objective , the receiver gain control
should be adjusted so that a speckled background is
just visible on the PPI

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 Tuning control
-the function of the Tuning control is to adjust the
frequency of the receiver

-if the receiver is only slightly mistuned, the extent

of the bandwidth may still allow stronger
echoes to be displayed

-As the correct frequecy is approached, the

brightness of the of the displayed echo response
will increase,

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FAST TIME CONSTANT (FTC)
Also called DIFFERENTIATOR.

-reduces the clutter on the PPI which might be

cause by rain, snow or hail.

-Reduces the receiver sensivity and the strenghts

of the echoes as seen on the display

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Proper radar tuning

1- turn the radar antenna on

2- Turn the brightness control off
3- turn the sea clutter to zero –off
4- turn the rain clutter (FTC) to zero–off
5- set the gyro repeater,if fitted,to the same
heading as the master gyro
6-set the brightness control so that a sweep
becomes barely visible

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7-Set the range ring intensity
8- set the headflash intensity-if adjustable
(for 7and 8 they are not bighter than the dimmest target)
9- select either the three or six mile range
10-turn the gain control towards its most
sensitive position. if you obtain a picture before
reaching the end of rotation you may stop at that
point.
11- adjust the tuning control for maximum target
and noise display
12- reduce the gain setting untill only a small
amount of background speckle remains 14
13- repeat steps 11-12 to insure that the tuning is
peaked and that no further improvement
ispossible.
14- adjust the STC control to permit viewing any
targets which might be obscured by sea clutter.
15- adjust the FTC control to view any targets
which might be obscured by rain

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Factors affecting detection, display and
measurement of radar targets

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Factors affecting maximum range

1- frequency:
*higher frequency, greater attenuation (loss in power)
*Lower frequency, longer dedection range
2- Peak power:
*Range capabilities of the radar increase with
peak power(useful power)
3- Pulse length:
Longer pulse length , greater range
4- pulse repetion rate:
PRR determines the max measurable range of the radar.
Ample time must be allowed between pulses 17
5- beam width:
the more concentrated the beam, the greater is the
dedection range of the radar

6-target characteristics.
large targets can be seen on the scope at greater ranges.
Conducting materials(steel hull i.e.)return strong echoes.
Nonconducting materials (wooden hull) return much
weaker echoes

7-receiver sensivity:
The more sensitive receivers providegreater dedection
ranges but are more subject to jamming 18
8- antenna rotation rate
the more slowly the antenna rotates, the greater is
the dedection range of the radar.

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 Factors affecting minimum range
1- pulse length:
*the min range capability of a radar is determined
primarily by the pulse length.
*it is equal to the half the pulse length of the radar.
* for the min dedection range, select shortest pulse length

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Ex:Calculate the theoetical min dedection range for a
radar which has pulse length 0.1 microsec.

PL/2=0.1/2
Dmin= (0.1/2)x300m= 15 m

(calculate also for 1.0 and 0.5microsec.)

Note: IMO per standarts: min range should be 50 m

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2- Sea return:
sea return or echoes received from waves may
clutter the indicator

3- Side lobe echoes:

when operating near land or large targets, side lobe
echoes may clutter the indicator and prevent dedection
of close targets

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4- Vertical beam width:
Small surface targets may escape the lower edge of
the vertical beam when close.

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5- Ship structure shadowing

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 Factors affcting range resolution
Range resolution is a measure of the capability of a radar
to display as seperate pips the echoes received from two
targets which are on the same bearing and are close
together.

1- Pulse length
Two targets on the same bearing, close together cannot be
seen as two distinct pips on the PPI unless they are
seperated by a distance greater than one –half the pulse
length.For high degree of RR short pulses must be used
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Example : A radar display has a screen diameter of 250
mm and a spot size of 0.5 mm. On the 12 mile and 1.5 mile
range scales the pulse lengths are 1.0 and 0.05
microseconds respectively. Calculate the range
discrimination on each of the given range scales.

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On the 12 mile range scale
The range represented by one spot diameter is given by
Rs = range scale in metres = 12 x 1852/250 = 88.9
metres
spot diameters per radius

The range represented by half pulse length is given by

R P =pulse length in microseconds X 300 = 1.0/2x300= 150 metres
2

Range discrimination = Rs + Rp = 88.9 + 150 m = 238.9 metres

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On the 1.5 mile range scale
Rs =1.5 x (1852/250) =11.11 metres
Rp=(0.05/2) x 300m = 7.5 metres
Range discrimination = 11.11 + 7.5= 18.61 metres
 
The best range discrimination can be obtained by
selection of the shortest available pulse length

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2- receiver gain:
Low receiver gain must be used for better range resolution

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3- CRT spot size
The increase in echo image length and width varies wih the
size of the CRT and the range in use

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Factors affecting bearing resolution
Bearing resolution is a measure of the capability of a radar
to display as separete pips the echoes received from two
targets which are at the same range and are close together

1- horizontal beam width

for better BR beam width must be narrow
2- range of targets
3- CRT Spot size

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IMO performance standarts : The equipment must be
capable of displying the echoes seperately when the
targets are seperated by not more than 2.5º in azimuth.

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In theory the radar can only discriminate between targets
which are seperated by at least one horizontal beamwidth.
In practice longation is further increased by the spot size.
Influence of spot size will be less on larger screens and on
shorter range scales.

If the use of an off centered picture will allow the target

to be displayed on a shorter range scale, the influence of
the spot size can be reduced.

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Example: A radar display has a screen of diameter 250
mm and spot size 0.5 mm. If the horizontal beamwidth Is
1.5º, calculate the bearing discrimination at a range of 10
miles when the 12 mile range scale is selected and 1 mile
when the 1.5 mile range scale is selected.

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At 10 miles:
The lenght of the arc of the beamwitdh at 10 nm is given by

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Weather
Reduces the ranges which targets can be dedected
and produce unwanted echoes. Shorter wavelengths are
More subject to the effect of weather then radars
transmitting at longer wavelengths

Wind:
Sea return is nornmally greater in the direction from
which the wind and seas are coming

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Precipitation:
Masks targets by creating cluttered areas. Mask targets
within the storm, heavy rain may absorb some strength of
the pulse and decrease max.

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