What is Radar?

• Radar (Radio Detection and Ranging):
  • It is a device which uses electromagnetic waves in the microwaves region to detect location (range & direction), altitude, intensity and movement of moving and non-moving objects.
• Doppler Radar:
  • It is a specialized radar that uses the Doppler effect to produce velocity data about objects at a distance
    • Doppler effect: When the source and the signal are in relative motion to each other there is a change in the frequency observed by the observer. If they are moving closer, frequency increases and vice versa. 
  • It does this by bouncing a microwave signal off a desired target and analyzing how the object’s motion has altered the frequency of the returned signal.
  • This variation gives direct and highly accurate measurements of the radial component of a target’s velocity relative to the radar.
• Types Of Doppler Radars:
  • Doppler radar can be divided into several different categories according to the wavelength which are L, S, C, X, K. 
    
    • X band radars:
      • They operate on a wavelength of 2.5-4 cm and a frequency of 8-12 GHz. Because of the smaller wavelength, the X band radar is more sensitive and can detect smaller particles.
      • Application:
        • These radars are used for studies on cloud development because they can detect the tiny water particles and also used to detect light precipitation such as snow.
        • X-band radars also attenuate (become less effective) very easily, so they are used for only very short-range weather observation.
        • Due to the small size of the radar, it can therefore be portable like the Doppler on Wheels (DOW). Most major airplanes are equipped with an X band radar to pick up turbulence and other weather phenomena.
        • This band is also shared with some police speed radars and some space radars.