High Power Radar

Radar systems that operate with megawatts of transmitter output power, when coupled to high gain antennas, present the possibility of substantial RF field levels, even at significant distances. Representative radar measurement projects include surveys at the MIT operated Altair radar facility on Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific and high power experimental weather radars and wind profiling systems at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado.

The Altair radar is a combination VHF-UHF radar with very high power. The antenna aperture is 150 feet in diameter and may be used to track space objects to splash-down, with near zero degree elevation angle. Special safety measures have been developed to insure compliance with applicable RF exposure limits.

Radars commonly used for weather research or air traffic control systems have been examined in detailed field studies for various clients. Low elevation angle operation and proximity to nearby office buildings present the possibility of strong in-building fields and the desire to better understand the ambient fields that the general public may experience.

The radar on the left is a high power weather radar located at the National Center for Atmospheric Research while the radar on the right is a longrange air traffic control radar located at the FAA's Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City.