🚀 go-pugleaf

Matt Dennis <mdennis@skywarn.net> wrote:

> A Texas company (Trionics, Inc.)  http://www.trionics.com  says that a 9
> GHz band (3 cm) marine radar can do a reasonable job of "seeing"
> storms.  They are getting ready to test a marine radar on land to see
> how well it works. The radar's are not going to give a color image like
> the quarter million dollar radar's do, but it might give just enough
> LIVE information for spotters for a cost of around $1300

3 centimeter weather radars were used in the 50's, 60's and early 70's
by military, CPS-9 weather radar. Did you know that the first NWS radar
was a converted aircraft radar from World War II, WSR-1?

> I will be posting more information on their test as soon as I get it.  I
> would like to hear some feedback from the NSSL crew and others on if
> they think this might work.

Problem with 3 cm radars I have seen is severe attenuation from
rainfall. Worse than 5 centimeter by far. I personally had experience
with one of these radars in Okinawa. Radar could only see typhoon eye if
you raised antenna elevation to avoid the heavy rain at low levels.

Have seen marine radars on crew boats on Mississippi River and Gulf.
Don't really know how they work in rain, but work rather well in fog.
I will also be curious to see how it works out and how they intend to
use or sell it?

-- 
                      Paul Pettit
                   Weather Consulting
       http://www.mindspring.com/~ppmeteo/Pauls.html