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Old 26th Jan 2013, 16:25
  #255 (permalink)  
keith williams
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: England
Posts: 661
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I have not used the Radar Mile method before but doing a GOOGLE search revealed this.

Radar timing is usually expressed in microseconds. To relate radar timing to distances traveled by radar energy, you should know that radiated energy from a radar set travels at approximately 984 feet per microsecond. With the knowledge that a nautical mile is approximately 6,080 feet, we can figure the approximate time required for radar energy to travel one nautical mile using the following calculation:

A pulse-type radar set transmits a short burst of electromagnetic energy. Target range is determined by measuring elapsed time while the pulse travels to and returns from the target. Because two-way travel is involved, a total time of 12.36 microseconds per nautical mile will elapse between the start of the pulse from the antenna and its return to the antenna from a target.
This 12.36 microsecond time interval is sometimes referred to as a RADAR MILE, RADAR NAUTICAL MILE, or NAUTICAL RADAR MILE.

1 Radar Kilometer = 2 · 1000 m = 6.66 µs (1)

3 · 108 m/s


1 Radar Mile = 2 · 1852 m = 12.35 µs (2)

3 · 108 m/s

The range in kilometers to an object can be found by measuring the elapsed time during a round trip of a radar pulse and dividing this quantity by 6.66.

The range in nautical miles to an object can be found by measuring the elapsed time during a round trip of a radar pulse and dividing this quantity by 12.36.

If we use PRT = the Pulse Repetition Time

PRT = 1 000 000 micro seconds / PRF


Range = PRT / 12.36 from GOOGLE extract

PRT / Range x 12.36


For 39 NM range

30 NM x 12.36 = 370.8

PRF = 1000000 microseconds / PRT = 1000000 / 370.8 = 2696

Which is approximately 2700.

For 50 NM range

50 NM x 12.36 = 618

PRF = 1000000 microseconds / PRT = 1000000 / 618 = 1618

Which is approximately 1620
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