EightsOnPylons
8th Feb 2006, 20:07
Hello,
I am trying to find a website that has photos of radar pictures and explains what is shown on the radar. Is it the same system allover the world or does it vary? Of course I understand that all countries do not even have radar, but I was just wondering if the basic layout is the same for all.
Just like you see the basic "six-pack" instruments in almost all aircraft.
speed - horizon - alt
turn&bank - hdg - vsi
I am a pilot and I am interested of what it actually looks like for our fellow ATC collegues on their screens.
Thank you.
tired-flyboy
8th Feb 2006, 20:29
Try this site Futura Studios (http://www.futurastudios.com/atc.html)
Tarq57
9th Feb 2006, 00:42
All radar systems derive from the basic pulse/echo principle. The early ones look just like on the old (and some new) movies- a circular screen with a green or orange radial line rotating on it. When a radar target is detected, the line brightens at the bearing/distance from the radar installation via a cunning system utilizing technical wizardry and magic. This is called a blip, target,or echo.The bigger or more reflective the target, the brighter and larger the blip. There are usually filters incorporated which remove echos that aren't moving, such as terrain/buildings etc, and something called circular polarization, to remove the worst of the rain clutter.
More modern systems are synthetic, the source technology is similar, but several radar feeds from the required area are plugged into a big box which processes them and sends them to another box where they are sorted, integrated with whatever operating system the atc unit/s use (Lockheed Martin/Airways Skyline in NZ-not to be confused with the Nissan Skyline) and appear on a computer-type screen. The pictures available at the referred site above gives you the idea how it looks.
The basic layout doesn't vary much, There is usually an outline geographical map, eg coastline, selectable airspace boundaries, approach maps etc, an RPS (radar position symbol, which has replaced the archaic "blip") and datablock or label attached to each RPS with information that might include callsign, level/assigned level, groundspeed, destination etc. Different systems usually use different types of program to achieve the end result, and the terminologies can vary a lot, as can the keyboard/mouse commands, so it is usually the equivalent of a type rating to move from one to the other. I have had "ratings for three: The basic Marconi primary radar (blips, no datablock, stare at it constantly) CSF/Thompson Aircat, And Skyline.
Hope this helps, if not, please don't bother reading this post any further.