Design and manufacture of atmospheric radar systems

ATRAD has commenced construction of a new 64kW MF Spaced Antenna Radar to be installed to the North West of Beijing. The radar is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2008 and will be used by Chinese scientists to support advanced research into the Mesosphere Lower Thermosphere (MLT) region and contribute to the continuation of the Climate And Weather of the Sun-Earth System (CAWSES) program of SCOSTEP (CAWSES-II).

A 24kW, 6-channel Steerable Ionospheric Analyser (SIA24/6) has been shipped to Sanya, China and is expected to be commissioned in September 2008. The SIA24/6 will be used to examine Ionospheric Irregularities in the E & F regions of space. It has also been equipped with an independent all-sky interferometer array to support both Ionospheric and Meteor mode observations.

The Indian Institute of Magnetism's MF radar located in Tirunelveli has recently been upgraded with an ATRAD 3rd Generation MF Radar transmitter. In addition to increasing the radar's maximum power output, the pulse-pulse switching ability of the transmitter extends the radar capability to include Differential Phase and Differential Amplitude Experiments (DPE/DAE).

The University of Adelaide's Buckland Park test facility received a major upgrade to its Doppler ST (Stratospheric/Tropospheric) radar earlier this year. The upgrade included the installation of an ATRAD ST40 40kW PEP radar transmitter, enhancement of the Meteor mode capability and an overhaul of the beamsteering and switching systems. The result, when operating in Doppler mode, is that wind profiles are reliably obtained at up to 20km above ground level.

Commissioning of the Hainan EMDR was completed in early April. Since undergoing its final calibration phase, it has been recording unambiguous meteor counts of over 26,000 meteors per day. The performance of the EMDR series radars is meetin g ATRAD's high expectations and represents a step change improvement in performance over the earlier generation systems currently in service around the world.

The EMDR radar has proven to be a highly successful instrument. The Hainan radar is the latest in a rapidly growing list of EMDR installations and is expected to be commissioned in March this year.

The 8kW EMDR Radar installed at King George Island almost a year ago continues to set new highs, recently reaching counts of over 27,000 meteors per day during the peak meteor season.

Sales of Metek equipment are off to a good start in 2008 with a MRR-2 Rain Radar for University of Queensland and a USA-1 3D Scientific Anemometer with Turbulence measurement option for Sondei Group.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has taken delivery of another 7.5kW Boundary Layer Windprofiler for installation at its East Sale site in early 2008. The new Windprofiler expands the Bureau's Australian network and will be used to replace local weather balloon operations.

Installation of an ST80 80kW Doppler ST/Meteor Radar, EMDR20 20kW All-Sky Meteor Radar and MFSA64 64kW MF Spaced Antenna radar in KunMing, China has recently been completed. The ST80 radar is an 80kW Doppler ST Radar with an integrated 40kW All-Sky Meteor Radar capability.