ARC-X250PM – X-band Mobile Polarimetric Doppler Weather Radar

The ARC X250PM radar is an X250P radar that has been hardened for mobile outdoor applications and is mounted on either a trailer or flat bed truck. This radar system is installed on a platform that can be mounted on a stabilized truck for mobile operations or can be removed and mounted to a fixed platform. ARC also offers the radar without the platform mounted to a stabilized, instrumented truck or it can be mounted onto a trailer. The 250PM is also available in a dual frequency, dual polarity version or as a simple single polarity radar.

Antenna Specifications

  • Prime focus circular parabolic reflector with hi-isolation OMT
  • Dish Diameter: 6 foot offset feed dish
  • Single Polarization Unit
    • Beamwidth: 1.15 degrees 3 dB
    • Scanning:
    • 36 deg/sec velocity
    • 20 deg/sec2 acceleration
  • Scan types:
  • SUR (360 deg) with elevation step
  • PPI sector scan with elevation step
  • RHI scan with azimuth step
Transmitter Specifications

  • Magnetron transmitter
  • Peak Power: 200 kW (83 dBm)
  • Frequency: 9.3 – 9.5 GHz
  • PRF: 0 to 2.0 kHz
Signal Processing Specifications

  • Digital IF processing by Sigmet RVP8 DSP
  • Signal processing algorithms implemented in host PC
  • Gate spacing: 25 – 1000 m (150 m typical)
  • Variable types:
    • Z (Equivalent radar reflectivity factor, dBZ)
    • V (Doppler radial velocity, m/s)
    • W (Velocity spectrum width, m/s)
    • P (Power received, dBm)
    • SQI (Signal Quality Index) in Sigmet
    • Zcoh (Coherent equivalent radar reflectivity factor, dBZ)
    • Phase (Differential and Absolute phase)
  • Screen image capture
  • Interfaces directly to NCAR Thunderstorm Identification Tracking Analysis and Nowcasting (TITAN) and Configurable Integrated Data Display (CIDD) systems as used in many countries for polarimetric rainfall estimation, weather modification studies and hydrometeor particle classification. Spectral clutter filtering processing.
  • Mobile operations: The radar system will be mounted on a towed flatbed trailer.