Calibrating the Operational Beam Width and Maximum Range of a Ship Radar Used for Bird Observations

• Published in: Journal of navigation Vol. 63; no. 2; pp. 363 - 371
• Main Authors: Hilgerloh, Gudrun, Caprano, Tanja, Griebeler, Eva Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.04.2010
• Subjects: Air traffic control; Applied sciences; Aves; Balloons; Beam width; Beams (structural); Bird watching; Calibration; Cross sections; Exact sciences and technology; Ground, air and sea transportation, marine construction; Marine and water way transportation and traffic; Radar; Radar systems; Ship radar; Ships; Songbirds; X-band; Ship radar; Calibration; Beam width; Songbirds; Performance evaluation; 2. Beam width; 4. Songbirds; Experimental study; Result; Vertebrata; Song; 1. Ship radar; 3. Calibration; Radar; Observation; Sea traffic; Ship; Aves; Quantitative analysis
• ISSN: 0373-4633; 1469-7785
• DOI: 10.1017/S0373463309990452

In order to analyse quantitative radar observations of bird movements, one needs to know the dimensions of the air space surveyed by the radar. The present study shows how to calibrate the operational beam width and the maximum range of any radar for cross sections for different body sizes of songbirds. The trial used an X-band fan beam ship radar of 25 KW (Furuno Fr-2125) and a captive balloon. Metal spheres of different diameters, fastened to the bottom of the balloon at defined distances, corresponding to the radar cross sections of song birds, were moved in all three dimensions of the air space. Simultaneously to the location by radar, the position of the suspended sphere was measured by theodolites.