Fans of military technology may be quite familiar with radar technology. Individuals who enjoy air or marine travel have also benefited from this technology as well. Radar systems have changed quite a bit since the early days and one major change is the switch to a monopulse system. A monopulse comparator is a part of this system that has greatly increased the accuracy of modern systems. Here is what you need to know about these devices and how they have improved radar systems in general.

Radar systems were first developed and used by the military. Various countries found it very helpful to be able to detect approaching objects, find out how fast they were moving and what direction they were moving in. It allowed them to detect potential incoming attacks while paying less attention to non-hostile objects or aircraft. Now these systems are used by many different groups and organizations.

Weather forecasting also uses this type of system. It can track storm fronts, give information on where a storm is or how severe it is, and allows meteorologists to let us know important weather data. It can be used for tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards and thunderstorms as well. Many weather broadcasts will display the results of Doppler radar as part of the broadcast so viewers can see the data for themselves.

While many people think that these systems can just be used on land, this is not true. Marine radar will bounce signals off of nearby objects. This shows a ship where it is (by detecting the shoreline or marine buoys) or whether there are other ships in the same area.

All systems are made up of the same basic components. Frequencies are generated by a transmitter. There are several different types of these, some of which are more suitable for specific uses than others. The frequency is sent to an antenna by a waveguide. Then, the antenna sends out the signal. A duplexer switches the antenna over into receiving mode so the returning radio waves can be interpreted. This is done using a receiver and the operator will see the results on a display processor.

In the beginning, the way the signal was generated and processed meant that radar systems were not as reliable or accurate as they are today. They could be jammed easily. This involves directing the same radio frequency at the system in order to give an inaccurate picture of what is going on in the area. With the invention of the monopulse system, this was corrected and new systems are much more accurate.

Splitting a beam of radio frequency into several portions really improves accuracy. This is because the different sections of the beam can be compared to find out if the result are accurate. A monopulse system can compare up to four different sections of frequency and the operator will get an excellent idea of what is out there and how it is moving.

If you are interested in taking a closer look at these items you will quickly learn that there are different types. Looking online will give you the most comprehensive information on the different variants available although you may find you will need to check out specialized websites in order to view them.