Weather Radar Upgrades

Overview

Computers and data processing technology rapidly evolve in respect to radar hardware. Breathe life into older radar by updating the data processing capabilities. This will modernize the benefits from existing radar networks. Vaisala upgrades your radars with signal processors, radar control processors, receivers, and magnetron transmitters.

When upgrading your radar with Vaisala Sigmet Digital Receiver and Signal Processor RVP900 and RCP8, consider adding also the proven, industry-leading IRIS™ software to your system for enabling automatic radar data acquisition, display, network communication and remote control/monitoring.

Besides composite radar images, we enable integration of other data types into radar as well. An integrated radar vs. lightning display is already available to customers who have Vaisala Sigmet IRIS software at use and Vaisala lightning network systems. Integration of satellite and radar data is also currently available as is the integration of Vaisala AWS surface rain gauge data for radar or gage adjustment.

Case 1: High-reliability on the Equatorial Pacific

In picture below the JAMSTEC X-band Doppler system (manufactured by JRC) is located on a remote jungle mountain top in Palau on the equatorial Pacific. The system is equipped with the Vaisala Sigmet Digital IF Receiver and Signal Processor RVP8, Radar and Antenna Control Processor RCP8 and IRIS software. They will collect data as part of a JAMSTEC study of convective heat and moisture fluxes in the tropical Pacific. High-reliability is a must at locations like these.

Case 2: Pulse Compression Technique Used in Queretaro Mexico Radar

Vaisala, as a subcontractor to Telvent of Spain has executed installation of an advanced fully-coherent TWT radar system in Mexico. The Queretaro Radar utilizes the RVP8, RCP8 and IRIS software. The system is based on Vaisala Sigmet's proprietary non-linear FM pulse transmission and reception to transmit 40 microsecond compressed pulse and realize 75 m resolution after decompression. The example image shows thunderstorms over the mountainous terrain, illustrating the excellent clutter cancellation, absence of range-time side lobes and in general, high quality data that can be attained using the technique.

Case 3: Vaisala Sigmet's Signal Processor and IRIS Software Brings Curacao to Life

Below the very first weather radar image from Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, after seven years of silence. The Curacao radar (manufactured by EEC) was not operational during those years until it was upgraded with a Vaisala Sigmet signal processor and IRIS software. An interesting note about this first image - the moment that the radar was first turned on and this image captured, a tornado was occurring on the neighboring island of Aruba (island in left of image). The weather radar clearly shows a thunderstorm on the northern short of Aruba.

Case 4: NEXRAD Network Now Online

In 2005, the first radar of the operational NEXRAD network went permanently online with Vaisala Sigmet's RVP8 as part of the ORDA upgrade of the full NEXRAD National Network. This image shows the first data. The location is the Twins Lakes NEXRAD site in Oklahoma.

Case 5: Spain INM Flagship Radars with Vaisala Inside

The fifteen weather radars of the Spanish INM (National Weather Service) have been successfully upgraded with Vaisala Sigmet’s RVP8 Digital Signal Processor and Digital Receiver and IRIS software. This upgrade replaces technology dating back about 20 years.

The Madrid radar, pictured below, was selected to be the first radar to receive the upgrade because it covers the capital city area and much of central Spain.

Case 6: Malaysian Meteorological Department's Radar Network Upgrade Demonstrates Flexibility of RVP8, RCP8, and IRIS

Vaisala is in process of upgrading the Malaysian Meteorological Departments weather radar network. MMD's weather radar network currently consists of 6 S-band and 4 C-band radars originally delivered by EEC. These radars will all be upgraded with new transmitter technology, analog receivers, the RVP8 signal processor, and RCP8 control processor. IRIS software will be used to control the functions of these radar sites and overall radar data processing and dissemination for MMD. A new S-band radar will also be added to the existing network with Vaisala Sigmet processing inside. This represents 5 different models of radars all unified by a single theme - Vaisala Sigmet data processing technology.