Sal M. Onella wrote:

"Ian White GM3SEK" wrote in message
...


Those were the phased arrays for the earlier VHF radar, and consisted of
two or four two-element yagis clustered around the nose (of a
two-engined aircraft, obviously). This gave a fairly good
forward-looking capability. Both sides did much the same, and given the
relatively long wavelength, it's hard to think how better to do it.

The huge benefit of the magnetron was that it operated at much shorter
wavelengths, which frees up the antenna design and provides much better
spatial resolution - witness the downward-looking "H2S" radar which was
the magnetron's first major deployment.

The VHF radars were still around into the late 1970's, maybe beyond. The US
Navy had them on carriers for air search. I think the nomenclature was
AN/SPS-29 and/or AN/SPS-37. The one I recall was in the 218 - 220 MHz and
it was hell on TV channel 13! The antenna was referred to as a bedspring
array; the rectangular framework for the dipole radiating elements resembled
a giant bedspring.


Sure, but none of those would fly very well. The discussion was really
about airborne radar, where there are tough limits on antenna size.


--
73 from Ian GM3SEK 'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek