RDR 2100 PG Cover 3/12/07 3:43 PM Page 1

Pilot’s Guide RDR 2100

Digital Weather Radar System
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006-18002-0000 Revision 1
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WARNING

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duced portion of this document.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

©1995-1999 Honeywell International Inc.

Reproduction of this publication or any portion thereof by any means without

the express written permission of Honeywell International Inc. is prohibited. For
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Telephone: (913) 782-0400.
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Table of Contents
RDR 2100 OPERATIONAL CONTROLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
TEST PATTERN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
FAULT ANNUNCIATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
PREFLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
PREFLIGHT WARNINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
THEORY OF OPERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
GENERAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
RADAR PRINCIPLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
WEATHER RADAR PRINCIPLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
RADAR BEAM ILLUMINATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
RADAR REFLECTIVITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
WEATHER DISPLAY CALIBRATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
WEATHER ATTENUATION COMPENSATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
AUTOMATIC RANGE LIMITING (ARL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
TARGET ALERT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
ALTITUDE RING (RANGE RING) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
RADOMES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
WEATHER MAPPING AND INTERPRETATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
OBSERVING WEATHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
THUNDERSTORMS & TURBULENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
TORNADOES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
HAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
ICING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
SNOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
LIGHTNING AND STATIC DISCHARGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
GROUND MAPPING AND INTERPRETATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
LOOKING ANGLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
OPERATION IN-FLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
GENERAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
TILT MANAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
EARLY DETECTION OF ENROUTE WEATHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
SEPARATION OF WEATHER AND GROUND TARGETS . . . . . .28
SHADOWED AREAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

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Table of Contents
TARGET RESOLUTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
RANGE RESOLUTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
AZIMUTH RESOLUTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
PATH PLANNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
PATH PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
ANTENNA STABILIZATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
CRITERIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
PITCH ERRORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
TURN ERRORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
EFFECT ON RADAR STABILIZATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
DURING TAKEOFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
SHALLOW-BANKED TURNS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
STABILIZATION LIMITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
STABILIZATION FLIGHT TEST CHECKLIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
VERTICAL PROFILE (VP) THEORY OF OPERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
VP OPERATION IN-FLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
VERTICAL PROFILE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
OPERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
WEATHER RADAR INTERFERENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
OPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
CHECKLIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
MOVING-MAP NAVIGATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
BENDIX/KING ELECTRONIC FLIGHT INSTRUMENTATION
SYSTEM (EFIS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
SPLIT SCREEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
LOG SCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
60° SCAN SECTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
AUTO STEP SCAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
SPECIFICATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
RDR 2000 SENSOR (ANTENNA, RECEIVER, TRANSMITTER) . . . . .60
INDICATOR IN-862A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
APPENDIX: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
LICENSE REQUIREMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
SAFETY INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

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Operational Controls

RDR 2100 OPERATIONAL CONTROLS

BRT - Controls brightness of the indicator display (CW
rotation for max brightness).
Wx/WxA - Alternately selects between the Wx
(weather) and WxA (weather-alert) modes of operation.
“Wx” or “WxA” will appear in the lower left of the dis-
play. Wx or WxA colors are: Black for no returns, Green
for weak returns, Yellow for moderate returns, Red for
heavy returns and Magenta for intense returns. When
the WxA mode is selected, magenta areas of storms
flash between magenta and black at a 1 HZ rate.
VP - Selects and deselects the Vertical Profile mode of
operation. When VP is selected on the indicator the
radar will provide a vertical scan of ±30 degrees at the
location of the horizontal track line. Selecting the VP
mode of operation will not change the selected mode of
operation: TST, Wx, WxA or GND MAP. Once in VP,
these modes may be changed as desired. VP will
engage from the NAV MAP mode, but NAV data will not
be displayed during VP operation.
NAV MAP - Places indicator in navigation mode so
that preprogrammed waypoints may be displayed. If
other modes are also selected, the NAV display will be
superimposed on them. This button is effective only if
an optional radar graphics unit and Flight Management
System is installed. If activated without these units, NO
NAV will appear at lower left of screen. The radar will
display weather when NAV MAP is selected if the radar
selector is in the ON position.
GND MAP - Places the radar system in ground map-
ping mode. Gain control capability is configurable at
installation to be enabled or disabled in ground map
mode. Ground map colors are: green for weak returns,
yellow for moderate returns and magenta for intense
returns. “MAP” will appear on the lower left of the dis-
play.

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Operational Controls
GAIN - The gain knob adjusts the radar gain from 0 to
-20 dB (CCW rotation reduces gain). The gain knob will
only function when in the MAP mode.
PULL ARL - (Automatic Range Limiting) - Displays a
blue area behind weather systems where weather
detection is no longer possible because of attenuation.

LOG - Used when Bendix/King radar graphics units are installed. A

listing of the latitudes and longitudes of selected waypoints are dis-
played. When a compatible navigation source is installed, the selected
VOR frequencies along with bearings and distances are also displayed.
The radar transmits in the LOG mode, unless a Bendix/King radar
graphics unit (IU-2023, GC-360A or GC-381A) is installed.

ON - Selects the normal condition of operation for

weather detection and/or other modes of opera-
tion. The system will transmit after a 60 second
warm-up time is completed. The radar system ini-
tializes to the Wx mode, 80 nm.

Note: The 60 second warm up period can be monitored upon power up

of the system. When the knob is switched directly from OFF to ON mode
(or LOG mode with no Bendix/King radar graphics unit installed), the dis-
play will blank. As the radar sweeps the blue/white will grow outward.
Just before the warm up period is complete, the screen will turn black for
a few seconds, then the radar will begin transmitting and the screen will
display radar returns. No radar transmissions occur until the warm up
period is complete.
TST - The multicolored arc display test pattern is displayed in this mode
of operation. The test pattern (typical 4-color test pattern on page 4) is
initialized and sized to fit the 80 nm range and can also be scaled with
the range select buttons. No radar transmissions occur while TST is
selected. TEST will appear in the lower left of the display.
STAB OFF is always displayed in top left.
SBY - Fully energizes the system circuitry but no radar transmissions occur
in the SBY mode of operation. The antenna is parked at 0 degrees azimuth
and 30 degrees tilt down with the antenna drive motors locked. In the
standby mode of operation, NAV MAP, checklist and TCAS traffic can be
activated with a Bendix/King radar graphics unit (IU-2023B, GC-360A,
GC-362A or GC-381A) installed. SBY will appear in the lower left of the dis-
play.

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Operational Controls
OFF - Removes primary power from the radar indicator, but the radar
still has power applied. The radar will remain active with no radar trans-
missions occurring, for up to a maximum time of 30 seconds. This time
delay allows time to park the antenna at 0 degrees azimuth and 30
degrees tilt down.
Note: The only way to remove primary power from the radar is to pull
the radar circuit breaker.
RNG - Clears the display and advances the indi-
cator to the next range. The upper button increases
range, the lower button decreases it. The
RDR 2100 display ranges are: 5, 10, 20, 40, 80,
160, 240, 320 nm. The selected range is displayed
in the upper right corner of the display with the
range ring distance displayed along the right edge.

TRK - Provides a yellow track centerline for vertical

profile. With the radar on and a track button
pushed, the track line position moves left or right in
1 degree increments at a rate of about 15 degrees
per second. When Vertical Profile mode is selected,
the antenna scans the slice at the track line azimuth
position. While in Vertical Profile mode, the TRK
buttons move the slice left and right. The azimuth
position of the antenna is displayed on the upper
left corner of the indicator.
TILT - Permits manual adjustment of antenna tilt
15° up or down for best indicator presentation. The
tilt angle is displayed in the upper right corner of the
display.
PULL AUTO - Allows the antenna position to be
automatically adjusted to maintain a common beam
intercept point with the earth e.g. if the last 10% of
the display is ground returns, then during ascent or
decent the antenna tilt is automatically changed to maintain ground
returns on 10% of the display.

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Operational Controls
TEST PATTERN

FAULT ANNUNCIATIONS
Fault annunciations are a method of alerting the pilot that the radar
system is not performing to established standards. Built-in test equip-
ment (BITE) automatically and constantly tests the radar system. If a
fault occurs, the fault annunciation will be presented on the Display unit.
There are two general categories of faults: hard failures and soft
failure/annunciations. By careful observation of the Display, you can
quickly evaluate the condition of the ART 2100.
Hard failures are those which occur when a major function of the system
is lost. Hard failures are typically a total loss of transmitter power,
receiver gain or no antenna scan. Turn off system. Should the system
be left on, further damage to other system components could occur.
Hard Failures:
Annunciation Failure
TX FLT Transmitter failure
429 FLT Loss of 429 bus data
ANT FLT Loss of antenna position
IN FLT 6 Loss of communication between
display and ART

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Preflight
Note: A TX FLT is indicated if the Strut switch is configured to be active
and the aircraft is on the ground.

Soft failures are those which can cause limited system operation, Radar
data will still be displayed but the flight crew should be aware that the
display does not necessarily represent the true weather. Soft failures
are typically configuration problem, stabilization problems, or some sim-
ilar problem.
Soft Failures:
Annunciation Cause
TX FLT alternating with ANT FLT Configuration module not
being read
STAB LMT Stab. Is exceeding ±30˚
STAB OFF Alert that the scan is not being
stabilized

PREFLIGHT
PREFLIGHT WARNINGS

Do not turn the radar on within 5 feet of containers of flammable or

explosive material. The radar should never be operated during fueling.
Do not attempt to operate the radar until you are completely familiar
with all safety information, including that on pages 62 through 65.
The system always transmits in the ON mode, unless the aircraft is on
the ground and the radar is interfaced to the strut switch. The radar
transmits in LOG mode if the radar is not interfaced to a Bendix/King
radar graphics unit. The system never transmits in the OFF, SBY or TST
modes.
Accomplish the following procedures completely and exactly.
1) Place the radar controls in the following positions:
• Function switch to TST
• Tilt to UP 7 (as shown on the indicator display, upper right corner).
The test pattern will appear. See that the test pattern conforms to the
illustration (The test pattern is sized to fit the 80 nm range and can be
scaled with the range buttons), and observe the “update” action as a
small ripple moves across the display along the outer edge.

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Preflight
2) With the function switch in TST or SBY, taxi to a clear area where
there are no people, aircraft, vehicles, or metallic buildings within
approximately 100 yards.
3) Rotate the function switch to ON. The indicator will automatically dis-
play in the Wx mode and 80 nm range. Any targets (weather or
ground) will be displayed in green, yellow, red, or magenta. (Note: A
60 second warm up time period is required before the system will
transmit).
4) Press the range-down button to display 40 nm as the maximum range.
5) Press the WxA button and observe that magenta areas (if any) flash.
6) Vary the tilt control manually between 0 and up 15 degrees and
observe that close-in “ground clutter” appears at lower settings and
that any local rain appears at higher settings.
7) Repeat the manual tilt adjustment, this time between the 0 and down
15 degrees positions.
8) Return the function switch to TST or SBY before taxiing!
9) When you are ready for weather detection (after takeoff or just
before), place the function switch to ON and operate the system as
described in the Operation In-Flight section.

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Theory of Operation
THEORY OF OPERATION
GENERAL

The primary use of this radar is to aid the pilot in avoiding thunderstorms
and associated turbulence. Since each operator normally develops spe-
cific operational procedures for use of weather avoidance radar, the fol-
lowing information is presented for use at the operator’s discretion.
Operational techniques for the RDR 2100 are similar to earlier genera-
tion weather avoidance radars. The proficient operator manages
antenna tilt control to achieve best knowledge of storm height, size, and
relative direction of movement.

RADAR PRINCIPLES

Radar is fundamentally a distance measuring system using the principle

of radio echoing. The term RADAR is an acronym for RAdio Detecting
and Ranging. It is a method for locating targets by using radio waves.
The transmitter generates microwave energy in the form of pulses.
These pulses are then transferred to the antenna where they are focused
into a beam by the antenna. The radar beam is much like the beam of
flashlight. The energy is focused and radiated by the antenna in such a
way that it is most intense in the center of the beam with decreasing
intensity near the edge. The same antenna is used for both transmitting
and receiving. When a pulse intercepts a target, the energy is reflected
as an echo, or return signal, back to the antenna. From the antenna, the
returned signal is transferred to the receiver and processing circuits
located in the receiver transmitter unit. The echoes, or returned signals,
are displayed on an indicator.
Radio waves travel at the speed of 300 million meters per second and
thus yield nearly instantaneous information when echoing back. Radar
ranging is a two-way process that requires 12.36 micro-seconds for the
radio wave to travel out and back for each nautical mile of target range.
As shown in the distance illustration below, it takes 123.6 micro-seconds
for a transmitted pulse of radar energy to travel out and back from an
area of precipitation 10 nautical miles away.

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Theory of Operation
WEATHER RADAR PRINCIPLES

Airborne weather avoidance radar, as its name implies, is for avoiding

severe weather, not for penetrating it. Whether to fly into an area of
radar echoes depends on echo-intensity, spacing between the echoes,
aircraft capabilities and pilot experience. Remember that weather radar
detects only precipitation drops; it does not detect minute cloud droplets,
nor does it detect turbulence. Therefore, the radar provides no assur-
ance of avoiding instrument weather in clouds and fog. The indicator
may be clear between intense echoes; this clear area does not neces-
sarily mean it is safe to fly between the storms and maintain visual
sighting of them.
The geometry of the weather radar radiated beam precludes its use for
reliable proximity warning or anti-collision protection. The beam is char-
acterized as a cone shaped pencil beam. It is much like that of a flash-
light or spotlight beam. It would be an event of chance, not of certainty,
that such a beam would come upon another aircraft in flight.
Note: Weather avoidance radar is not practical as a pilot operable ter-
rain or collision avoidance system. Weather analysis and avoidance are
the primary functions of the radar system.

RADAR BEAM ILLUMINATION

Probably the most important aspect of a weather radar is the antenna

beam illumination characteristic. To make a proper interpretation of what
you are seeing on the display, you must have an understanding of what
the radar beam “is seeing”. The following figure is a side view of the
radar beam characteristic with a storm depicted at a distance that causes
the size of the storm to just fill the 3 dB beamwidth. This would be the
typical situation for a storm at approximately 40 nautical miles with a 12
inch diameter antenna. It’s important to understand and visualize this sit-
uation, to enhance your understanding of the rest of this manual. First
some observations are in order:

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Theory of Operation
Note that the antenna gain versus angle characteristic is a continuous
function at all angles. This means that there is a gain value associated
with all forward angles relative to the selected tilt angle. In this figure the
tilt angle is shown as zero degrees. This means the beam center is
along the same angle as the aircraft flight angle. Next, the points on
either side of the beam where the antenna gain is down 3 dB relative to
the maximum gain defines the 3 dB beamwidth. The remainder of the
manual uses the cone shaped 3 dB beamwidth extensively to illustrate
how the beam spreads with distance, much like a flashlight beam. Also
important is the understanding that this angle is wider for smaller
antennas (10”) and narrower for larger antennas. It’s also important to
realize that the antenna gain does not go to zero outside the 3 dB
beamwidth, it just continues to reduce with increasing angles. This is
what it meant by a continuous gain function. This understanding is
important when we discuss ground clutter reflections later.
Also note that there are small lobes of the gain characteristic at fairly
large angles. These are called sidelobes. Generally these are not
important since the gain value for these lobes is down 25 or more dB
from the peak. However a bad radome can increase these sidelobes to
a point that they cause a constant radar reflection from the ground. This
is commonly referred to as an “altitude ring” because the display will
show a concentric ring at a distance equal to the slant range of the side-
lobe to the ground.
The cone formed by the 3 dB beamwidth is where most of the radar
energy is concentrated, so it is important to realize that at any given time
whatever is within this cone (and sometimes other strong targets like
clutter outside the cone) is what is being painted on the display. The
pilot should be aware of how wide this cone is as a function of range.
The primary target of interest is obviously weather cells of significance.
The typical cell is considered to be 3 nm in diameter. It is mandatory that
the beam be pointed at the wet part of the weather cell to record the
proper rainfall intensity (color level). To aid the pilot at accomplishing this
task, the “Radar Beam Diagram” tool is provided. This tool is a trans-
parent 3 dB beamwidth overlay for each antenna size and range scales
of 40, 80, and 160 nm in length, each of which has multiple weather cells
shown to scale at different distances. A user can position the overlay on
a given target and read the tilt angle that will position the beam at the
“below freezing” part of the cell. This tool should be understood and kept
handy when trying to interpret the weather display.This tool illustrates
that at greater distances, the weather cell doesn’t fill the cone shaped
beam. Under these conditions the distinction of the weather cell from the
ground clutter is most difficult. The following figure illustrates this condi-
tion.

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Theory of Operation

In this scenario the weather cell might be at 100 nm, the altitude might
be 40,000 feet, and the appropriate tilt angle is approximately -3
degrees. Notice that the beam is centered on the rain but it also inter-
sects the ground. The angle the beam makes with the ground is called
the grazing angle. When this angle gets greater than about 2 degrees
the ground reflections that return to the radar become very significant. A
later section called “Tilt Management” discusses this difficult topic and
makes some suggestions to help make weather/ground distinction.
The following diagrams show the beam width relationship with 10 inch,
12 inch and 18 inch antennas. For illustrative purposes the aircraft are
shown at approximately 40,000 feet and the tilt is set at zero degrees.

Radar Beam Illumination

Radar Beam Illumination with 12 Inch Antenna
with 10 Inch Antenna

Radar Beam Illumination

with 18 Inch Antenna

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Theory of Operation
RADAR REFLECTIVITY

What target will reflect the radar’s pulses and thus be displayed on the
indicator? Only precipitation (or objects more dense than water such as
earth or solid structures) will be detected by an X-band weather radar.
Therefore weather radar does not detect clouds, thunderstorms or turbu-
lence directly. Instead, it detects precipitation which may be associated
with dangerous thunderstorms and turbulence. The best radar reflectors
are raindrops and wet snow or hail. The larger the raindrop the better it
reflects. Because large drops in a small concentrated area are charac-
teristic of a severe thunderstorm, the radar displays the storm as a
strong echo. Drop size is the most important factor in high radar reflec-
tivity. Generally, ice, dry snow, and dry hail have low reflective levels
and often will not be displayed by the radar.
A cloud that contains only small raindrops, such as fog or drizzle, will not
produce a measurable radar echo. But if the conditions should change
and the cloud begins to produce rain, it will be displayed on radar.

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Theory of Operation
WEATHER DISPLAY CALIBRATION

The radar display has been calibrated to show five levels of target inten-
sity: Black (level 0), Green (level 1), Yellow (level 2), Red (level 3), and
Magenta (level 4). The meaning of these levels is shown in the following
chart as to their approximate relationship to the Video Integration
Processor (VIP) intensity levels used by the National Weather Service.
These levels are valid only when; (1) the Wx and WxA mode are
selected; (2) the displayed returns are within the STC range of the radar
(approximately 40 miles); (3) the returns are beam filling; (4) there are no
intervening radar returns.

Radar Display and Thunderstorm Levels

Versus Rainfall Rates

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Theory of Operation
WEATHER ATTENUATION COMPENSATION

An extremely important phenomena for the weather avoidance radar

operator to understand is that of attenuation. When a radar pulse is trans-
mitted into the atmosphere, it is progressively absorbed and scattered so
that it loses its ability to return to the antenna. This attenuation or weak-
ening of the radar pulse is caused by two primary sources, distance and
precipitation. The RDR 2100 has several advanced features which signif-
icantly reduce the effects of attenuation (no airborne weather radar can
eliminate them completely). It is therefore up to the operator to under-
stand the radar’s limitations in dealing with attenuation.
Attenuation because of distance is due to the fact that the radar energy
leaving the antenna is inversely proportional to the square of the distance.
For example, the reflected radar energy from a target 60 miles away will
be one fourth (if the target is beam filling) of the reflected energy from an
equivalent target 30 miles away. The displayed effect to the pilot is that
as the storm is approached, it will appear to be gaining in intensity. To
compensate for distance attenuation both Sensitivity Timing Control
(STC) and Extended STC circuitry are employed. The RDR 2100 has an
STC range of 0 to approximately 40 nautical miles. Additionally, the
radar will electronically compensate for the effects of distance attenuation
with the net effect that targets do not appear to change color as the dis-
tance decreases.
Outside the STC range the Extended STC circuitry increases the dis-
played intensity to more accurately represent storm intensity. The
Extended STC will not, however, totally compensate for distance attenua-
tion and, therefore, targets in this range can be expected to show more
detail as the distance decreases until reaching the STC range.
Attenuation due to precipitation is far more intense and is less predictable
than attenuation due to distance. As the radar pulses pass through mois-
ture, some radar energy is reflected. But much of that energy is
absorbed. If the rain is very heavy or extends for many miles, the beam
may not reach completely through the area of precipitation. The weather
radar has no way of knowing if the beam has been fully attenuated or has
reached the far side of the precipitation area. If this beam has been fully
attenuated the radar will display a “radar shadow” which appears as an
end to the precipitation when, in fact, the heavy rain may extend for many
more miles. In the worst case, precipitation attenuation may cause the
area of heaviest precipitation to be displayed as the thinnest area of
heavy precipitation. It may cause one cell containing heavy precipitation
to totally block or shadow a second heavy cell located behind the first cell
and prevent it from being displayed on the radar. Never fly into radar
shadows and never believe that the full extent of heavy rain is being
seen on radar unless another cell or a ground target can be seen beyond
the heavy cell. Proper use of the antenna tilt control can help detect radar
shadows.

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Theory of Operation
Attenuation can also be a problem when flying in a large area of general
rain. If the rain is moderate, the radar beam may only reach 20 or 30
miles before it is fully attenuated.
The pilot may fly along for many miles seeing the same 20-30 nautical
miles of precipitation ahead on the radar when, actually, the rain may
extend a great distance. In order to aid in reducing the effects of precipita-
tion attenuation, the RDR 2100 contains sophisticated weather attenua-
tion compensation circuitry. The attenuation compensation feature is
totally automatic in the Wx/WxA mode of operation and requires no pilot
action to activate other than selecting Wx/WxA mode of operation. The
compensation logic operates between 3 to 320 nautical miles, whenever a
level 2 (yellow), 3 (red) or 4 (magenta) echo is displayed. The compen-
sation circuits cause the software to measure each individual cell return
and increase each individual cell return independently while the antenna
scans the sector containing heavy rain. The compensation circuitry
allows the radar beam to effectively look deeper into and through heavy
rain to search for possible storm cells beyond. While attenuation compen-
sation does not eliminate precipitation attenuation, it does allow the radar
to see through more rain at short ranges where every bit of weather infor-
mation possible is needed. If there is suspicion that the radar is attenu-
ating due to precipitation, exercise extreme caution and ask ATC what
they are showing. Often the ground based ATC controller’s radar will have
a better overall picture of a large rain area and the pilot can compare the
controller’s information with his own radar picture to avoid the strongest
cells in a general area of rain.

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Theory of Operation
AUTOMATIC RANGE LIMITING (ARL)

The RDR 2100 contains Automatic Range Limiting (ARL) circuitry which
causes the display to depict areas that the radar cannot penetrate due to
signal attenuation. Typically, the ARL display will show blue areas on the
far side of a series of severe weather systems. This cautions the pilot to
avoid flight into the blue areas due to the uncertainty of weather condi-
tions.
Note: Radar shadows are shown in blue when ARL is active. NEVER
FLY INTO ARL BLUE RETURN AREAS.

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Theory of Operation
TARGET ALERT

The RDR 2100 system can be configured at installation to include the

Target Alert feature. The purpose of the feature is to alert the pilot to the
presence of a significant weather cell that exists beyond the currently
selected range. For this mode to be active, Wx or WxA mode must be
selected and Vertical Profile must not be selected. The criteria for a
Target Alert is for the cell to be at least red intensity, within ±10˚ of aircraft
heading, a minimum size of 2 NM in range and 2 degrees in azimuth, and
within the range of 80 to 320 NM. When a Target Alert is issued, two red
arcs, separated by a black arc will be displayed at the top of the display
centered on the aircraft heading (see the following figure). Target Alert is
applied to each scan independent of the other when the radar is alter-
nating scans.
Note: Target Alert is not active in the ground map mode.

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Theory of Operation
ALTITUDE RING (RANGE RING)

Not all radar transmitted energy is contained in the main beam radiation
pattern. Some of the energy is radiated in the side lobe pattern. The
characteristics of some radomes and/or nose caps can cause detrimental
side lobe radiation. Should this occur, the side lobe can be radiated down
toward the earth and the reflected energy received by the radar may be
displayed on the indicator as a narrow ring of video. When the indicator is
on the 10 or 20 nm range, this can be seen at a distance corresponding to
the altitude, typically one mile per 6000 feet. During “Wx” operation, when
this phenomenon occurs, no appreciable degradation of the radar to
depict weather exists. This phenomenon is largely dependent upon the
shape and physical condition of the radome or nose cap on the aircraft.

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Theory of Operation
RADOMES

A radome is a covering that shields the radar antenna from hostile envi-
ronments, such as fast moving air, rain, bugs, and ice. It allows the
microwave energy to pass through relatively undisturbed. This means
that very little of the microwave energy passing through it will be
absorbed, reflected, or redirected as a result of it’s presence. Some
radomes closely approximate this definition, while others do not.
Here are some faults which can occur in radomes:
1. A pitted honeycomb radome can result from being struck by high
velocity projectiles, such as rain, ice, sand, bugs, etc. Once the
surface integrity has been broken, water intrusion can occur and
cause significant radar signal loss.
2. A poorly sealed plastic radome nose boot which has allowed
moisture to be trapped behind it.
3. Paint containing metallic particles mistakenly applied to all or part
of the radome.
4. An improperly fabricated fiberglass radome.
5. A poorly repaired “ding” on the radome.
6. An object, usually metallic, located inside the radome and in the
path of part of the transmitted microwave energy.
As a result of items 5 and 6 above, a “phantom ring” may appear on the
radar display. Normally the cause is an obstruction in the bottom of the
radome. This obstruction can cause some of the radiated energy to be
directed down to the ground instead of in the forward direction.
Reflective material in the top of the radome can result in the same situa-
tion. In either case, energy returns from the same direction that it was
transmitted causing an “altitude ring” to be presented on the radar dis-
play. It is called an altitude ring because it moves in and out as the air-
craft changes altitude.
Items 1, 2, 3, and 4 can result in radar performance problems while
checking out as “no trouble found” at the repair center. The radome is
blocking too much energy.
Care must be exercised to be sure that only qualified personnel perform
repairs on the radome. Also, it is time well spent during preflight to
include checking the radome to be sure it remains in good repair. When
examining the radome, be certain the radar is not transmitting
microwave energy. See MPEL (Maximum Permissible Exposure Levels)
in the Appendix.

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Weather Mapping and Interpretation

WEATHER MAPPING AND INTERPRETATION
This section contains general information on use of radar for weather
interpretation. Review of this information will assist the operator in using
radar.
Note: The ability of a weather radar system to display weather returns is
dependent upon the radome Transmission Efficiency. Bendix/King rec-
ommends a 90% average/85% minimum transmission efficiency. Refer
to RTCA document DO-213 Class A for minimum operational perfor-
mance standards for nose mounted radomes.

OBSERVING WEATHER

A weather avoidance radar is only as good as the operator’s interpreta-

tion of the echoes that are displayed on the radar indicator. The operator
must combine knowledge of how radar works and its limitations with
such things as the prevailing weather pattern, and geographic location in
order to make a sound interpretation of the displayed targets.
As a starting point the operator should read FAA Advisory Circular
number 00-24B (Subject: Thunderstorms). It is also highly recommended
that the operator take advantage of one of the commercially available
weather radar seminars.

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Weather Mapping and Interpretation

THUNDERSTORMS & TURBULENCE

The RDR 2100 can give you a clue to the presence of turbulence. Areas
of the display where the colors change rapidly over a short distance rep-
resent steep rainfall gradients, which are usually associated with severe
turbulence.
Turbulence may be divided into two basic types: (1) clear-air turbulence;
and (2) turbulence associated with thunderstorms and precipitation.
The latter is most common. It is with this type that weather radar is most
helpful to the pilot. It is not possible to detect clear air turbulence with
this type of radar system. Weather guidance is now available from
ground radar stations in some areas. However, this system suffers in
comparison with the airborne weather radar where the weather is clearly
visible on the pilot’s indicator, instantly available for the pilot to act upon,
considering his immediate circumstances and future flight planning.
The strong up and down drafts in a thunderstorm create very large rain-
drops which are usually displayed on a radar as level 4.
The probability of turbulence in these strong vertical gusts is great. The
National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) has found that the intensity
level of the precipitation reflection correlates with the degree of turbu-
lence found in a thunderstorm. The most severe turbulence in the
storm, however, may not be at the same place that gives the greatest
radar reflectivity.
The rate of change in rainfall rate laterally within a storm is called the rain
gradient. This change will appear on the indicator as a change from
green to yellow to red to magenta. If the rainfall rate increases from level
1 to 4 in a short distance, the rain gradient is steep and severe turbu-
lence is often present. Avoid any storm with a steep rain gradient by an
extra margin and especially avoid flying near the portion of the storm with
the steepest gradient.

TORNADOES

It is possible that conclusive methods of detecting tornadoes with air-

borne radar may eventually be developed. However, evidence collected
to date indicates tornadoes may be present if the following echoes are
observed:
A hook-shaped pendant which may be 5 or more miles long and in the
general shape of the numeral 6 strongly suggests the presence of a
major tornado, especially if the pendant is bright and if it projects from
the southwest quadrant (northeast quadrant in the southern hemisphere)
of a major thunderstorm moving eastward. The pendant may be masked
by ground clutter when viewed on the indicator and in some cases might

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Weather Mapping and Interpretation

not be much more than a blunt projection or a scalloped edge of the
parent thunderstorm echo.
A crescent-shaped indentation on the side of a major thunderstorm echo
3 to 7 miles long is another possible identifier of an active or potential tor-
nado in the vicinity.
The best procedure is to make wider than usual detours around sharp-
edged thunderstorms and especially those which show projections or
crescent-shaped indentations.

HAIL

Hail usually has a film of water on its surface, consequently, a hailstone

is often reflected as a very large water particle. Because of the film and
because hail stones usually are larger than raindrops, thunderstorms
with large amounts of wet hail return stronger signals than those with
rain. Although wet hail is an excellent reflector of radar energy, some
hail shafts are extremely small (100 yards or less). These narrow shafts
make poor radar targets.
Hail shafts are usually identified with four different characteristic patterns:
(1) fingers and protrusions, (2) hooks, (3) scalloped edges on the cloud
outline and (4) U-shaped cloud edges 3 to 7 miles across.

Finger Hook

Scalloped Edge U-Shaped

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Weather Mapping and Interpretation

These echoes appear quite suddenly and along any edge of the storm
outline. They also change in intensity and shape in a matter of seconds,
and for this reason careful monitoring of the display is essential. It must
be noted that weak or fuzzy projections are not normally associated with
hail; however, such echoes should be watched closely for signs of rapid
intensification.
The 40 nm operating range, with occasional up-tilt to check for fresh hail
from above, will generally yield good results.
Note: It takes an experienced eye to identify “hooks” and “fingers” and
other radar echo characteristics which can indicate hail or tornadoes.
However, the pilot can be sure that any echo with very ragged edges or
rapid changes in shape or intensity will contain severe turbulence.

ICING

There is reason to believe that radar will be of assistance in locating

areas of heavy icing conditions. However, weather radar has not yet
proved its ability to distinguish between super-cooled water droplets and
ice crystals, since both are usually quite small. Needless to say, the
operational problem in each case would be different. In the first case an
icing condition would definitely exist but in the second case the pure
crystals would offer no danger.
It should be remembered, however, that super-cooled water and ice
crystals can co-exist. In each case the radar echo would be small or
even non-existent due to the minute size of the free water particles. At
this time, it appears that radar is not going to give warning for cloud icing
unless it happens to be involved with active precipitation at the time.
When precipitation is occurring, however, the areas of maximum ice
exposure should appear as sandy or grainy echoes.
An icing condition that radar might possibly detect is the intermittent
moderate or heavy icing condition associated with unstable air lifted by
frontal action or orographic effects. In this situation the cumulus cells are
hidden by surrounding cloud layers but could be spotted by radar. This
would be of assistance in avoiding the moderate to heavy icing which
occasionally occurs in cumulus clouds.
Note: Thunderstorm icing can be extremely hazardous.

SNOW

Dry snowfall has not been detected with any success on weather radar.
However, a characteristic sandy or grainy echo identifies the presence of
steady moderate to heavy wet snow. Such echoes are not readily
obvious and require study of the display before they can be seen.

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Ground Mapping and Interpretation

LIGHTNING AND STATIC DISCHARGES

Lightning and static discharges could scatter the display momentarily.

However, the general presentation is unaffected and should return to
normal within 1 scan.
Above all, remember: Never regard any thunderstorm as LIGHT, even
when radar observers report the echoes are of light intensity. Avoiding
thunderstorms is the best policy.

• DON’T attempt to preflight plan a course between closely spaced

echoes.
• DON’T land or take off in the face of a thunderstorm in the projected
flight path. A sudden wind shift or low level turbulence could cause loss
of control.
• DON’T attempt to fly under a thunderstorm even if you can see through
to the other side. Turbulence under the storm could be severe.
• DON’T try to navigate between thunderstorms that cover 6/10 or more
of the display. Fly around the storm system by a wide margin.
• DON’T fly without airborne radar into a cloud mass containing scattered
embedded thunderstorms. Scattered thunderstorms not embedded
usually can be visually circumnavigated.

• DO avoid by at least 20 nautical miles, any thunderstorm identified as

severe or giving an intense radar echo. This is especially true under the
anvil of a large cumulonimbus.
• DO clear the top of a known or suspected severe thunderstorm by at
least 10,000 feet altitude. This may exceed the altitude capability of the
aircraft.
• DO remember that vivid and frequent lightning indicates a severe
thunderstorm.
• DO regard as severe any thunderstorm with tops 35,000 feet or higher
whether the top is visually sighted or determined by radar.

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Ground Mapping and Interpretation

GROUND MAPPING AND INTERPRETATION

A secondary objective of the radar system is gathering and presentation
of terrain data. This data is represented in the form of a topographical
map that can be employed as a supplement to standard navigation pro-
cedures. Target quality affects the indicator display in various situations.
Use of the GAIN and TILT controls will often improve picture contrast so
specific ground targets are more readily recognizable.

Over Water - calm water or water with swells does not provide good
returns. The energy is reflected in a forward scatter angle with inade-
quate portions being returned. The resulting display is “no target.”
Choppy water provides better returns from the downwind sides of the
waves. The resulting display is a target whose intensity will vary with the
degree of choppiness.

Over Terrain - Illumination of terrain results in a “diffused” reflection of the

beam. A portion of this reflected energy is scattered back toward the
antenna resulting in the prominent display of land features as well as
lakes, large rivers, shore lines and ships.

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Ground Mapping and Interpretation

LOOKING ANGLE

The incident angle at which the terrain is illuminated has a direct bearing
on the detectable range and the area of illumination. A large incident
angle gives the radar system a smaller detectable range of operation
(due to a minimized reflection of direct radar energy). However, the illu-
minated area “A” is larger.

A smaller incident angle gives the radar a larger detectable range of

operation because of an increase of direct radar energy reflected from
the target to the antenna. The area of illumination (“A”) is smaller.

Concentration of the beam energy on a small area of terrain increases

the magnitude of the echo intercepted by the antenna. The resulting
detectable range is therefore increased for mountainous terrain; the
maximum distance at which this terrain can be monitored is greater
because of the more direct reflection (or radar echo) produced.
Illuminating the backslope of hills stretches the area of coverage beyond
the flat terrain coverage.

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Operation In-Flight
OPERATION IN-FLIGHT
GENERAL

The RDR 2100 will provide you with target information to a greater degree
of clarity than has ever been possible with previous generation weather
avoidance radars. It is the purpose of this section to help you become a
proficient radar operator as soon as possible. However, it is realized that
proficiency can only improve with usage. It is, therefore, recommended
that the operator become familiar with the operation of the system during
fair weather instead of while trying to penetrate a storm front.
In previous sections of this handbook we have described the various
controls and discussed the features of the RDR 2100 radar system. This
section concerns itself with a more detailed discussion of some of these
controls and how to make the most efficient use of them.

Note: Your radar is a weather-avoidance device. It should never be

used for weather-penetration. It will help you see and plan avoidance
maneuvers around significant weather encountered during flight.

TILT MANAGEMENT

Effective antenna tilt management is the single, most important key to

more informative weather radar displays. Three prime factors must be
kept in mind for proper tilt management:
• The earth’s curvature must be considered in determining the location of
the beam at long distances.
• The center of the radar beam is referenced to the horizon by the aircraft
vertical reference system.
• Adjusting the antenna tilt control will cause the center of the radar beam
to scan above or below the plane of the attitude reference system.
More simply, a too low setting will result in excessive ground or sea
returns while a too high tilt setting (although excessive returns are elimi-
nated) can result in the radar beam passing over the top of a weather
target.
For detecting weather targets at long ranges and to allow adequate time
for planning the proper avoidance path, the tilt angle should be set for a
sprinkle of ground target returns on the display. By slowly raising the tilt
angle, weather targets will emerge from the ground returns because of
their height above the ground. In order to minimize ground returns when
closely examining weather targets below the aircraft flight level, select
the shortest range that allows full depiction of the area of interest.

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Operation In-Flight
In practice, when flying over fairly even terrain, ground returns are diffi-
cult to paint when the angle of incidence of the radiated beam becomes
large (see Looking Angle pg. 25) and, therefore, causes the beam to
travel almost parallel to the ground (see figure below.)
However, objects such as large buildings in cities, steep hills, mountains
or storms will reflect the signal and can show strong returns at distances
greater than those shown below.

Ground Returns and Tilt Management

Over-scanning and Tilt Management

When flying at high altitudes, the use of proper tilt management ensures
observation of weather targets without over scanning. For example, a
low altitude storm detected on the long range setting may disappear from
the display as it is approached. While it may have dissipated during your
approach toward the storm, don’t count on it. It may be that you are
directing the radiated energy from the antenna above the storm as you
get closer. Judicious management of the antenna tilt control will avoid
over-scanning a weather target.
Note: Please be aware that equivalent ground returns will require dif-
ferent tilt settings because of different ground reflectivities (for example,
dry soil requires a different tilt setting than the more reflective tropical

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Operation In-Flight
forest).
EARLY DETECTION OF ENROUTE WEATHER

To set the antenna tilt to optimize the radar’s ability to quickly identify sig-
nificant weather, follow these steps:
1) Select the Wx (weather) mode of operation. Adjust Brightness control
as desired.
2) Select the 40 or 80 nm range.
3) Adjust the antenna tilt control down until the entire display is filled with
ground returns.
4) Slowly work the antenna tilt up so that ground returns are painted on
or about the outer one third of the indicator area.
5) Watch the strongest returns seen on the display. If, as they are
approached, they become weaker and fade out after working back inside
the near limit of the general ground return pattern, they are probably
ground returns or insignificant weather. If they continue strong after
working down into the lower half of the indicator, you are approaching a
hazardous storm or storms and should deviate immediately.
6) Examine the area behind strong targets. If radar shadows are
detected you are approaching a hazardous storm or storms and should
deviate immediately, regardless of the aircraft’s altitude. If weather is
being detected, move the antenna tilt control up and down in small incre-
ments until the return object is optimized. At that angle, the most active
vertical level of the storm is being displayed.
7) If a target is suspected to be a weather cell, but is partially obscured
by clutter, move the track line over the target and select Vertical Profile.
If the target is clutter, it will appear symmetrical about the ground return.
If the target is weather, it will be asymmetrical and appear above the
ground return (see the section on Vertical Profile for more information on
this technique).

SEPARATION OF WEATHER AND GROUND TARGETS

One of the most difficult tasks when using airborne weather radar is sep-
arating weather targets from ground targets. This is especially true since
the maximum return from a storm cell occurs when the radiation beam is
centered on the rainfall shaft. In many cases, this shaft may be no
higher than 5,000 feet thus requiring some antenna down tilt to observe
it. If you are flying at an altitude considerably above this, the antenna
beam will also intersect the ground, thus masking the storm cells with
ground targets. Proper adjustment of the antenna tilt will assist you in
target separation.

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Operation In-Flight

Significant weather will show a

stronger return than ground return at
shallow angles. A weather target will
show as a solid mass while mountains
will show a gap behind the peaks.

Raise tilt until a weather target

emerges from the ground returns.

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Operation In-Flight

Raise tilt angle until weather is sepa-

rated from the ground.

Note that displayed range of the

ground target will increase as tilt angle
is increased.

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Operation In-Flight

SHADOWED AREAS

Extremely heavy rainfall can reduce the ability of the radar energy to
penetrate a weather cell and present a complete picture of the weather
area. This condition is referred to as “radar attenuation”. Under these
conditions ground returns can be helpful in analyzing the weather situa-
tion. Tilt the antenna down and observe the ground returns around the
displayed cell. If no ground returns are displayed on the far side of the
displayed cell (shadowed area), heavy rain may be blocking the radar
energy. This could mean that a larger area of precipitation exists than
that which is displayed.
WARNING: AVOID AND NEVER PENETRATE A SHADOWED AREA.

TARGET RESOLUTION
The ability of a weather avoidance radar system to resolve and display
two or more closely spaced targets is limited in range by the transmitted
pulse width and display range and in azimuth by the antenna beam
width.
RANGE RESOLUTION
The transmitter pulse width in the RDR 2100 is 4 micro-seconds, yielding
a receiver range resolution of approximately 1/3 nautical mile.

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Operation In-Flight
AZIMUTH RESOLUTION
The ability of the radar to resolve
adjacent targets in azimuth is a
function of the beam width of the
antenna and the range to the
target. As can be seen in the
adjacent table, the diameter of this
radiated beam increases as it gets
further away from the aircraft.

Targets separated by a distance less

than the beam diameter (at the target
distance) will merge and appear on
the indicator as “one.”

PATH PLANNING

Remember to plan a deviation path early. Simply skirting the red or

magenta portion of a cell is not enough. Plan an avoidance path for all
weather echoes which appear beyond 100 nautical miles since this indi-
cates they are quite intense.
The most intense echoes are severe thunderstorms. Remember that
hail may fall several miles from the cloud, and hazardous turbulence may
extend as much as 20 nautical miles; therefore, echoes should be sepa-
rated by at least 40 nautical miles before you fly between them. As
echoes diminish in intensity, you can reduce the distance by which you
avoid them.

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Operation In-Flight
PATH PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS

• Avoid cells containing magenta and red areas by at least 20 nautical

miles.
• Do not deviate downwind unless absolute necessary. Your chances of
encountering severe turbulence and damaging hail are greatly reduced
by selecting the upwind side of the storm.
• If looking for a corridor, remember corridors between two cells con-
taining magenta and/or red areas should be at least 40 nautical miles
wide from the outer fringes of the radar echo. The magenta displays
areas of very heavy rainfall and statistically indicates a high probability of
hail.
Note: Do not approach a storm cell containing magenta and red any
closer than 20 nautical miles. Echoes should be separated by at least 40
nautical miles before attempting to fly between them.

Cells beyond 75 nautical miles are areas of substantial rainfall, do not

wait for red or magenta to appear. Plan and execute evasive action
quickly to minimize “doglegging.”

When a complete detour is impractical, penetration of weather patterns

may be required. Avoid adjacent cells by at least 20 nautical miles .

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Operation In-Flight
A “Blind Alley” or “Box Canyon” situation can be very dangerous when
viewing the short ranges. Periodically switch to longer-range displays to
observe distant conditions. As shown below, the short-range returns
show an obvious corridor between two areas of heavy rainfall but the
long-range setting shows a larger area of heavy rainfall.

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Antenna Stabilization
ANTENNA STABILIZATION
CRITERIA

Automatic antenna stabilization, as employed in today’s weather avoid-

ance radar, consists of an electro-mechanical means of maintaining a
selected beam scan relative to the earth’s horizon during moderate air-
craft maneuvers. To accomplish this, a reference is established by the
aircraft’s vertical gyro, usually a component of the auto pilot or integrated
flight control system.
Any aircraft may experience a noticeable amount of gyro drift during
extended periods of turning flight. If you do encounter a vertical gyro
which precesses abnormally during maneuvering flight (as evidenced on
the artificial horizon in either pitch or roll) but subsequently precesses to
normal attitude during straight and level flight, degrading gyro perfor-
mance is indicated. This type of poor gyro performance does not usually
result in a catastrophic gyro failure, but rather a continued gradual degra-
dation.

PITCH ERRORS

As the aircraft accelerates during takeoff, the gyro will precess in pitch.
As soon as the aircraft speed becomes steady, the accrued pitch error
will start diminishing. Average time required for the gyro to stabilize after
takeoff will vary with acceleration time and rate. Acceleration and decel-
eration on approach can also cause the gyro to precess slightly. This
precession problem is greater on jet aircraft because of their rapid accel-
eration capabilities.

TURN ERRORS

If a turn is accomplished after takeoff while the gyro is off vertical due to
takeoff acceleration, the pitch error will be translated into the roll axis and
will be observed as a roll attitude error when compared to the natural
horizon. The roll error starts disappearing the moment the aircraft
resumes straight and level flight.
In turns made with less than a 6 degree bank (for example, intercepting a
VOR with a shallow cut), the gyro continues to sense the lateral acceler-
ation (lateral force) and, as a result, precesses in the same direction as
the bank. If the turn is continued at the same indicated bank angle, the
actual bank assumed by the aircraft will steepen at the same rate the
gyro is precessing. When the aircraft is returned to straight flight and
brought to wings level via the turn-and-bank indicator or the natural
horizon (if visible) the roll error accumulated during the turn will be
observed on the horizon indicator and will remain for a period of time
unless a fast recovery technique is employed.

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Antenna Stabilization
EFFECT ON RADAR STABILIZATION

Previously discussed gyro precession errors will directly affect radar sta-
bilization, and therefore the quality of return seen on the indicator. Radar
on aircraft flying at high altitude is normally operated on the 80 to 240 nm
range with the antenna tilted down slightly so the radar beam is just
above the point of painting ground returns.
A 1/2 degree gyro error in roll during alignment would be hardly notice-
able on the horizon indicator, but with the radar operating on the 160 nm
range, it could result in almost 40 nautical miles of ground returns on one
side and no ground returns on the other.
In practice, when flying over fairly even terrain, ground returns are diffi-
cult to paint when the angle of incidence of the radiated signal becomes
large (see Looking Angle pg. 25) and, therefore, causes the beam to
travel almost parallel to the ground.See the figure below.

The vertical gyro is designed to sense verticality within 1/2 degree under
normal operating conditions. Perfect radar antenna stabilization requires
the following accuracies: the vertical gyro must maintain exact verticality,
the antenna mounting bracket must be leveled perfectly to coincide with
the gyro mounting base, the elevation servo amplifiers must be balanced
precisely with a sharp null (no dead band at null position), antenna
follow-up signals must be linear over the full range of the antenna tilt,
and the antenna must be adjusted properly with no backlash (play) in the
elevations gear train. Even though extreme care is used during overhaul
and adjustment of the equipment, minute variations can be cumulative,
resulting in small stabilization errors.
If ground returns appear on one side first as the antenna tilt is lowered,
continue lowering the tilt until ground returns are visible on the other side;
if the difference in tilt is 2 degrees or less, the antenna can be tilted up to
clear the ground returns with satisfactory radar operation. Differences
greater than 2 degrees warrant corrective action, assuming proper gyro
stabilization in level flight.
The following information on radar operation during aircraft maneuvers
may be helpful.

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Antenna Stabilization
DURING TAKEOFF

Since there is no advantage in having the antenna tilt level while at low
altitudes, raising the antenna tilt to clear ground returns caused by gyro
acceleration error will result in satisfactory radar operation. Tilt can then
be readjusted as the vertical gyro stabilizes. Turns during climb-out,
while pitch acceleration error exists, will also cause a stabilization error in
the roll axis.

SHALLOW-BANKED TURNS

If the aircraft is held in a shallow bank attitude, gyro precession will

cause ground returns to appear. This can be overcome by raising the
antenna tilt 1 or 2 degrees until the aircraft is out of the turn and the gyro
has stabilized. In addition to any gyro error, radar stabilization is further
affected by antenna mechanical limits of ±30 degrees.

STABILIZATION LIMITS

Stabilization limitations of the antenna beam may be exceeded during

aircraft maneuvers. These limitations are mechanically fixed at 30
degrees from zero degrees. Combinations of pitch/roll and tilt which
exceed this limitation will diminish stabilization effectiveness. Pitch/roll is
a complex quantity, not an arithmetic sum. However, as a rule-of-thumb,
for small pitch angles, the sum of tilt and bank angles being less than 20
degrees, is within limits.
If the pilot changes the aircraft attitude so as to exceed the combined tilt,
pitch and roll limits (±30 degrees) of the radar’s stabilization system, the
message, “STAB LMT”, will appear at the lower right corner of the dis-
play during the time the limit is exceeded. Please note that during por-
tions of the antenna sweep, the calculated antenna elevation angle may
not exceed the limit. Therefore, the “STAB LMT” will not be displayed.
The “STAB LMT” message will disappear completely when the aircraft
attitude is restored to within the system’s operational limits.
Gyro precession may be experienced during take-off or prolonged air-
craft maneuvers such as rapid descents, etc. Precession error may

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Antenna Stabilization
introduce a three to five degree antenna stabilization error which may
persist as long as 5 minutes after the maneuver. Precession error
results in a “lopsided” antenna scan; low on one side, high on the other.
If the picture is extremely “dirty” in the forward area-antenna looking at
terrain rather than precipitation-use a slight degree of up tilt. In the
azimuth scan area near 45° left or right, the beam tilt is close to that indi-
cated.

A rapid climb profile dictates that the tilt should not remain in the up posi-
tion for extended periods. As the aircraft altitude progressively
increases, the possibility of over scanning weather cells also increases.
The effective storm height is progressively reduced by the aircraft alti-
tude.
• Adjust radar and obtain weather picture before takeoff.
• Plan wide clearance of cells.
• Compensate antenna tilt for gyro precession.
• Evaluate weather in the immediate sphere of operation.
• Do not “over-scan” weather targets.
• During excessive aircraft maneuvers, recognize the limitations of
stabilization.

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Antenna Stabilization
Stabilization of the radar beam compensates for moderate aircraft
maneuvers. The Line-of-Sight system used is not absolute, but has limi-
tations. Recognize limitation errors. Errors in the order of one-half
degree or less can produce this effect. With the beam just contacting
the horizon at 180 nautical miles, a 1/2 degree of further down tilt moves
this contact point in to 130 nautical miles. Isolated terrain targets would
now appear.

Introducing a 1/2 degree roll error compounds the effects; down on one
side, up on the other side (1 degree unbalance).

STABILIZATION FLIGHT TEST CHECKLIST

1. Fly the aircraft being tested to 10,000 feet AGL .

2. Select the MAP mode, STAB OFF, and set the indicator to 20 nm.
3. Set manual gain to maximum.
4. While flying level (0 degree pitch, 0
degree roll), adjust the tilt control
for a video pattern shown in Figure
1.
Note: Record tilt position for future ref-
erence.
5. If the inner ring of video is not par-
allel to the range marks, the
mounting of the antenna is not
parallel to the horizontal axis of the
aircraft. Figure 1

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Antenna Stabilization
6. Turn the STAB on. If the pattern
appears as Figure 2 or 3, the RDR
2100 can compensate for this using
ROLL TRIM. Adjust the ROLL
TRIM with a small screwdriver
through access on radar indicator
controller until figure 1 is achieved.
7. Roll the aircraft gently to the right
auto pilot bank angle.
8. For perfect stabilization, the pattern Figure 2
shown in Figure 1 should not shift.
The information displayed will
change, however, the inner
extremity should remain coincident
with the third range mark.
9. If the pattern shifts as shown in
Figure 2, increase the tilt angle until
the edge of the video pattern
reaches the same position as the
center was before the roll
maneuver. Note the new position
of the tilt control. Proceed to step Figure 3
11.
10. If the pattern shifts as shown in
Figure 3, decrease the tilt angle until
the edge of the video pattern
reaches the same position as the
center was before the roll
maneuver. Note the new position of
the tilt control. Proceed to step 11.
11. If the differences between Steps 9
and 4 or 10 and 4 are greater than
2 degrees the system should be Figure 4
ground checked to recalibrate the roll stabilization circuitry to the gyro.
12. If the pattern shifts per Figure 4, there is no roll stabilization and the
system should be ground checked per the Installation Manual.
13. Check pitch performance as follows: Re-establish Figure 1 by flying
straight and level. Momentarily pitch the aircraft up 5 degrees (no
more than 10 to 20 seconds to minimize altitude change). If the inner
ring of clutter moves further out in range, readjust the tilt downward
until the pattern returns as it was before the pitch maneuver. Note the
tilt change. If the clutter moved inward, adjust the tilt upward and note
the change. If the tilt change is greater than 2 degrees, the system
should be ground checked to recalibrate the pitch.

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VP Operation In-Flight

VERTICAL PROFILE (VP) THEORY OF OPERATION

The primary use of the RDR 2100 is to aid the pilot in avoiding thunder-
storms and associated turbulence. All normal weather radar principals
apply to the Vertical Profile feature incorporated in the RDR 2100 radar.
It is therefore important to become familiar with the theories of basic
radar principles, beam illumination, radar reflectivity, display calibration,
weather attenuation compensation, weather mapping and interpretation,
ground mapping and target resolution.
The operational difference between the standard weather avoidance
radar and the RDR 2100 is the additional ability to vertically scan the
antenna up and down with respect to the aircraft center line and process
the vertical slice of information for display in a meaningful format.

VP OPERATION IN-FLIGHT
VERTICAL PROFILE

The single most important key to deriving pertinent, usable information

from weather radar is proper tilt management. This formerly complex
procedure is greatly simplified by the RDR 2100 Vertical Profile feature.
With conventional non-VP weather avoidance radars, setting the
antenna tilt angle too low results in excessive ground or sea returns.
Setting the angle too high eliminates the excessive return problems, but
may result in the radar beam passing over the top of a weather target.
The proper antenna tilt angle is directly dependent on a given storm’s
range from the aircraft and its height, width, depth and intensity. Upon
selecting the desired tilt, the pilot must rely on his ability to interpret the
limited display information. For detailed information on tilt management
and interpretation of display information, refer to the Tilt Management
section under Operation In-Flight.
The Vertical Profile feature of the RDR 2100 provides a direct means of
displaying the vertical characteristics of the weather cell. Storm charac-
teristics of particular interest to the pilot include relative height, slant,
shape, vertical development and the area of most concentrated precipita-
tion within the storm. In addition to providing information about the
storm’s vertical characteristics, the pilot can now easily distinguish
between ground or sea returns and actual weather. In dual indicator
installations, the normal azimuth scan may be viewed on one indicator
and Vertical Profile on the other. With this information at hand, the pilot
can develop a mental, three-dimensional picture of the storm.

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VP Operation In-Flight

OPERATION

Whether you are a highly experienced weather avoidance radar operator

or are using radar for the first time, you will find operating the Vertical
Profile feature easy. In fact, most will find that Vertical Profile simplifies
normal operation.
The best time to begin using Vertical Profile is on a nice sunny day when
the pilot work load will allow time to experiment with the new feature.
Start out by adjusting the tilt angle to a normal setting.
TRK - Press and hold either the TRK (track) left or TRK (track) right
button. A yellow line will appear on the screen and start to slew in the
direction selected. In the upper left corner of the display a yellow numeric
annunciation will display the number of degrees left or right of the aircraft
nose the track line is positioned. To stop the track line at a desired posi-
tion, release the track button. If a TRK button is not pressed for 15 sec-
onds, the track line will disappear from the display.
VP - Once the desired azimuth is selected with the TRK button, press the
VP button to enter the Vertical Profile mode of operation. When VP is
selected the Vertical Profile screen will appear on the indicator and the
radar will provide a vertical scan of ±30 degrees at the location of the hori-
zontal track line.
Selecting the Vertical Profile mode of operation will not change the
selected mode of operation displayed in the lower left corner of the display
(TST, Wx, WxA or GND MAP). Once in Vertical Profile, these modes may
be changed as desired. Vertical Profile will engage from the NAV MAP
mode, but NAV data will be disabled during Vertical Profile operation.

Note: VERTICAL PROFILE OPERATIONAL ADVISORY: The

RDR 2100 is a weather analysis and avoidance tool. It should never be
used for pre-planned penetration of storms. However, in the event of
required navigation in areas of bad weather, the proper use of this tool
can reduce the likelihood of encountering excessive precipitation and tur-
bulence. The RDR 2100 radar greatly simplifies the task of determining
vertical characteristics of a storm by pictorially displaying a vertical slice
of the cell and showing it’s radar height. The accuracy of radar height is
limited by beam illumination and range resolution. Since cloud tops com-
posed of ice crystals or dry hail, both of which have low radar reflectivity,
or storm associated turbulence without precipitation may extend several
thousand feet or higher, appropriate caution must be exercised when
attempting to over fly any cell which exhibits high radar reflectivity or
extends above the freezing level. Vertical Profile is not intended to mea-
sure the absolute height of a storm although it can be useful in deter-
mining relative radar heights of different cells. Flying near or under a
thunderstorm should never be attempted, even if radar returns are weak
at low levels, due to the possibility of extreme turbulence and windshear.

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VP Operation In-Flight

Lateral clearance of at least 20 nautical miles is recommended for all

storm cells providing red or magenta level returns.
Note: The NAV MAP mode is disabled during Vertical Profile operation.
A few seconds will normally elapse before the display will paint the Vertical
Profile radar returns. This delay is due to the time it takes the antenna to
move to the selected azimuth position to begin the vertical scan pattern.
Once Vertical Profile is selected, the desired profile position may be
moved left or right in azimuth by pressing and holding the TRK button.
The selected azimuth position (i.e. track line position) is shown on the
upper left corner of the display.
Note: Vertical Profile is most useful in the wings level operation mode.
During a turn, constant adjustment of the track button would be required
to view the same area of a given cell. Roll stabilization is not functional
during Vertical Profile operation; therefore during a roll, the Vertical
Profile slice angle equals the bank angle of the aircraft providing a
skewed Vertical Profile display.
To terminate the Vertical Profile mode and return to horizontal scanning
operation, press the VP button. The radar system will remain in the
same mode (Wx, WxA, MAP or TEST) of operation and same range
scale as it was in Vertical Profile.
If you have completed the above operations in flight on a sunny day as
suggested, you have experienced the simple operation of Vertical Profile
and observed display of ground paint similar to that shown in Figure 5.
The understanding of this very basic presentation is an important key in
interpreting low level weather.
To improve your use and understanding of Vertical Profile, adjust the tilt
angle to ground map a city or mountain. Use the TRK buttons to select
the ground map target, and activate Vertical Profile by pressing the VP
button. Depending on range, altitude and magnitude of the ground
mapped target, the display should now resemble Figure 6. Note the dif-
ferences between Figure 5 and 6. However, at the location of the ground
mapped target the image is still symmetrical. The symmetrical display is
key in distinguishing the differences between ground returns (ground,
cities, and mountains) and low level weather.
Figures 5 through 10A illustrate normal horizontal scan and Vertical
Profile scan examples of various returns from different weather patterns
encountered during actual flights with the RDR 2100.
Note: Cell intensity (color threshold) in VERTICAL PROFILE may appear
different than cell intensity in horizontal mode. The beam passes upward
through varying reflective levels (see chart on page 11). When scanning
horizontally, the level remains constant.

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VP Operation In-Flight

Center of
Ground
Return

Figure 5: Vertical Profile View

Ground Returns
Aircraft at 20,000 feet MSL

Figure 5A:
Standard Azimuth View
Aircraft at 20,000 feet MSL
Figure 5: 40 nm range selected showing normal ground returns over that
terrain. The aircraft is at 20,000 feet MSL. The flashlight like beam image
provides a good representation of the radar beam characteristics. The center
line of this image is the ground. As the beam is scanned over the ground the
solid returns create a mirror image above and below the ground level pro-
viding reflectivity equal to the beam width and power level. As aircraft altitude
and range increase, the ground returns will decay in much the same way as
they increased from where the beam first intersected the ground.

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VP Operation In-Flight

Center of
Ground
Return

“Symmetrical”
Image on
Both Sides of
Beam - see
note below

Figure 6: Vertical Profile View

Ground Mapping Denver & Mountains
Aircraft at 20,000 feet MSL

Figure 6A: Standard Azimuth View

Ground Mapping Denver & Mountains
Aircraft at 20,000 feet MSL
Figure 6: 160 nm range selected showing normal ground returns over
flat terrain with Denver and the background mountains displayed as
strong symmetrical ground returns at 130 nautical miles. The aircraft is at
20,000 feet MSL. When the beam shows a symmetrical image about the
ground return center line, either the returns are from a very solid object
such as the ground or a very intense low level close in storm.
Note: The image will be symmetrical in ground map mode and slightly
truncated at the bottom side of the return in Wx Mode.

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VP Operation In-Flight

Non-
Symmetrical
Return
Indicates
Weather
Center of
Ground
Return

Figure 7:
Vertical Profile View
Isolated Low Level Weather
Aircraft at 20,000 feet MSL

Figure 7A
Standard Azimuth View
Isolated Low Level Weather
Aircraft at 20,000 feet MSL
Figure 7: 80 nm range selected showing normal ground returns over flat
terrain. An isolated low level storm at 50 nautical miles is depicted by the
non-symmetrical return. The aircraft is at 20,000 feet MSL.

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VP Operation In-Flight

Non-
Symmetrical
Return
Indicates
Weather

Center of
Ground
Return

Figure 8
Vertical Profile View
Strong Weather Line
Aircraft at 20,000 feet MSL

Figure 8A
Standard Azimuth View
Strong Weather Line
Aircraft at 20,000 feet MSL
Figure 8: 80 nm range selected showing normal ground returns out to
60 nautical miles. An intense high-level storm is depicted by the non-
symmetrical returns. The aircraft is at 20,000 feet MSL.

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VP Operation In-Flight

Non-
Symmetrical
Return
Indicates
Weather

Center of
Ground
Return

Figure 9: Vertical Profile View

Strong Weather Returns
Aircraft at 20,000 feet MSL

Figure 9A: Standard Azimuth View

Strong Weather Returns
Aircraft at 20,000 feet MSL
Figure 9: 40 nm range selected showing normal ground returns out to 25
nautical miles. At 20 nautical miles the RDR 2100 shows an area of iso-
lated precipitation between the aircraft and the major storm which starts
at 25 nautical miles. This “Roll Cloud” is a fairly typical phenomenon
associated with severe weather. The aircraft is at 20,000 feet MSL.

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VP Operation In-Flight

Non-
+30° Scan Symmetrical
Up Return
Limit Indicates
Storm Weather
Extends
Past Center of
the Point Ground
Return
“Symmetrical”
Possible Ground
Weather Returns - see
Returns note below

Figure 10: Vertical Profile View

Low Level Weather & Ground Returns
Aircraft on Ground at Fort Collins
Loveland, Colorado

Figure 10A: Standard Azimuth View

Low Level Weather Ground Returns
Aircraft on Ground in Fort Collins
Loveland Colorado
Note: The image will be symmetrical in ground map mode and slightly
truncated at the bottom side of the return in Wx Mode.
Figure 10: 20 nm range selected, aircraft on the ground at Fort Collins
Loveland, Colorado airport. Strong symmetrical ground returns are
depicted out to 20 nautical miles. A shaft of precipitation approximately 3
nautical miles wide starts at 9 nautical miles, rises and mushrooms. An

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VP Operation In-Flight

interesting point to note between the azimuth and VP presentation is the

storm depth painted. The Vertical Profile presentation depicts the storm
tops to be 7 nautical miles deep while the azimuth view depicts a storm
depth of 2 nautical miles. The selected tilt angle would account for this
discrepancy. The vertical scan in the Vertical Profile mode of operation
is up and down 30 degrees. Normal azimuth scan tilt adjustment is up
and down 15 degrees, which limits the upward scan and ability to paint
the higher level development of the storm as depicted in Vertical Profile
presentation.
Between 3 and 5 nautical miles the low altitude areas of precipitation are
detected. Due to their proximity to the ground and aircraft, sufficient
returns are detected to provide the symmetrical returns we normally
associate with ground returns.

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Weather Radar Interference

WEATHER RADAR
INTERFERENCE
There are at least four
common types of external
interference that may cause
spokes to appear on the
radar display.
The first type of interference
is referred to as CW
(Continuous Wave). Figures
11 through 14 show varia-
tions of this type of interfer- Figure 11: Possible Jammer
ence. One possible source
is ground based microwave
data links. Another source
is various kinds of military
equipment.
The most common type of
CW interference appears as
a wedge on the radar dis-
play (see Figure 12). In rare
cases the entire display may
be washed out momentarily.
If the wedge-type source of
interference happens to be
located in the aircraft flight
path, the interference may
last for thirty minutes or Figure 12: CW Interference
more.
If the CW interference
comes from a ground based
source, the azimuth angle of
the wedge will change as the
aircraft flies past the source
location (see Figures 12 and
14). Frequently, when a
radar system is experiencing
this type of interference,
spokes of lesser intensity will
be observed at various off-
beam-axis angles. In other
words, there will be a high
intensity spoke with one or Figure 13: CW Interference (Possible
more lower intensity spokes Jammer)

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Weather Radar Interference

at different azimuth angles
(see Figures 13 and 14).
This phenomenon results
from the side-beam charac-
teristics of the antenna.
If the source of interference
is an airborne jammer, mul-
tiple spokes may be dis-
played as in Figures 11 and
13. Normally, adjusting the
antenna tilt angle to extreme
up or down angles will
reduce, or even eliminate,
this type of interference. Figure 14: CW Interference with
Side-Beam Characteristics
The second type of radar
interference comes from
other weather radars oper-
ating within the area. All
radar systems have a low-
power CW oscillator within
the system. Some of the
power emitted from this oscil-
lator is continually radiated
from the antenna. These
oscillator emissions are well
below the level which will
harm an individual, but well
above the sensitivity of a
nearby weather radar. When
some weather radars are in Figure 15: Another Weather Radar’s
the TEST mode, the CW CW Oscillator Interference
oscillator periodically scans
the entire range of frequencies normally used by weather radar systems.
When one of these systems is in your area and operating in the TEST
mode, a spoke may appear on the display when the other system scans
through the RDR 2100 operating frequency (see Figure 15). This condi-
tion will most likely occur before takeoff or when landing in the vicinity of
other weather radar equipped aircraft. Adjusting antenna tilt angle will
not have much effect in remedying this situation. However, once air-
borne extreme tilt angle adjustment can reduce or eliminate this interfer-
ence.

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Weather Radar Interference

The third common source of
interference occurs when
another weather radar
system with similar charac-
teristics is transmitting in the
area. Figure 16 shows what
is displayed in this situation.
These are commonly
referred to as “rabbit tracks”.
Again, while the aircraft is on
the ground antenna tilt angle
adjustment will have little
effect, but once airborne
extreme tilt angle positions
will be more effective toward Figure 16: Rabbit Tracks
removing this interference
from the display.
The fourth source of interfer-
ence, as shown in Figure
17, is the result of another
pulse-type radar system
operating at a much higher
transmission rate than the
RDR 2100. This type of
spoke is normally 3 to 12
degrees wide in the azimuth
direction. The same inter-
ference reduction tech-
niques described earlier will
also work well here. Figure 17: Interference from Radar
with High Transmission Rate

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Options

OPTIONS
CHECKLIST

With an optional checklist unit installed, the pilot is provided with up to

935 lines of programmable information. These pages may be custom
programmed by the pilot for the specific aircraft’s performance specifica-
tions.
When the checklist is switched ON, the radar screen will display check-
lists. Note that the radar does not transmit when the checklist is dis-
played.
Selecting the checklist overrides all other indicator displays. To restore
control to the radar system, turn the checklist to standby or to off.

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Options
MOVING-MAP NAVIGATION

When your radar is equipped with the proper Bendix/King radar graphics
unit (IU-2023B, GC-360A, GC-381A) with a Bendix/King Flight
Management System (KNS-660, KNS-81, KLN-88, KLN-90/B, KLN 900,
GNS-XLS) or NAV System (KNR 634A, KDM 706A or DM 441B), it is
possible to display one or more way points as well as the flight path to
the way points.
Refer to the pilot’s manuals on these units for details of their operation.

Warning: With the proper interface unit or Flight Management System

connected to the radar system the radar will not transmit in the Log
mode. However, if these systems are not connected the radar is capable
of transmitting in Log mode.

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Options

B ELECTRONIC FLIGHT INSTRUMENTATION

SYSTEM (EFIS)

When the RDR 2100 is integrated into a Bendix/King EFIS the following
options are available:

SPLIT SCREEN

Split Screen allows weather to be tracked in both traditional and vertical

profile modes on the screen at the same time.

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Options
LOG SCALE

Log Scale allows viewing of a close storm in great detail while simultane-
ously viewing a smaller-scale depiction of distant weather.

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Options
60°° SECTOR SCAN

60° Sector Scan allows faster updates on rapidly changing areas by iso-
lating a 60 degree sector.
Note: Sector Scan is only available on certain radar control panel ver-
sions.

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Options
AUTO STEP SCAN
Auto Step Scan causes the antenna tilt to sequentially step
in 4° increments. This allows the pilot to Vertical Profile the
entire azimuth scan angle by simply watching successive
antenna scans. Auto Step Scan is entered by turning the tilt
adjust to +15° or -15°. If the tilt angle is set to -15°, the fol-
lowing is the sequence of antenna tilt angles for each
azimuth scan:
-10°, -6°, -2°, +2°, +6°, +10° ....+6°, +2°, etc.
If the tilt adjust is initially set to +15°, the above sequence will
be reversed.
This will continue until the tilt adjust is moved to an angle
other than ±15°.

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Specifications
SPECIFICATIONS

RDR 2100 SENSOR (ANTENNA,

RECEIVER, TRANSMITTER)

Performance Index - 10 inch 213.9 ±2.5 dB

- 12 inch 216.7 ±2.5 dB
- 18 inch 225.3 ±2.5 dB

Displayed Weather Ranges 5, 10, 20, 40, 80,160, 240, 320 nm

Weather Colors 5 Including Black
Vertical Profile ± 30°
Ground Map Variable Gain 0 to -20 dB (configurable at
installation)
Attenuation Compensation 3 to 320 nm
Peak Output 6.0 kW, nominal
Pulse width 4 micro-seconds
PRF 106.5 ± 5 Hz
Antenna Size 10-in,12-in, or 18 in.
Antenna Scan Angle 90°, 100°, or 120° (configurable at
installation)
Antenna Scan Rate 25° per second
Tilt Angle, Manual 15° up to 15° down
Stabilization ±30° combined pitch, roll & tilt
Stab. Adjustments (non-volatile) Stored in Configuration Module
(part of aircraft installation)
Power Requirements 28 VDC, 3.0A
Weight - radar 2100 9.9 lbs
Altitude 55,000 ft. unpressurized
Temperature Range -55 to +70°C
TSO: C63c Class 7
DO 160C Environmental Categories
F2-BA(CLMY)E1XXXXXA(BZ)(AB)(BZ)ARA(A2C2)XX

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Specifications

INDICATOR IN-862A

Display Ranges 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160, 240, 320 nm

(weather) (up to 1000 nm
for navigation only)
Power Requirements 28 VDC, 2.0A Continuous
Weight 9.75 lbs (4.43 kg)
Altitude 35,000 ft. unpressurized
Temperature Range -20 to +55°C
Size 4.5 in (11.43 cm) H x
6.4 in (16.26 cm) W x
13.57 in (34.47 cm) L
w/connector
TSO: C63c Class 7
DO 160A Environmental Categories
A1B1/A/PKS/XXXXXXABABA

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Appendix
APPENDIX:
LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

An aircraft radio station license is required to operate this system when

installed in an aircraft. The Federal Communication Commission (FCC)
has type-accepted and entered this equipment as “King Radio
Corporation” FCC ID# ASYradar2100. When completing form 404,
Station License Application, use the exact description.
The FCC requires that the operator of the radar receiver-transmitter in
this system hold a Restricted Radio Telephone Operator’s permit or
higher class license. This permit or license may be obtained from the
nearest field office of the Federal Communication Commission. No
examination is required, but the applicant must be a U.S. citizen.

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Appendix

ADVISORY
CIRCULAR
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Washington, D.C.
SUBJECT: Recommended radiation safety precautions for ground operation of air borne weather radar
Initiated by: AFO-512

PURPOSE. This circular sets forth recommended radiation safety precautions to be taken by personnel
when operating airborne weather radar on the ground.

CANCELLATION. AC 20-68A, dated April 11, 1975, is canceled.

RELATED READING MATERIAL.

a. Barnes and Taylor, Radiation Hazards and Protection (London: George Newnes Limited, 1963), p.
211.

b. U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Public Health Service, Consumer Protection and
Environmental Health Service, “Environmental health microwaves, ultraviolet radiation and radiation
from lasers and television receivers - An Annotated Bibliography”, FS 2.300: RH-35, Washington,
U.S. Government Printing Office, pp. 56-57.

c. Mumford, W.W., “Some technical aspects of microwave radiation hazards”, Proceedings of the IRE,
Washington, U.S. Government Printing Office, February 1961, pp. 427-447

BACKGROUND. Dangers from ground operation of airborne weather radar include the possibility of
human body damage and ignition of combustible materials by radiated energy. Low tolerance parts of
the body include the eyes and testes.

PRECAUTIONS. Management and supervisory personnel should establish procedure for advising per-
sonnel of dangers from operating airborne weather radars on the ground. Precautionary signs should
be displayed in affected areas to alert personnel of ground testing.

General.

(1) Airborne weather radar should be operated on the ground only by qualified personnel.

(2) Installed airborne radar should not be operated while the aircraft is in a hangar or other enclosure
unless the radar transmitter is not operating, or the energy is directed toward an absorption shield
which dissipates the radio frequency energy. Otherwise, radiation within the enclosure can be
reflected throughout the area.

Body Damage. To prevent possible human body damage, the following precautions should be taken.

(1) Personnel should never stand nearby and in front of radar antenna which is transmitting. When the
antenna is not scanning, the danger increases.

(2) A recommended safe distance from operating airborne weather radars should be established. A
safe distance can be determined by using the equations in Appendix 1 or the graphs of figures 1 and
2. This criterion is now accepted by many industrial organizations and is based on limiting exposure
of humans to an average power density not greater than 10 milliwatts per square centimeter.

(3) Personnel should be advised to avoid the end of an open wave guide unless the radar is turned off.

(4) Personnel should be advised to avoid looking into a wave guide, or into the open end of a coaxial
connector or line connector to a radar transmitter output, as severe eye damage may result.

(5) Personnel should be advised that when power radar transmitters are operated out of their protective
cases, X-rays may be emitted. Stray X-rays may emanate from the glass envelope type pulsar,
oscillator, clipper, or rectifier tubes, as well as magnetrons.

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Appendix
Combustible Materials. To prevent possible fuel ignition, an installed airborne weather radar should not
be operated while an aircraft is being refueled or defueled.

M.C. Beard
Director of Airworthiness
AC 20-68B 8/8/80

8/8/80 AC-2068B
Appendix 1
APPENDIX 1. SAFE DISTANCE DETERMINATION

The following information can be used in establishing a minimum safe distance from the antenna for per-
sonnel near an operating airborne weather radar.

NEAR FIELD/FAR FIELD INTERSECTION. The distance to the near field/far field intersection can be
computed by:

Ri=G λ (1)
8π
where Ri=Intersection distance from the antenna (in meters)
λ=Wave length (in meters)
G=Antenna gain

DISTANCE TO 10 mw/cm2 SAFE LIMIT. For a far field power density of 10 mw/cm2, the distance (in
meters) from the antenna may be calculated by:
Rs √GP/400π (2)
where Rs=The minimum safe distance in meters.
P=Transmitted average power in watts.
G=Antenna gain

PROCEDURES. The above formulas or the graphs of figures 1 and 2 may be used to determine the
minimum safe distance. In either case, the following procedures apply:

a. Determine the distance (Ri) to the near field/far field intersection (paragraph 1).

b. Determine the distance (Rs) to 10 mw/cm2 power density (paragraph 2).

c. If the distance (Rs) determined in b above is less than (Ri) found in a above, use distance (Ri) as the
minimum safe distance.

d. If the distance (Rs) determined in b above is greater than (Ri) found in a above, use distance (Rs) as
the minimum safe distance.
EXAMPLE.
Data. The following is typical data for the airborne weather radar.

Antenna Diameter :22 inches=56 cmTransmitter

Frequency :9375 +30 Mhz
Wave Length :3.2 cm
Pulse Length :1.5 microseconds (search)
Pulse Repetition :400 Hz
Peak Power :40 kilowatts
Average Power :24 watts (search)
Antenna Gain :1000 (30 db)
Calculations:
(1) Distance (Ri) to the near field/far field intersection. (2) Distance (Rs) to 10 mw/cm2 safe limit.
Ri=G λ Rs = √GP/400 π
8π
=√1000 x 24/400 π
Ri=1000 x 0.032
8π = 4.37 meters=14.3 feet
=1.27 meters = 4.2 feet
The distance (Rs) is greater than (Ri), therefore, the minimum safe distance is 14.3 feet.

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Appendix

Warning
This instrument generates microwave radiation.
DO NOT OPERATE UNTIL YOU HAVE READ
AND CAREFULLY FOLLOWED ALL SAFETY
PRECAUTIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS IN THE
OPERATING AND SERVICE MANUALS.
IMPROPER USE OR EXPOSURE MAY CAUSE
SERIOUS BODILY INJURY

CAUTION:
a. MAINTAIN PRESCRIBED SAFE DISTANCE WHEN STANDING IN
FRONT OF RADIATING ANTENNA.*
b. NEVER EXPOSE EYES OR ANY PART OF THE BODY TO AN
UNTERMINATED WAVE GUIDE.
*Reference FAA Advisory Circular #20-68

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Appendix
Maximum Permissible Exposure Levels (MPEL)
In order to avoid the envelope in which the radiation level exceeds the
U.S. Government standard of 10 mW per square centimeter, all per-
sonnel should remain beyond the distance indicated in the illustration
below. The distance to the MPEL boundary is calculated upon the basis
of the largest antenna available with the RDR 2100, rated output power
of the transmitter and in the non-rotating or boresight position of the
antenna. With a scanning beam, the power density at the MPEL
boundary is significantly reduced.

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Record of Revisions

REV. REVISION DATE BY

NO. DATE INSERTED

Complete Through Rev No. 0

1 9/98 Complete Through Rev No. 1

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List of Effective Pages

Page Rev Date
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ii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rev 1 . . . . . . . . . . .9/98
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37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rev 1 . . . . . . . . . . .9/98
38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rev 1 . . . . . . . . . . .9/98

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List of Effective Pages

Page Rev Date
39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rev 1 . . . . . . . . . . .9/98
40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rev 1 . . . . . . . . . . .9/98
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RDR 2100 PG Cover 3/12/07 3:43 PM Page 3

Honeywell International Inc.

Business & General Aviation
One Technology Center
23500 West 105th Street
Olathe, Kansas 66061
Telephone: (913) 782-0400

©1995-1998 Honeywell International Inc.

006-18002-0000
Rev 1 9/98 Printed in U.S.A. N