Marine radar antenna PCBs

A typical marine radar antenna rotates on a vertical axis, scanning 360° of azimuth about every 2 seconds. It radiates a narrow vertical fan-shaped beam of microwaves horizontally toward the horizon, perpendicular to the long axis of the antenna. As with other antenna PCBs manufactured by Trackwise, our marine radar customers require precision-etched circuits on quality RF laminates in order to guarantee their antenna performance. In most marine navigation applications, the radar signal is pulse modulated. Signals are generated by a timing circuit so that energy leaves the antenna in very short pulses. When transmitting, the antenna is connected to the transmitter but not the receiver. As soon as the pulse leaves, an electronic switch disconnects the antenna from the transmitter and connects it to the receiver. Another pulse is not transmitted until after the preceding one has had time to travel to the most distant target within range and return. Since the interval between pulses is long compared with the length of a pulse, strong signals can be provided with low average power

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