Radome

A radome (English radomes, a portmanteau of radar dome) is a closed protective cover, the antennas for measurements ( eg radar antennas) or for data transfers (eg directional antenna ) against mechanical and chemical influences such as wind or rain protection. It is referred to in older texts as " radome ".

Use

Radome can be found at fixed high power radar systems (eg air traffic control radar ) and on ships. Smaller radome are used in radio links, with satellite antennas on vehicles or small ships and also for meteorological instruments used. Take the wind load of the antenna system usually allow tracking mobile exported and protect the antennas on ships against the corrosive effects of seawater. The front apron of aircraft that have a navigation or weather radar in the nose of the aircraft is called Radom.

Radome hold particular weather ( wind, rain ) from the antennas. In aircraft, they have to withstand the air resistance. On Navy ships, they also protect you from prying eyes. Antenna systems of radio astronomy can be positioned more accurately if a radome prevents the influence of wind. In contrast, the additional attenuation is determined by the Radomhülle ( about 1 ... 2 dB depending on the material ) accepted.

For the protective sheath to a radar materials must be used, the radio wave ( short-wave electromagnetic waves) are particularly translucent. They should reflect radiation as little as possible, absorb, break or scatter. The bottom three -to six- corner elements made ​​of glass fiber reinforced plastics to be used in the rule are then often combined to form a self-supporting ball-like form of a geodesic dome.

Are also well suited airdomes of flexible materials. They get their shape by a slight positive pressure inside and are entered through airlocks. Their disadvantage is that these air-supported structures deform in a strong wind or storm, and thus gets under the skin in the area of the rotating antenna. For safety reasons it is the rotation of the antenna must be turned off starting at a given wind speed to avoid damage to the antenna.

A radome can be used to hide the antenna system therein. Outside observers can not close on the technical equipment inside then. Straight military installations are often protected by the radome optically (eg Arber, the deeper radome for the former radio altimeter ).

The world's largest radome of the Fraunhofer Society (formerly FGAN ), stands in the small village Werthhoven in the community Wachtberglifte.

Despite the often bright coloration of the radome caused by sunlight and the heat of the systems housed within the radome temperatures, which must be reduced by forced ventilation or air conditioning systems to a tolerable level for humans and technology.

Radome in Europe

Germany

  • Radom Raisting, the earth station antenna 1 Raisting, monument
  • TV Tower Müggelberge, Berlin- Köpenick
  • Old TV tower on the Brocken (radar, since ~ 1995 as a replacement for the antenna support )
  • Some radome civilian air traffic control, including Air traffic control radar systems on Devil's Mountain (Berlin)
  • Short Range Radars on the larger size airports, for example, Radome in Berlin- Tempelhof
  • On the water dome ( Rhön, Fulda district ), see also Fulda Gap ( built by the Allies after World War 2 and 1979 taken over by the Bundeswehr ) now a cultural monument and open to the public
  • More in North and Central Germany: in Putgarten (Rügen), Auenhausen (NRW), Cölpin and Elmenhorst (Mecklenburg), Döbern (Brandenburg), Nobitz Gleina - ( Thüringen)
  • In southern Germany: the Great Arber (highest peak of the Bavarian Forest ) and north of Freising in Haindlfing (Upper Bavaria ); on the Weichenwang at Meßstetten ( Swabian Alb) and north of Bad Mergentheim - Löffelstelzen (Württemberg )
  • More Bundeswehr radar stations, inter alia, in the Mercator barracks in Euskirchen (NRW), when using the guide region 2 Erndtebrück (NRW), and radar position at Brekendorf ( Hüttener mountains, Schleswig -Holstein)
  • Previous radar stations at Heritage head ( Rhineland -Palatinate ) and Brakel Auenhausen (NRW, former British radar center )

Austria

  • Three large civil air traffic control radars Austro Control ( Leiser Berge ( NE ), Feichtberg (Upper Austria) and Koralpe ( ctn ) )
  • Short Range Radars of airports (Vienna and Salzburg)
  • Four long-range radars gold dome of the Armed Forces (Lower Austria, Salzburg, Carinthia )
  • Other local radar stations
  • Radome the satellite station Graz- Lustbühel (Styria )
  • Radome some weather services and Observatories

Sweden

  • Radar tower in Bromma, air traffic control at Stockholm -Bromma Airport, because of its appearance known as " the golf ball ."

Switzerland

  • Radar station air traffic control Skyguide, above Boppelsen ZH at the warehouses (part of the Jura; narrow ridge between Baden and Dielsdorf in the Swiss cantons of Aargau and Zurich )
  • Hagenturm on the Randen at Merishausen in the canton of Schaffhausen
  • Weather radars of MeteoSwiss on the Albis, Monte Lema and La Dole
Microwave transmission Bombardier CRJ Bad Aibling Station Stockholm Bromma Airport Teufelsberg Wasserkuppe Kalkhorst Erbeskopf Brakel, Germany Bundesnachrichtendienst Deutscher Wetterdienst Feldberg (Black Forest)
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