Solid-state radar and magnetron are two radar techniques that work in competition with each other. However, solid-state radar is known to be of a higher quality and has a higher operational preference as compared to Magnetron radar. Below are some of the differences between the two.
Solid-state radar
1. Low Maintenance:
Solid-state radar does not need high maintenance. It is designed with compact parts that do not require “lifed” parts or annual purchase of parts for replacement therefore costs very little as far as maintenance is concerned.
2. Remote administration:
Solid-state radar is fully digital and does not require any additional interface to be remotely controlled or administered. It can be controlled from anywhere thanks to its fully digital platform.
3. Mean Time between failures:
Solid-state radar is more advanced and comes with a much more superior warranty as opposed to the magnetron. The Meant Time between failures is capped at 50,000 hours.
4. Antenna speed:
The antenna speed for a solid-state radar is estimated to be between 8 to 46 revolutions per minute which is higher compared to the magnetron radar. High-speed scanning also improves the tracking quality.
5. Antenna tilt-up:
Solid-state radar allows for antenna tilt-up which guarantees higher scanning capabilities and high-quality transmission of signals to the receiver.
6. Emitted power density:
Solid-state radar requires low power for transmission of short-range pulses and when it is being operated near hot ordinances or in telemetry restricted environments. This means there is more energy being saved depending on the usage of the radar.
7. Variable frequency:
Solid-state radar has electronically built-in sensors that allow for multiple sensors to work together cohesively without any in-band interference. This further builds on its internal autonomous operating environment.
8. Startup:
Solid-state radar can be powered up and started instantly without the need to warm it up first. The plug-n-play feature means no time wasted in trying to warm up the controls before operation.
9. Spares:
Solid-state radar does not require intensive spare part replacement procedures since all of the parts are durable and easily accessible.
10. Doppler processing upgrade option:
Solid-state radar has the option of upgrading it to accommodate a Doppler processing unit for processing Doppler Effects.
Magnetron
1. High maintenance:
Magnetron radar requires relatively higher maintenance procedures since it is designed with parts that require annual replacements. This means the maintenance cost of the radar system will automatically go up.
2. Remote administration:
Magnetron radar is not fully digital and requires an additional interface to be remotely controlled or administered. It cannot be controlled from anywhere because of the lack of a fully digitized remote control interface.
3. Mean Time between failures:
Magnetron radar is less advanced and comes with a less superior warranty as opposed to solid-state radar. The Meant Time between failures is capped at 3,000 hours.
4. Antenna speed:
The Antenna speed for a magnetron radar system is standardized at 24 rpm. This means additional modification such as a motor and a gear changeout is required to increase the scanning capability of the antenna.
5. Antenna tilt-up:
Magnetron radar does not allow for an antenna tilt-up which means there are limited scanning capabilities and therefore lower quality of transmission.
6. Emitted power density:
Magnetron radar requires higher power for transmission of both short-range and long-range pulses and when it is being operated near hot ordinances or in telemetry restricted environments. This means more energy consumption which increases the cost of operation.
7. Variable frequency:
Magnetron radar requires custom built-in or down-shifted magnetrons to manage in-band interference issues because the sensors cannot work independently.
8. Start-up:
Magnetron radar requires a little time to warm up before start-up. It does not come with an instant power-on feature which means more time is wasted during start-up.
9. Spares:
Magnetron radar requires intensive spare part replacement procedures which further increases the cost of maintenance. Most of the parts require replacement after a short period of time.
10. Doppler processing upgrade option:
Magnetron radar does not have the option of upgrading it to accommodate a Doppler processing unit for processing Doppler Effects.