Calibration for UMass X-Band Dual-Polarization Radar to Compensate for System Biases and Partial Beam Blockages

University of Massachusetts’s Microwave Research Lab (MIRSL) is in the process of calibrating its UMass eXperimental X-band Radar (UMaXX). The radar is a 9.4 GHz, dual polarization radar with a 1.2 m parabolic reflector. Biases apparent in the polarimetric variables due to the system itself, radome, and partial beam blockages will be presented as well as the methods employed to compensate for them.

The UMaXX’s first function will be as a reference radar for the planar, dual-polarization X-Band phased array radar on loan to MIRSL by Raytheon. The two radars are collocated and operating under similar scanning strategies to evaluate the performance of the phased array radar and validate its own calibration.

In addition to serving as a baseline for the phased array radar, the UMaXX system will potentially serve as a gap fill for meteorological observations in the Pioneer Valley region. Due to curvature of the Earth as well as the topographic nature of the Pioneer Valley, the WSR-88D’s in the NEXRAD network have difficulty scanning lower elevations (<1km) in the region. Having the UMaXX fully calibrated and operational in the region would prove useful in monitoring for severe weather in western Massachusetts and portions of southern Vermont and New Hampshire.