NCAR SpolKa dual-wavelength polarimetric radar: design and improvement of Ka-band radar system

Ellis and Vivekanandan et al (2005) demonstrated a technique for water vapor retrieval using dual-wavelength polarimetic radars during SPolKa field deployment RICO. At that time, a number of instabilities in the radar system were identified. The NCAR Ka-band system has recently undergone upgrades to improve the operation lifetime, system stability, and system sensitivity. This paper describes the system modifications in data processor, transmitter, front-end design, and calibration that have improved the performance of the NCAR Ka-band system.