Radar, CODAR, 4435 kHz cf, Ocotober 10, 2010, 1720 UTC

This is an example of a CODAR radar as received at my location in the Mojave Desert, California, USA, on August 10, 2010 at 1720 UTC.

A CODAR is a very specific type of low power radar used to monitor ocean surface conditions. Most are operated by Universities or other research or educational facilities. To date I have heard more than 50 differrent CODARs.

This specific CODAR has a center frequency of 4435 kHz. It has a sweep of 26 kHz that occurs once every second (60 sweeps per minute). This particular CODAR sweeps down (from higher freq to lower) and starts at 4448 kHz, sweeping down to 4422 kHz. CODARs vary in sweep rate, sweep width, and sweep direction.

This one has a pulse duration of 1 millisecond and a PRI of 1.9 millisecond meaning there is 900 microseconds of dead time between each pulse. This pulse width and pulse repitition interval seems to be very common among CODARs.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• +shortwave
• +radio
• +HF
• +OTH
• +OTHR
• +radar
• +codar
• +over
• the
• horizon

[JohnnyX50]

sweet! What reciever and software do you use if its ok to ask?

im saving up for a ICOM IC-R2500 cos i really need the full range it offers, its difficult to get any reciever that goes below 100KHz, granted i can do 0-48KHz on my pc thru soundcard but i wanted the 50-100Khz range also so i can observe the time code signals here in uk on 60Khz =]

[FirstToken]

@JohnnyX50 The receiver used to originally receive the signal and record the RF to hard drive was either the RFSpace SDR-14 or the SDR-IQ, I don't remember which one. Probably the SDR-IQ as the SDR-14 is normally the rig I use at work and it often gets left there. The software used to play back the file so that I could make this video is SpectraVue, from MoeTronix.

The SDR-IQ receives form 500 Hz (yes, 500 Hz, or 0.5 kHz) to 30 MHz.

[815Sox]

Oh so thats what these things are. I have been wondering, I hear lots of them.

[py2zx]

That´s a very good example of CODAR signal. Thanks for share.