VERLORT Radar - Revision history

Paul at 03:42, 21 November 2011

2011-11-21T03:42:51Z

←Older revision		Revision as of 03:42, 21 November 2011
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	{{SideMenuVerlort}}		{{SideMenuVerlort}}
	[[Image:muc-verlort.jpg\|right\|thumbnail\|190px\|The VERLORT radar at Muchea:<BR>''Photo - ???'']]		[[Image:muc-verlort.jpg\|right\|thumbnail\|190px\|The VERLORT radar at Muchea:<BR>''Photo - ???'']]
-	<BR><BR>	+	<BR>
	The '''VER'''y '''LO'''ng '''R'''ange '''T'''racking (VERLORT) S-band radar (2700 t0 2900 MHz) was an extended-range version of the '''SCR-584''' - often credited as ''"'''the radar that won WW II'''"''.		The '''VER'''y '''LO'''ng '''R'''ange '''T'''racking (VERLORT) S-band radar (2700 t0 2900 MHz) was an extended-range version of the '''SCR-584''' - often credited as ''"'''the radar that won WW II'''"''.

Paul at 03:41, 21 November 2011

2011-11-21T03:41:43Z

←Older revision		Revision as of 03:41, 21 November 2011
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	For space missions, its range was increased from 650 Km to 4000 Km and the dish diameter from 1.8 m to 3 m; it was given a long name befitting its new space-tracking capabilities. The Red Lake (Woomera) Mercury tracking station used the more accurate AN/FPS-16 radar installed at Woomera for previous space activities.		For space missions, its range was increased from 650 Km to 4000 Km and the dish diameter from 1.8 m to 3 m; it was given a long name befitting its new space-tracking capabilities. The Red Lake (Woomera) Mercury tracking station used the more accurate AN/FPS-16 radar installed at Woomera for previous space activities.

-	[[Image:cro-verlort.jpg\|left\|thumbnail\|180px\|The VERLORT radar reinstalled at Carnarvon just beside the AcqAid antennas:<BR>''Photo - Alan Gilham'']]	+	[[Image:cro-verlort.jpg\|left\|thumbnail\|180px\|The VERLORT radar reinstalled at Carnarvon nearby the AcqAid antennas:<BR>''Photo - Alan Gilham'']]

	The Verlort performed reliably for the six Mercury orbital missions at Muchea. It was then relocated to the new Gemini tracking station at Carnarvon as an acquisition aid and back-up for the even more accurate FPQ-6 radar to be installed there.		The Verlort performed reliably for the six Mercury orbital missions at Muchea. It was then relocated to the new Gemini tracking station at Carnarvon as an acquisition aid and back-up for the even more accurate FPQ-6 radar to be installed there.

Paul at 00:33, 28 February 2008

2008-02-28T00:33:44Z

←Older revision		Revision as of 00:33, 28 February 2008
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	----		----
-	Note that the '''SCR-584''' pedestals and angle-control mechanisms were widely used by NASA as the basis of other antenna systems; for example, the VHF Acquisition Aid and Telemetry Antennas for the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo projects.	+	The '''SCR-584''' pedestals and angle-control mechanisms were widely used by NASA as the basis of other antenna systems; for example, the VHF Acquisition Aid and Telemetry Antennas for the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo projects.

	----		----
-	For an overall technical description of the '''SCR-584''' radar see the '''November & December 1945''' issues of '''‘Electronics’''' magazine at http://www.hamhud.net/darts/scr584.html.	+	See http://www.hamhud.net/darts/scr584.html for a 'memorial' to the '''SCR-584''' radar. Note the overall technical description contained in the '''November & December 1945''' issues of '''‘Electronics’''' magazine at that site.

Paul at 00:23, 28 February 2008

2008-02-28T00:23:50Z

←Older revision		Revision as of 00:23, 28 February 2008
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	----		----
-	As a matter of interest, the SCR-584 pedestals and angle-control mechanisms were used by NASA as the basis of many antenna systems; for example, the VHF Acquisition Aid and Telemetry Antennas used for the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo projects.	+	Note that the '''SCR-584''' pedestals and angle-control mechanisms were widely used by NASA as the basis of other antenna systems; for example, the VHF Acquisition Aid and Telemetry Antennas for the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo projects.

	----		----
-	For an overall technical description of the SCR-584 radar see the '''November & December 1945''' issues of '''‘Electronics’''' magazine at http://www.hamhud.net/darts/scr584.html.	+	For an overall technical description of the '''SCR-584''' radar see the '''November & December 1945''' issues of '''‘Electronics’''' magazine at http://www.hamhud.net/darts/scr584.html.

Paul at 05:40, 27 February 2008

2008-02-27T05:40:31Z

←Older revision		Revision as of 05:40, 27 February 2008
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	Although the Verlort was kept operational at Carnarvon for the first few missions it was soon taken off the operational list once the FPQ-6 proved its reliability and other acquisition methods also proved sufficient.		Although the Verlort was kept operational at Carnarvon for the first few missions it was soon taken off the operational list once the FPQ-6 proved its reliability and other acquisition methods also proved sufficient.

-	The SCR radars, developed at the MIT laboratories, were remarkable for MIT’s innovative mechanical solutions to radar operations that are now met by electronic methods in modern radars: see [[technical Details]]	+	The SCR radars, developed at the MIT laboratories, were remarkable for MIT’s innovative mechanical solutions to radar operations that are now met by electronic methods in modern radars: see [[SCR-584 Technical Description\|Technical Details]]

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Paul at 05:38, 27 February 2008

2008-02-27T05:38:40Z

←Older revision		Revision as of 05:38, 27 February 2008
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	Although the Verlort was kept operational at Carnarvon for the first few missions it was soon taken off the operational list once the FPQ-6 proved its reliability and other acquisition methods also proved sufficient.		Although the Verlort was kept operational at Carnarvon for the first few missions it was soon taken off the operational list once the FPQ-6 proved its reliability and other acquisition methods also proved sufficient.

-	The SCR radars, developed at the MIT laboratories, were remarkable for MIT’s innovative mechanical solutions to radar operations that are now met by electronic methods in modern radars.	+	The SCR radars, developed at the MIT laboratories, were remarkable for MIT’s innovative mechanical solutions to radar operations that are now met by electronic methods in modern radars: see [[technical Details]]

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Paul at 05:35, 27 February 2008

2008-02-27T05:35:23Z

←Older revision		Revision as of 05:35, 27 February 2008
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	The SCR radars, developed at the MIT laboratories, were remarkable for MIT’s innovative mechanical solutions to radar operations that are now met by electronic methods in modern radars.		The SCR radars, developed at the MIT laboratories, were remarkable for MIT’s innovative mechanical solutions to radar operations that are now met by electronic methods in modern radars.
		+
		+	----
		+	As a matter of interest, the SCR-584 pedestals and angle-control mechanisms were used by NASA as the basis of many antenna systems; for example, the VHF Acquisition Aid and Telemetry Antennas used for the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo projects.

	----		----
	For an overall technical description of the SCR-584 radar see the '''November & December 1945''' issues of '''‘Electronics’''' magazine at http://www.hamhud.net/darts/scr584.html.		For an overall technical description of the SCR-584 radar see the '''November & December 1945''' issues of '''‘Electronics’''' magazine at http://www.hamhud.net/darts/scr584.html.

Paul at 05:30, 27 February 2008

2008-02-27T05:30:11Z

←Older revision		Revision as of 05:30, 27 February 2008
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	Although the Verlort was kept operational at Carnarvon for the first few missions it was soon taken off the operational list once the FPQ-6 proved its reliability and other acquisition methods also proved sufficient.		Although the Verlort was kept operational at Carnarvon for the first few missions it was soon taken off the operational list once the FPQ-6 proved its reliability and other acquisition methods also proved sufficient.
-
-	==Some innovative mechanical solutions==
-	[[Image:Helical scan.jpg\|right\|thumbnail\|180px\|Helical scan mechanism:<BR>''Image – ‘Electronics’; Fig 2, Dec ’45, p.104'']]

	The SCR radars, developed at the MIT laboratories, were remarkable for MIT’s innovative mechanical solutions to radar operations that are now met by electronic methods in modern radars.		The SCR radars, developed at the MIT laboratories, were remarkable for MIT’s innovative mechanical solutions to radar operations that are now met by electronic methods in modern radars.
-
-	The Verlort '''Plan Position Indicator''' (PPI) was driven by a '''mechanical''' computer. Once target acquisition occurred, the radar operator needed to keep a ‘hairline’ indicator manually centred on the target’s echo to maintain track.
-
-	Even more intriguing were the target acquisition techniques.
-
-	For targets where only crude position information was available, a '''helical scan''' was used to acquire the target. The dish was swung in a circle at 6 rpm along as it moved with the reflector tilting to and fro about 4° per dish revolution to create a '''helical spiral''' about 20° wide along the expected track path - see 'Helical scan mechanism' diagram on right.
-
-	Where there was more certainty about the target path, a '''nutating scan''' mode was used. The slightly offset dipole feed was rotated rapidly to produce off-axis radiation increasing the effective beam width from 2.5° to about 5.5° . Nutation was switched off when the target was acquired. See the ‘conical scan beam’ diagram below left and the ‘nutating antenna dipole feed’ below right.
-
-	[[Image:Conical beam.jpg\|left\|thumbnail\|250px\|A conical scan beam:<BR> ''Image – ‘Electronics’; Fig 1, Nov ’45, p.104'']]
-
-	[[Image:offset dipole.jpg\|right\|thumbnail\|290px\|Nutating antenna dipole feed:<BR>''Image – ‘Electronics’; Fig 5, Dec ’45, p.107'']]
-	<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>

	----		----
	For an overall technical description of the SCR-584 radar see the '''November & December 1945''' issues of '''‘Electronics’''' magazine at http://www.hamhud.net/darts/scr584.html.		For an overall technical description of the SCR-584 radar see the '''November & December 1945''' issues of '''‘Electronics’''' magazine at http://www.hamhud.net/darts/scr584.html.

Paul at 05:24, 27 February 2008

2008-02-27T05:24:35Z

←Older revision		Revision as of 05:24, 27 February 2008
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	[[Image:muc-verlort.jpg\|right\|thumbnail\|190px\|The VERLORT radar at Muchea:<BR>''Photo - ???'']]		[[Image:muc-verlort.jpg\|right\|thumbnail\|190px\|The VERLORT radar at Muchea:<BR>''Photo - ???'']]
	<BR><BR>		<BR><BR>
-	The '''VER'''y '''LO'''ng '''R'''ange '''T'''racking (Verlort) S-band radar (2700 t0 2900 MHz) was an extended-range version of the '''SCR-584''' - often credited as ''"the radar that won WW II"''.	+	The '''VER'''y '''LO'''ng '''R'''ange '''T'''racking (VERLORT) S-band radar (2700 t0 2900 MHz) was an extended-range version of the '''SCR-584''' - often credited as ''"'''the radar that won WW II'''"''.

-	For space missions, its range was increased from 650 Km to 4000 Km; the dish diameter from 1.8 m to 3 m and it was given a long name befitting its new space-tracking capabilities. The Red Lake (Woomera) Mercury tracking station used the more accurate AN/FPS-16 radar installed at Woomera for previous space activities.	+	For space missions, its range was increased from 650 Km to 4000 Km and the dish diameter from 1.8 m to 3 m; it was given a long name befitting its new space-tracking capabilities. The Red Lake (Woomera) Mercury tracking station used the more accurate AN/FPS-16 radar installed at Woomera for previous space activities.

	[[Image:cro-verlort.jpg\|left\|thumbnail\|180px\|The VERLORT radar reinstalled at Carnarvon just beside the AcqAid antennas:<BR>''Photo - Alan Gilham'']]		[[Image:cro-verlort.jpg\|left\|thumbnail\|180px\|The VERLORT radar reinstalled at Carnarvon just beside the AcqAid antennas:<BR>''Photo - Alan Gilham'']]

Paul: /* Some innovative mechanical solutions */

2008-02-27T04:47:39Z

Some innovative mechanical solutions

←Older revision		Revision as of 04:47, 27 February 2008
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	----		----
-	For a detailed technical description of the SCR-584 radar see the '''November & December 1945''' issues of '''‘Electronics’''' magazine at http://www.hamhud.net/darts/scr584.html.	+	For an overall technical description of the SCR-584 radar see the '''November & December 1945''' issues of '''‘Electronics’''' magazine at http://www.hamhud.net/darts/scr584.html.