At Meteorological Technology World Expo, Vaisala has announced the installation of the European OPERA radar network’s first C-band solid-state power amplifiers (SSPA) weather radar for professional use by the Estonian Environment Agency in Tallinn.
According to the partners, this first-of-its-kind implementation modernizes European observation network with improved performance, reliability and cost-efficiency over traditional tube technology radars. The first phase of the installation will be completed by October 2024, with a second C-band SSPA radar to be installed next.
Compared with traditional magnetron-based radars, Vaisala’s SSPA technology reportedly offers a longer lifespan with less maintenance; low power consumption while maximizing measurement sensitivity; no high-cost consumable components; compact design for easier installation and maintenance; built-in redundancies; continuous runtime calibration for high-quality data; advanced modulation methods; and improved sensitivity through minimized signal attenuation.
The company has been explaining to expo visitors that the compact new radar provides the Estonian Environment Agency with better system performance, reliability and lifecycle cost benefits. The transmitter is situated at the back of the antenna, which reportedly removes excess attenuation by minimizing the waveguide length, offering the best design for optimized sensitivity and radar measurement performance.
Aleksis Kajava, sales director of weather and environment at Vaisala Europe and Latin America, said, “We launched the technology – SSPA C-band weather radars with the same kind of transmitter – last year. This kind of transmitter provides better performance and reliability for lower lifecycle costs.
“However, the installation in Tallinn this week is our first. This is because many of our customers wanted to see how this tech really works in the real world before they invested. Now they can, in the operational European network. We’ve not had a single issue with this technology so far.
“We’re back at Meteorological Technology World Expo again this year because it is the best show globally. Many of our customers around the world are all in one place and we always have high-quality conversations.”
For more information, head to Booth 1000. You can read more expo news here.
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