A conventional marine radar transmits from a magnetron - a vacuum tube that generates high
power microwave pulses and wears out doing it. Magnetrons are consumables. They degrade
gradually, so performance falls off before anything alarms, and they are replaced on a
schedule whether or not anybody has noticed the picture getting worse. On a vessel or a
platform, that means holding spares, planning the change and accepting that detection quality
drifts between replacements.
The Anschutz SST removes that part of the design. Anschutz describe it as a radical
departure from technical convention, using solid-state transmitters with a low-power RF
architecture, and the direct consequence they state is that with no magnetron, maintenance
requirements and costs are significantly reduced. It is an IMO-approved sensor, available in
X-band and S-band with 5ft, 8ft and 14ft antennas, so the same technology covers the whole
range rather than being reserved for a flagship model.
The second change matters as much and is less obvious. The SST uses digital signal
generation and processing, which lets it distribute high-fidelity raw radar video to bridge
workstations over Ethernet. Distributing raw video rather than a processed picture means the
sensor is not deciding in advance what the bridge is allowed to see - each workstation
application can process the same underlying data for its own purpose, and adding a display
becomes a network question rather than a cabling one.
On the bridge that raw video feeds Anschutz's Radar NX navigational radar software, which
the company positions for target detection, target tracking, target management and a precise,
clear visualisation of the maritime situation. The sensor and the software are designed
together as part of the SYNAPSIS radar system, and Anschutz's own claim for the combination is
that it sets new standards in safe navigation and collision avoidance.
Which band and antenna you need is a design question rather than a preference. X-band gives
better resolution of small targets and is the usual primary radar; S-band penetrates rain and
sea clutter better and is required alongside X-band on many vessels. Antenna length trades
physical space against beam width, and therefore against how well two close targets are
separated. We specify against the vessel or platform, the applicable carriage requirements and
the space available on the mast.
1 / 2
