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The Radar Pages Frequently Asked Questions I always welcome suggestions and contributions that could improve the content or the standard of The Radar Pages, however I receive a large number of enquiries that are similar in nature and requiring similar answers that I just do not have the time to answer individually. What was needed was a section of the web site that provided the answers to these queries. To this end I have written up an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section. The FAQ pages are a collection of questions that I often find in my mailbox, together with the answers. These are provided in an attempt to keep repeated questions to a minimum, thus allowing me to concentrate on researching and building The Radar Pages. If you have a question please see if the answer can be found here on the FAQ pages or on The Radar Pages web site before contacting me. Hopefully this will result in fewer of you waiting up to 12 months to get a reply! Dick Barrett Q1. Why haven't you featured the AN/FPS-xx/Type xx radar yet? Q2. Where can I find out more about American radar systems? Q3. Why is it taking so long to build The Radar Pages? Nothing has happened for weeks! Q4. Why is there no information on Air Interception, airborne surveillance or naval radars Q6. I live near on old radar station; can you tell me anything about it? Q8. Can you provide me with circuit drawings for a CW radar jammer? Q9. Can you recommend which radar detector I should buy for my car? Q10. I want to build a small radar for my boat, do you have any drawings or is a kit available? Q13. I am studying radar at university; can you provide your theory notes/books? Q16. Can I reproduce some of your pages in our entry/squadron/firm newsletter? Q21. I am looking for employment; can you help? Q22 I need more information about the xyz system/Type xx radar Q23. Why don't you have anything about UFO's in The Radar Pages? Q1. Why haven't you featured the AN/FPS-xx/Type xx radar yet? A. If a particular radar system is missing then it is because: 1) I haven't heard of it before, 2) It wasn't used by the RAF or 3) I do not have enough material to put a page together yet (Please also see Q4.) I am always on the lookout for new material; much of the content of The Radar Pages has been provided by the readers, so if you can provide the pieces to complete the puzzle please get in touch with me.
Q2.
Where can I find out more about USAF air defence radar systems?
A. Try Gene McManus and Tom Page's excellent Radomes web site, click on the Radomes logo to go there.
Q3. Why is it taking so long to build The Radar Pages? Nothing has happened for weeks! A. The Radar Pages is my hobby, a part time endeavour that I enjoy when I'm not working, socializing, shopping with my wife (I get to push the trolley - it keeps me amused!), sleeping, decorating/fixing the house or rolling around on the floor with my grandson. I also "go down to the sea in ships, and do business in great waters" (Ps 107:23, KJV, paraphrased) for a couple of weeks a month.
Q4. Why is there no information on Air Interception, airborne surveillance or naval radars A. I have very little information on airborne or naval radar equipment. Additionally, the main object of the web site is air defence ground radar and I have no immediate plans to deal with the airborne side. I may look at this in the future if no one else has done anything, if I have some material and if I have the time.
Q5. I am finding your literature on radar to be very enthralling and useful to me. Can I get the material in a downloadable format? A. The main thrust at the moment is to establish the web site as an online presence. As a result of this, and due to copyright concerns, there are no plans at present to arrange the material in a downloadable format. A CD of the web site may become available at a later date, once most of the content has been established.
Q6. I live near on old radar station; can you tell me anything about it? A. My area of interest is RAF radar systems; I regret that I have very little information about individual radar stations. There are a large number of links in the Radar, Cold War and Service links and Contacts section and a reading list in the Reference Sources section that may help your research.
Q7. I have a relative who worked on radar. Can you tell me what he/she did and where they were stationed? A. I regret that I cannot help much with this type of enquiry. As a relative you might be able to get his/her career details from the Personnel Management Agency, you will find an address and a large number of links in the Radar, Cold War and Service links and Contacts section. There is a reading list in the Reference Sources section that may help your research. You can however get a broad overview of the type of work radar people do by reading through the Oral History section and by looking at the radars featured in the RAF Radar section.
Q8. Can you provide me with circuit drawings for a CW radar jammer? A. No.
Q9. Can you recommend which radar detector I should buy for my car? A. No. The best advice I can give you is to slow down. Over the past thirty years I have accumulated much empirical evidence that shows that you won't get there any faster - trust me, I've tried it. And I've frightened myself to death a couple of times.
Q10. I want to build a small radar for my boat, do you have any drawings or is a kit available? A. No.
Q11. I am studying radar at university; can you provide me with Doppler/CFAR/MTI/Phased Array/CW system drawings? A. No! If you are at university then your research facilities far exceed mine. Get down to the library and start reading! (See Q12 also)
Q12. I am doing a project at school/college/university, can you tell me everything about... (Followed by a long list of questions) A. Read this site from start to finish. There are a large number of links in the Radar, Cold War and Service links and Contacts section and a reading list in the Reference Sources section that may help your research. You can get a broad overview of the type of work radar people do by reading through the Oral History section and by looking at the radars featured in the RAF Radar section. (See Q11 also)
Q13. I am studying radar at university; can you provide your theory notes/books? A. You will find a reading list in the Reference Sources section.
Q14. I am thinking of joining the Air Force/Navy/Army to work on radar, can you recommend some reading to me? A. Read this site from start to finish. You will also find a reading list in the Reference Sources section. Good luck, and remember, "If you can't take a joke then you shouldn't have joined!"
Q15. I have been reading your Radar Theory section but I can't get past page xxx and it says "To Be Continued" at the bottom of the page. What is happening? A. You have reached the end of what I have done so far. I am slowly scanning the pages in from a textbook and it is very time consuming. Generally this is a task I do when I don't have anything else to do on the site.
Q16. Can I reproduce some of your pages in our entry/squadron/firm newsletter? A. By all means, as long as it is not for gain or commercial use and credit is given to me or the original author and publisher as appropriate. Please be careful when downloading material from this site, much of it is the intellectual property of third parties and is reproduced with their permission. Please consult the copyright notices in the Home and Disclaimer pages.
Q17. I am writing a book/magazine article about techs/radar/mushroom growing; can I use some of your material? A. This is commercial use. Please write to me with an outline of what you have in mind and I'll see what I can do to help.
Q18. I work for a film production company; we are making a film about the second world war/mushroom horticulture/radar. Can we use some of your material? A. This is commercial use. Please write to me with an outline of what you have in mind and I'll see what I can do to help.
Q19. I work for a film production company; we are making a film about the second world war/mushroom horticulture/radar. I need your advice. A. This is technical consultancy. Please send me a copy of your standard contract and the answers to the standard contractor questions, 1. Where is it? 2. What are the hours? 3. What are the rates? 4. What is the risk of being shot at? My agent will be in touch.
Q20. I work for a recruiting agency and we need people with your type of qualifications. Do you know of anyone who could fill this post? A. I regret that I cannot help you.
Q21. I am looking for employment; can you help? A. I regret that I cannot help you. There are a number of links to radar and defence manufactures in the Radar, Cold War and Service links and Contacts section that may be of use to you.
Q22 I need more information about the xyz system/Type xx radar A. Have you looked through this web site thoroughly? If so, and you haven't found what you are looking for then I regret that I probably cannot help you further. The web site generally reflects the state of my research and knowledge, so if it's not here, I do not have any further information or my research is at such an early stage any information I give you may be erroneous.
Top of page Q23. Why don't you have anything about UFO's in The Radar Pages? A. Because UFO's are real; life in the R.A.F. is an illusion! Seriously folks, I'm a non-believer. Honestly. All the odd things that I have ever seen on radar screens had rational explanations. Even the thing that nipped across southern England at 3,000 miles an hour at 60,000 feet in 1973 can be explained. Somehow.
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Updated 07/03/2005 Constructed by Dick Barrett |