
THE RADAR SYSTEM - OPERATIONAL PRINCIPLES
121
mum aerial height involves reconciling a number of
conflicting factors. The height selected in practice may
be limited by the size and type of the vessel, but experi-
ence has shown that a height of between 13 and 20 m
above the water level offers the best overall radar per-
formance.
2.7.1.4
Susceptibility
to
damage
The site of the aerial unit should be well clear of halyards
and similar rigging which might be liable to become
entangled with the rotating scanner. Alternatively, the
aerial can be located in a protective arrangement such as
a
radome.
The latter is a spherical moulding made of glas