SELF-SURVEY CALIBRATION OF METEOR RADAR ANTENNA-ARRAYS

This paper presents the self-surveying technique for calibrating the a ntenna spacing, orientation, and phase errors in multiple receiver rad ar antenna arrays, Utilizing a set of source transmitters placed at kn own locations in the far-field of the array and measurements of the ph ase present at each antenna, the array's relative antenna locations an d phase errors can be determined, The advantage of this technique is t hat the radar is used in its normal operating mode, providing an end-t o-end calibration under true operational conditions, A self-survey cal ibration was performed with a meteor radar located at Sondre Stromfjor d, Greenland, successfully mapping the array, The antenna positions we re relatively close the expected locations, although the baselines wer e rotated approximately 5 degrees from the true cardinal directions, T he majority of the phase error was introduced by the receivers.