SDR Cloud Radar development with reused radio telescope components

Abstract

The ongoing implementation of a fog observatory in a coastal fog forest in northern Chile is expected to provide valuable information to improve our comprehension of these ecosystems alongside retrieving valuable data to fog scientists. Observing this opportunity and the increase on radio astronomy instrumental it is proposed to develop a low-cost Cloud Radar reutilizing obsolete but operative radio telescope components and software defined radios for modulation. Only preliminary tests have been conducted so far to test the viability of this approach. These tests show that it is in fact possible to build an emitter and receiver operating at 35 GHz using radio telescope components as a Radio Frequency front-end, and that the detected echo coming from the signal is affected by the presence of liquid water droplets in the air. Further development is being carried on the prototype to enable the detection of fog droplets in the boundary layer up to 2 km of height.