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A recent addition the MAPNet instrument suite (June 2025), the Ka-band profiling radar (KaPR), is a millimeter wavelength vertically pointing radar that can be used to detect a wide variety of scatterers. Using the quadratic phase coding technique (defined in Mead and Pazmany 2019), the radar can transmit 100% of the time and high pulse repetitions, resulting in extremely high-resolution vertical data. With customizable integration times and range resolutions, the KaPR can measure a breadth of particles. Detection ranges from cloud of all phases, precipitation, fog, smoke, and insects, making the KaPR an ideal vertical radar for a wide range of experiments. The KaPR is currently mounted to the MoDLS platform but can be removed and adapted to the MIPS or RaDAPS platform, or act as a standalone system. KaPR has 10 subsystems, the dehydrator, thermo-electric air conditioner, data system, radar data system (RDS), mission control computer (MCC), power distribution unit (PDU), local oscillator/intermediate frequency/tx upconverter (LO/IF/TX), solid-state power amplifier (SSPA)/cold plate, intermediate frequency receiver (IF RX), and high frequency receiver module (HF RX). |
A diagram of KaPR (named KAZR in the image) and it's various subsystems. 
KaPR's view of a storm going over UaH. 
A display of the system controls and display GUI for KaPR. |
