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Probably the most well-known tool in the meteorological world are the mobile radars. During the VORTEX projects that were centered in the Great Plains, the use of mobile radars became very popular. With a Doppler radar mounted on the back of a truck, mobile radar vehicles have the distinct advantage of being able to get within close proximity of weather of interest and able to scan below the National Weather Service WSR-88D radars. In 2008, UAH built one of the first dual polarization mobile X-Band radar, MAX. MAX has played a vital role in the research at SWIRLL from participating in landfalling hurricanes, lake breeze boundary layer experiments, and severe weather research over the Tennessee Valley. The MAX system features a Dual-polarization X-band radar, a 10-m surface instrument tower, and hydraulic leveling jacks. With the help of Baron Radar Services, MAX is equipped with the Vaisala SIGMET RVP8 radar system and a 250 kW magnetron transmitter. 
MAX deployed at Courtland, AL for a VORTEX-SE IOP on 23 April 2020. MAX is typically operated by 1-3 personnel, accompanied by a weather balloon sounding system, and can be operational in 20-30 minutes. As with all of our SWIRLL platforms, MAX is operated by SWIRLL faculty, staff, and students. |
RHI from MAX of a Bounded Weak Echo Region (BWER) on 12 Feb 2020. 
MAX deployed for Huricane Laura (2020). |
