this post was submitted on 16 Apr 2026
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This is a phased array radar system, which is significantly different than the mechanical radars used by boats/ships. A phased array system typically supports near real time tracking of multiple targets since the radar signals are controlled through solid state beam steering.
Mechanical radars like those on boats can only update targets as quickly as the antenna rotates, which can be as slow as 20 RPM for some consumer brands. They are very different beasts. Comparing the two is like comparing a car to a train…
That's a good comparison. I assume you're saying that a car is like a mechanical radar and a train is the phased array, right?
But if you centipede cars they become a train.
Kind of like how if you take a bunch of traditional radar systems, sync their LOs, and add some DSP, you get a phased array. Pretty good analogy, actually.