Abstract: Wind Profiler RADARS are playing an important role in 3-D mapping of the atmospheric winds. Earlier, various RADARS are located around the globe and studied well the meteorology of their geographic locations. As Manora Peak (29.4o N; 79.2o E; 1958 m amsl), ARIES ST RADAR (ASTRAD) is a high altitude site in the central Himalaya and having peculiar topography. Therefore, a wind profiler is installed to study the meteorology over the central Himalaya. This profiler is a unique facility in the central Himalaya, because it is an Active Phased Array radar i.e. each transmitter and receiver (transceiver) functions are composed of numerous small solid-state transmit-receive modules (TRMs) and also each transceiver has individual power supply. It have 588 antennas with operating frequency is 206.5 MHz. It can measure the vertical profile of the wind velocity up to 20 km above ground level (AGL) in the atmosphere. It has 588 TRM connected with same array of antenna. Individual 588 TRM have different kind of switches, these switches are the heart of the VHF radar. Because without these switches the TRM cannot operates the radar. So, this paper deals with the basic description of switches and how these switches are work for VHF Active Phased Array radar which is developed at ARIES ST RADAR (ASTRAD).
Keywords: Wind Profile RADAR, 3-D MAPPING, ASTRAD, AGL, TRM.