Video Tour of the Aberdeen Doppler Radar (August 12, 2013)

Have you ever been on Highway 12 near the airport and wondered just what that big white ball was, or knowing that it was the Aberdeen NWS Doppler Radar, wondered just what it looked like on the inside? Here is your chance to have your questions answered. Click the link below to take a brief video tour from inside the radar dome. There are also some still pictures below that were taken at the same time. If you have any questions, please drop us an email at w-abr.webmaster@noaa.gov.

Here are some interesting facts about the radar.

-The tower itself stands 30 meters or a little over 98 feet tall

-The pad that the tower stands on measures 31 feet by 31 feet by 4 feet thick. An estimated 182 cu. yards of concrete was used.

-The dome that the radar sits inside of is 39 feet across.

-The pedestal that the dish is mounted to weighs 21,500 pounds. The dish itself weighs 2100 pounds.

-The maximum rotational speed of the dish is 6 revolutions per minute.

-The radar spends the vast majority of "operational" time listening for a return signal of energy. In fact, the total time per hour that the radar transmits is 7 seconds. The remaining 59 minutes and 53 seconds are spent listening for a return pulse.

Video Tour: click here

Panaromic view from the radar tower

Panaromic view from the tower looking southwest (left) to northeast (right)

View of the radar pedestal

The radar pedestal. Toward the bottom are electric heaters that we run during the winter.

Another view of the pedestal with the back of the radar dish and counter weights seen.

Another picture of the radar dish and the pedestal