Radar, Airfield, and Weather Systems (RAWS) CDC Volume 2 Practice Test

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• Why is calibration important in radar operation?
• How is convective weather information used in flight planning and operations?
• What is a SIGMET and when is it issued?
• Which polarization parameter is commonly used to distinguish rain from snow?
• Reflectivity (Z) in weather radar implies what?
• Which parameter is most directly obtained from radar reflectivity data?
• During a radar outage at a facility equipped with weather sensors, which action directly addresses rerouting air traffic?
• What is it called when temperature first increases with height then begins to decrease?
• What type of tube best meets the requirements of a modulator-switching element?
• Runway Visual Range (RVR) is defined as what?
• What action is recommended when radar coverage is degraded or unavailable?
• To eliminate interrogator side-love suppression (ISLS), the ground radar site transmits the P2 signal in what radiating pattern?
• What is the primary function of a primary surveillance radar (PSR) in ATC?
• Which array is formed to enable scanning in both azimuth and elevation, providing two-dimensional steering?
• The scanning indicator that plots target range and azimuth information in polar coordinates is the
• Attenuation can cause what bias in reflectivity measurements?
• During landing operations, if a convective storm is detected near the runway, which action is appropriate?
• What receiver circuit actually produces the intermediate frequency (IF)?
• Which scanning method provides separate instantaneous azimuth and elevation corrections on each received pulse?
• The advanced signal data processor (ASDP) permits up to how many permanent echoes?
• Mode C transponder provides what information that aids air traffic control?
• Which action initiates the formal outage response plan?
• Which subsystem controls operation of airflow and indicates normal or malfunction conditions?
• How does wind shear affect aircraft during takeoff and landing?
• What controls the radar pulse width (PW) by means of a rectangular direct current (DC)?
• What type of cathode ray tube (CRT) is most commonly used in ground radar equipment?
• Along with determining the overall operation of the indicator, the data processing circuits provide what?
• What does range completeness refer to in radar operations?
• A storm-relative velocity field is useful for assessing which hazard?
• Which array is particularly useful in radar applications?
• How does secondary surveillance radar (SSR) enhance ATC surveillance?
• The bending of electromagnetic waves caused by a change in the density of the medium through which the waves are passing is referred to as what?
• Which waveguide antenna is more suited for one-dimensional scanning than scanning in two coordinates?
• Which sub-component is responsible for directing RF transmit power from the transmitter into the waveguide toward the antenna?
• To prevent arcing in radar waveguide systems, which is commonly used?
• What is the general purpose of integrating AWOS/ASOS data with radar in RAWS?
• Which scanning indicator is used to plot target data in polar coordinates?
• The aircraft transponder replies to ground interrogations at what frequency?
• Which radar subassembly is used to convert weak returning signals into displayable video?
• What role do AWOS/ASOS systems play in supporting RAWS?
• Which waveguide component has a mechanical stop mounted on its base to limit movement to each extremity of travel?
• What is echo top, and why is it important?
• What function of the AN/UPM-155 test set provides signal conditioning required for testing transponders and interrogators?
• Which statement is not an advantage of IFF/SIF equipment?
• Which duplexer sub-component accepts RF transmit power from the transmitter and directs it through the waveguide to the antenna assembly?
• Why is range curvature considered in radar installation?
• What is Moving Target Indication (MTI) and why is it used?
• How does polarization data contribute to precipitation interpretation?
• Which of the following is a primary function of PAR during a precision approach?
• Which statement best describes the magnetron when the magnetic field strength is too high?
• What type of modulator is most commonly used in modern radar systems?
• Which component governs the duration of each emitted radar pulse?
• To maintain surveillance using alternative equipment during the outage, which step is performed?
• Why is range resolution important in radar, and which parameter primarily determines it?
• What is the only type of aircraft that can present a single-arc IFF reply on a scope?
• Which component in a CRT directly controls the electron beam deflection to position the image?
• Which phenomenon occurs when a signal arrives via multiple paths, potentially causing interference?
• What indicator circuit converts digital display data from the data processing circuits into analog drive signals?
• Which of the following is a characteristic vulnerability of CRT displays in radar systems due to their vacuum design?
• What does a weather radar reflectivity scan primarily indicate, and how does it differ from a velocity scan?
• What is the primary benefit of integrating ground-based radar with ATC surveillance?
• Which action should be executed to communicate outage status to ATC and operations?
• What is the significance of a NOTAM's format for RAWS?
• When a radar outage is detected, which action should be taken to inform the appropriate parties?
• How many channels does a monopulse receiver have for angle determination?
• Mode C/Mode S altitude information is transmitted by transponders to provide what data for ATC?
• Which indicator power supply furnishes the CRT operating voltages?
• What advantage does a phased-array radar offer over a mechanically scanned radar?
• What is the primary purpose of an automated weather sensor network (AWOS/ASOS) in RAWS?
• Which action is used to reestablish surveillance by switching to an alternate sensor system?
• An aircraft transponder answers an interrogation by transmitting a reply pulse train signal back to the ground station at a frequency of
• What type of reflector shapes the radar beam?
• What part of the CRT is tapered and lined with a conductive graphite coating?
• What processor function attempts to correlate plots to existing tracks?
• What is the role of ASR in airport surveillance?
• The waveguide compressor subsystem that monitors and indicates normal or malfunction conditions is categorized as which type?
• SSR Mode C data is used to report what?
• Which radar gets its name from the fact that each pulse from the aircraft being tracked yields a new azimuth and elevation correction angle?
• Which statement correctly distinguishes primary surveillance radar from secondary surveillance radar?
• Dual-polarization capability provides information about what aspects of hydrometeors?
• Which action is used to re-route traffic per approved procedures during a radar outage?
• The time from one pulse to the next that the radar sends out is called?
• What generates an identification of position (I/P) response?
• Which component is used to ensure accurate alignment of radar antennas?
• What type of scanning indicator do surveillance radars primarily use?
• How does radar reflectivity relate to precipitation type, and what data helps distinguish rain from hail?
• Which radar feature is commonly associated with tornadic supercells?
• PAPI and VASI systems are used to provide pilots with what kind of guidance during approach?
• What waveguide component has a mechanical stop on its base to limit movement to travel extremities?
• What are radar sidelobes and why can they cause false returns?
• Which stage of the intermediate frequency (IF) section is the most critical?
• Which radar subassembly amplifies the weak EM pulses returned from the reflecting object and reproduces them as video pulses?
• A 7600 emergency reply signifies an aircraft
• How many microseconds does RF take to travel one radar mile?
• Which statement best describes a two-dimensional scanning planar array?
• Which device is used at waveguide joints to prevent RF energy leakage between sections?
• What is the purpose of weather radar data fusion with ground-based observations?
• Which data does SSR provide to air traffic control that PSR does not?
• Which action should be used to maintain surveillance by switching to backup sensors during the outage?
• What is crosswind in aviation terms and why does it matter for runway selection?
• Which best describes the weather radar velocity product?
• In addition to a flat top, what characteristics must a modulator pulse have?
• Which data types are used together to assess storm intensity and movement?
• What do you call propagation of a wave from one point to another by more than one path?
• How many permanent echoes are permitted by the advanced signal data processor (ASDP)?
• Describe the Doppler effect's role in weather radar.
• Which antenna device reduces precipitation display to nearly zero on an indicator?
• What happens to the speed of the electromagnetic energy traveling through air as the altitude increases?
• What does a hook echo indicate?
• Which action involves switching to a backup sensor system to maintain radar coverage?
• If the magnetic field strength is too high on the magnetron, the magnetron will
• Which radar unit displays the corresponding radar information on a cathode ray tube (CRT)?
• How does the LIN-LOG amplifier's overall gain behave as each stage saturates?
• Which step is used to guide traffic along approved alternate routes during the outage?
• When NOTAMs indicate radar outages, what should operators do?
• What unit's primary function is to accept the output of the receiver/exciter (REX) and decide, for every range and azimuth cell in the radar coverage area, whether a moving target is present or not?
• Which type of modulator is described as line-pulsed in typical radar configurations?
• What is the phase relationship between the delayed and non-delayed video?
• Attenuation in weather radar is defined as what?
• Which action should be performed to ensure coordination with air traffic control during the outage?
• For a reciprocal antenna, which pattern is usually specified and measured?
• PAPI and VASI are best described as what type of guidance aids?
• What is the most common reflector shape?
• Pulse repetition frequency (PRF) and how it affects radar performance.
• What SIF mode has a limit of 32 codes?
• Why is it important to maintain proper separation in weather-affected airspace?
• What is the role of range and bearing information in ATC radar?
• What are typical maintenance checks performed on radar systems?
• Which indication type plots data on the radar display in polar coordinates?
• Which antenna device eliminates precipitation effects on the radar indicator and is used to filter signal?
• State the basic radar range equation used in air traffic radar.
• Which statement best describes SIGMET in aviation meteorology?
• Besides runway selection, crosswind primarily affects which aspect of takeoff and landing performance?
• Which action must be taken to begin the continuity plan for radar outage?
• Define azimuth resolution and its significance in radar.
• Which term describes the display that forms a complete frame by two vertical scans?
• The two most commonly used radar remoting configurations are
• To eliminate ISLS, the P2 signal on the ground radar is transmitted in which radiating pattern?
• In a LIN-LOG amplifier, the gain tends to do what as stages saturate?
• What is 'blind speed' in radar and why does it matter?
• Why is altitude information from Mode C/Mode S important?
• If a system requires only 32 codes for identification, which SIF mode is designated for this limit?
• What refers to the motion of the antenna axis (of the beam) as the radar looks for an aircraft?
• Which signal is used to synchronize the coherent oscillator to a fixed phase relationship with the transmitted pulse?
• What does the 'P' in GPN-30 designate?
• Immediately after the transmitter fires, sensitivity time control (STC) reduces the receiver gain to what level?
• Which data combination provides the most complete assessment of a storm's severity and motion?
• What vulnerability is associated with CRTs due to their high vacuum and large surface area?
• What refers to the orientation of the electromagnetic wave as it travels through space?
• Which statement about Mode 1 SIF coding is true?
• Which precision radar system uses continuous rotation of a pencil beam around the aircraft and uses the phase of the return signal modulation to maintain track in both azimuth and elevation?
• How does radar altitude differ from physical altitude?
• What is used to couple waveguide components and sections to prevent RF leakage?
• What is the primary use of a PAR (Precision Approach Radar)?
• The two most often used radar remoting configurations are
• What type completes two vertical scan periods to produce one complete picture called a frame?
• What intermediate frequencies are usually used in radar receivers?
• Which action should be undertaken to begin the contingency response to the outage?
• In pulsed radar, increasing PRF trades off what aspect of operation?
• What best describes METAR and TAF?
• What do you call the use of contiguous beams stacked in elevation?
• Which action should be communicated to ATC and operations during a radar outage?
• In the conical scanning technique, which property of the return signal is used to maintain track?
• Which scanning method uses a continuous rotation of a narrow pencil beam around the aircraft and relies on the modulation phase to track?
• What does radar cross-section (RCS) describe?
• How do NOTAMs affect RAWS and weather sensor operations?
• Which action is most consistent with activating contingency procedures during a radar outage?
• Dual-polarization radar uses differential reflectivity, differential phase, and cross-correlation ratio to provide information about what?
• Stacked beam radars involve stacking contiguous beams in which plane?
• How does ILS guidance differ from radar guidance?
• What type of radar provides critical information to provide ample time to prepare or evacuate in response to natural disturbances?
• What function of the AN/UMP-155 test set provides overall control of the other functions?
• How do polarization data help differentiate rain from snow?
• The conductive graphite coating inside a CRT is called what?
• Which item is not a standard radar maintenance check?
• Which data should be interpreted to identify weather hazards that require avoiding a storm cell?
• What type of reflector is used to shape the radar beam?
• Besides a flat top, what must a modulator pulse have?
• What is used to interface target and weather channel signals to the signal processor?
• What is the utility of a storm-relative velocity field?
• What term describes the bending of electromagnetic waves due to density changes in the medium?
• In radar receivers, which component is responsible for converting the received signal to the intermediate frequency?
• When using a conical scan, what component of the return signal modulation is used by the radar system to maintain track in both azimuth and elevation?
• In waveguide systems, which component is commonly used to prevent arcing?
• What scanning method is identified at the electronic countermeasure receiver by its regular intervals between illuminations?
• When interpreting a radar velocity couplet, what does it indicate about the storm?
• The most basic type of scanning indicator is the
• How many separate channels does a monopulse receiver have?
• How does ground clutter affect radar performance near runways and how can it be mitigated?
• In an intermediate frequency path, which stage is commonly the most critical?
• Due to high signal loss, about how many feet are coaxial cable remoting systems limited to?
• What is an advantage of the individual pencil beams when handling rain clutter or chaff?
• What signal is used to synchronize the coherent oscillator (COHO) to a fixed phase relationship with the transmitted pulse?