Handheld Microwave Radiometer for Education and Outreach

Abstract

This investigation features a low-cost (<$100) 1.413-GHz handheld microwave radiometer for use in educating students about microwave radiometry. The microwave radiometer presented is a conventional Dicke radiometer, but fabricated on low-cost printed-circuit board (PCB) material using inexpensive commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) parts. The instrument antenna is a rectangular horn fed by a stacked-patch probe-fed element. With a total weight of just about 2 kg (4 lbs) and a targeted overall cost of under US$100, the handheld radiometer presents several educational potentials in Earth and Sun science applications: primarily as a handy scientific tool for surface soil moisture measurements, and secondarily as a miniature solar radio telescope.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 25, 2005
Accession Number
ADA450348

Entities

People

  • Anuradha Dujari
  • Carl White
  • Eric Chikando
  • Jeffrey R. Piepmeier

Organizations

  • Morgan State University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Calibration
  • Circuit Boards
  • Circuits
  • Detectors
  • Earth Sciences
  • Education
  • Elements
  • Instrumentation
  • Materials
  • Measurement
  • Measuring Instruments
  • Microwaves
  • Printed Circuit Boards
  • Printed Circuits
  • Radiation
  • Radiometers
  • Remote Sensing

Readers

  • Atmospheric Remote Sensing.
  • Integrated Circuit Design and Technology.
  • Phased Array Antenna Design.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Satellites