HF radar measurements of the ionosphere using dynasonde methods

The capabilities of the Vertical Incidence Pulsed Ionosphere Radar (VIPIR) instrument, operating in the MF and HF bands (0.5-25 MHz), are a direct result of careful system engineering with the primary focus on high levels of analog and digital system performance. The resulting system allows for the rapid and high quality measurement of the ionosphere, enabling the discovery of mesoscale plasma structure and study of the associated physics. High signal to noise ratios, robust analog signal performance and pulse shaping provide a large pool of radar resources to the user. A large, efficient, broadband transmitting antenna and a large aperture receiving array of small, active dipole antennas are key performance elements. Frequency agility and flexible operating schemes allow the design of measurement modes to optimize radar resources toward specific observational goals. Recent updates to the radar electronics provide substantial improvements to these key features.