Describe how you would perform a basic radar calibration check.

Describe how you would perform a basic radar calibration check.

• A. Run a software self-test in the console without external targets.
• B. Use a known reference target at a fixed range and bearing and adjust boresight and range/bearing readouts to match true values.
• C. Use a random reference target at any range and adjust based on guess.
• D. Use only the ship's GPS time to calibrate.

Answer: (B)

Calibration checks measure how accurately the radar’s line of sight and distance readouts reflect true positions. To perform a basic radar calibration check, place a known reference target at a fixed, accurately known range and bearing from the ship. Compare what the radar displays for range and bearing with the true values of that target, and adjust the radar’s boresight alignment and the range/bearing readouts until the displayed values match within tolerance. This directly corrects any mounting misalignment, mechanical offsets, or system delays so subsequent radar measurements are accurate. A software self-test can verify hardware health, but it doesn’t verify measurement accuracy against a real reference. Using a random target or guessing provides no reliable means to achieve precise calibration. Relying on GPS time alone cannot calibrate the radar’s spatial readouts or alignment.

Calibration checks measure how accurately the radar’s line of sight and distance readouts reflect true positions. To perform a basic radar calibration check, place a known reference target at a fixed, accurately known range and bearing from the ship. Compare what the radar displays for range and bearing with the true values of that target, and adjust the radar’s boresight alignment and the range/bearing readouts until the displayed values match within tolerance. This directly corrects any mounting misalignment, mechanical offsets, or system delays so subsequent radar measurements are accurate. A software self-test can verify hardware health, but it doesn’t verify measurement accuracy against a real reference. Using a random target or guessing provides no reliable means to achieve precise calibration. Relying on GPS time alone cannot calibrate the radar’s spatial readouts or alignment.