Levelling a sensor - AdvanceGuard

Owned by James Eadie
Last updated: Feb 10, 2022 by Guy Avery
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Levelling a sensor

Due to the very narrow beams (1 or 2 degrees) used by most radar sensors, it is important that each sensor is level in relation to the area that it surveys. Level in this sense may not mean absolutely horizontal. For instance, if the site has a continual slope it may prove beneficial to incline the sensor in line with the slope to ensure that targets are correctly tracked.

The exaggerated examples below show how a sensor with an incorrect incline could miss targets which are lower down the slope:

 

 

Note on Camera Mounting

As with the radar, when mounting cameras they should be levelled in relation to the area over which they watch. Their mounting angle should follow the incline of the radar sensor.


To make sensor levelling adjustments

The sensor mounting plate allows for a simple yet effective method to fine tune the incline of the sensor. This helps with the commissioning process and also assists when the radar might need removing from its mount and correctly repositioning to its commissioning alignment again later.

Important: If not correctly followed then issues such as misalignment can occur. Causing unnecessary down time of the radar and a subsequent increase in false alarms or decrease in detection sensitivity for a system. This can lead to a field visit becoming necessary from a Navtech field engineer. 

To adjust the sensor level

The recommended procedure to check for the optimum incline is to use two radar targets (Navtech part number MBP0137) mounted on tripods.

1         Adjust each target to the same height of 1.3 metres above ground level and locate them on opposite sides of the sensor at the same suitable distance (e.g. 50m +).

                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

2         Connect a portable computer to the radar sensor and then use the SPx RadarView Lite utility to view the resulting radar scan image:

 

Your aim is to ensure that both targets can be clearly seen by the radar sensor. If necessary, carefully adjust the incline of the sensor until they produce similar traces.
It may be necessary at this point to raise or lower the radar in addition to changing the incline.

        

3         Reposition the targets in new locations and repeat the adjustment procedure until targets in various positions can be seen by the radar sensor.

 

Next: Using SPx RadarView Lite