Diversified Technologies, Inc. (DTI) has built a new transmitter for the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Western Range AN/TPQ-18 radar facility at Vandenberg AFB, CA. This upgraded 3 MW C-band radar transmitter energizes, controls, and protects an extended interaction Klystron (EIK), with the output fed to a space-fed Cassegrainian antenna.
The DTI Transmitter Upgrade uses the firm’s advanced solid-state switch to drive a pulse transformer providing 135 kV pulsing capability. The system includes a DTI high voltage power supply (HVPS), a high power RF driver amplifier, custom output waveguide, and control consoles. Maintaining the existing radar’s form, fit, and function, the upgrade extends the Klystron life and provides reliability on the order of 100,000 hours MTBF.
Consisting of a 19” rack that houses power supplies and controls and a separate high voltage section built into a small tank filled with transformer oil, a heavy-duty high voltage cable connects the power supply to the modulator. This design applies to several other range instrumentation radars operated by the USAF and U.S. Navy.
The DTI AN/TPQ-18 Transmitter Upgrade was performed under contract FA8823-18-C-0013 which includes installation at Vandenberg AFB, CA.
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