WD-6300 HF Interferometer Radio DF System

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In addition to accurate azimuth measurements, the WD-6300 system is also capable of measuring the elevation of an incoming signal. Providing the height of the reflecting ionospheric layer is known, it allows for an estimation of the target's location, without having to revert to a traditional multi-sensor approach for the necessary triangulation.

The entire antenna array can be assembled by two people in less than 30 minutes, while the receivers and the processing computer system can be operated either stationary or setup inside a suitable vehicle.

Combining modular hardware design with innovative software, the WiNRADiO WD-6300 HF Direction Finding System exhibits flexibility and performance which usually is not available in conventional technology systems.

This is the first time an interferometer-based MF/HF direction finding system with such advanced specifications and its combination of unique features has been made available in such an easy-to-use and cost effective package.

This has been made possible by combining the highly advanced range of COTS software-defined receivers and antennas developed by WiNRADiO for usage by government, military, security services, surveillance tasks and other demanding industrial applications.

Hardware

The WiNRADiO WD-6300 DF system breaks new ground with its state-of-the-art components, by utilizing the phase-coherent WR-G34DDC HF receiver together with high quality AX-81SM active antennas.

The receiver system is mounted within a rugged 19" rack- mount enclosure and can be powered from AC mains voltage.

In order to operate the system efficiently, it is recommended that dual monitors are utilized, allowing DF operations to be performed on one monitor, without compromising the normal receiver control function.

Software

At the heart of the WD-6300 system is its sophisticated digital signal processing software. In addition to the standard WR-G3xDDC style graphical user interface, the system software also handles all of the complex mathematical functions and associated processes.

The system is entirely software-defined, which means that additional features and modes can easily be added by means of simple software changes.

The azimuth and elevation displays are established against the North reference, and clearly show the effect of reflections and other effects which degrade the bearing quality. A dynamically adjustable buffer allows the user to average the bearing samples over time. Histogram and waterfall displays also assist the operator.

Software includes an integrated digital recorder, making it possible to instantly record and playback the received signal, both at the IF and audio levels, for all three receiver channels.

The Wideband DF (WBDF) option extends direction finding capabilities to the entire IF bandwidth (up to 2 MHz). The WBDF window shows the signal spectrum, waterfall and corresponding frequency/azimuth graph for every signal above a user-defined threshold.

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Options

The system can be extended to include the following hardware and software options:

• GPS receiver allowing position-stamped result logging.
• Client-Server software for remote control of receiver and DF functions.
• Wideband DF option for calculating direction of multiple signals within a specified bandwidth (up to 2 MHz).
• The Triangulation/Mapping option requires multiple DF stations linked by a suitable TCP/IP networking infrastructure. Bearing data from the DF stations is used for triangulation. The resulting position is displayed on a map overlay. Map source data is subject to separate licensing arrangements with the respective map provider.
• Additional monitor for increased screen real-estate if portability is not a major concern.
• Offline maps for mapping support without an internet connection; which does not require any licensing.