Simple Explanations

The details and depth and breadth of explanations on YF is probably why most of us seek answers and opinions here. But I just read a post where the question was basically how does radar work when the range scale is changed. rcrapps gave a "simple explanation."

I thought it might be a handy idea to start a thread of similar bottom liners that might be particularly useful for those hitting the search button about a particular subject.

I will repost the OP and response on radar scale. Hope the "kiss" idea takes off.

Radar Scale

Quoted from rcrapps: There is nothing in the raydome or array that mechanically changes. When your range reduces, video memory becomes more dense. Pulse timing, tuning, gain are adjusted with every setting of the range knob.
Ways to understand video memory; Think of wheel spokes, the further away from the hub, the more air between the spokes. Less detail at longer range. Spokes are more dense closer to the hub, more detail. When you look at long range, the rang knob reduces close range returns.
Move the range knob in, we attenuate & display the closer targets a bit more.
Mfgs have tried different things to help, speeding up, slowing down the scan rate, adding more spokes to their timing patterns and covering more detail in distant scans. But the above is the basic theory for them all.