© Copyright D Sleigh 2006 - photograph supplied by Mik Cass.

 

With reference to Mik Cass's excellent article "Life on Ocean Weather Ships 1966-1969", the "main ships radar was a Model 277 with a circular dish, with a Marconi set as the navigating radar."

 

Mik has provided a useful additional explanation (for which, many thanks) as follows:

 

"The radar was used for two purposes.

 

"The meteorological side was the tracking of the four radio sonde upper air sounding flights to obtain wind speed and direction during the sounding.  The low PPI (Plan Position Indicator) showed the bearing and range from the ship, whilst the upper PPI showed the elevation of the radar reflector slung underneath the balloon.  If the ship was rolling the echo was quite long and it was an art to find the middle of the echo and also to be consistent. 

 
"The second use of the radar was to give the bearing and range of aircraft from the ship to enable them to find out where they were.  The aircraft were also given the position of the ship as part of the info passed to them."