How precise can an altimeter be?

With proper calibration, the barometric altimeter of an outdoor watch or handheld will report elevation readings ranging from -2,000 to 30,000 feet with an accuracy of +/-50 feet. Elevation values greater than 30,000 feet can be generated, but may not be accurate due to environmental factors.

How is an altimeter calibrated?

Altitude can be determined based on the measurement of atmospheric pressure. The greater the altitude, the lower the pressure. When a barometer is supplied with a nonlinear calibration so as to indicate altitude, the instrument is called a pressure altimeter or barometric altimeter.

What does rad alt stand for?

Radar Altimeter. RADALT. Radar Altitude. Copyright 1988-2018 AcronymFinder.com, All rights reserved.

What is the frequency of radio altimeter?

The radio altimeters operating in the 4200-4400 MHz band typically have a center frequency of 4300 MHz. Based on the frequency assignment data in the GMF, the emission bandwidths for a large majority of the radio altimeters used on Federal aircraft range from 20 MHz to 170 MHz.

What is a radio altimeter and how does it work?

The radio altimeter sometimes referred to as a radar altimeter is designed to provide an accurate reference, in some cases within 2 feet, of the aircraft above the ground. In most cases in general and commercial aviation this device is operational up to 2,500 feet above ground level (AGL).

What are the different types of altimeter?

There are four main types of altimeter: 1 Barometric altimeter. 2 Radio altimeter. 3 GNSS (GPS, Galileo, etc). 4 Laser altimeter.

What is the best altimeter to measure pressure?

Pressure-sensitive altimeters have always been the instrument of choice to provide flight crews with their critical data. Barometric altimeters per regulation have to be accurate within a range of 20 to 250 feet depending on surrounding pressure altitude.

Why do we need two antennae for a radar altimeter?

Note that the time delay between transmission and reflected wave is too short to be able to use a single antenna for both functions. Two antennae are therefore required, which must be physically separated in order to avoid interference. Ref: http://www.microwavejournal.com/articles/18895-next-generation-radar-altimeter-testing