One of the biggest experiments I've always wanted to work on is a homebrew radar system. No, not some little ultrasonic range finder using pre-made kits, but a true high-power pulse (and maybe Doppler) radar system. And I think it's now possible...
This project will be continuously "in development." I have no idea if the final outcome will even work, but I'll try to make all the experiments public and fairly-well documented. The overall work will be done in a series of sub-sections over the next few months (or even years). If it all works - great. If it doesn't... It'll look cool, and you'll have nice beacon to attract anti-radiation missles.
A very detailed description of how radars operate, and the design of their major component sections, is available in the U.S. Army Aviation Course - Subcourse MM5005: Radar Transmitter manual. This manual is also available online.
Block Diagram
Major Radar Sections
