Why is there a max range for radar?

Maximum Range: Radar Max Range is determined, ideally speaking, on the properties of the antenna only. A signal at a certain frequency is transmitted, reflected, then hopefully, detected. Due to the three-dimensional propagation of radar waves, frequency hold the highest weight in determining range .

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How far can radar detect?

This permits target detection at distances from about 500 to 2,000 nautical miles (900 to 3,700 km) . Thus, an HF over-the-horizon (OTH) radar can detect aircraft at distances up to 10 times that of a ground-based microwave air-surveillance radar, whose range is limited by the curvature of the Earth.

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