Painting a Radar Scanner

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waybomb

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Joined
May 13, 2001
RO Number
4563
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Can a radar scanner be repainted? Is there a resource that describes the process and type of paint to use?
 
I would call the manufacturer. Have you tried sanding a small area with very light (like 1600) sandpaper and then using wax to dress it up? It might shine up nicely.
 
Sure you can paint it, but it has to be done correctly which actually is not too hard. Drips and runs will cause signal distortion. Polyurethane works the best as it creates the toughest coating with the thinnest film. I would NOT use a brushable polyurethane, you need to spray it and do so with the thinnest coat that provides a durable finish. Be careful spraying polyurethane paint, take appropriate breathing precautions.
 
A much bigger concern is the type of paint used. The wrong type of paint can attenuate both the transmitted and received signals resulting in a significant loss of performance. If you are not positive that the paint has suitable RF transmission characteristics I would test it first. This can be done covering the radome a sheet of paper that has been painted with your candidate paint. If you see any degradation of performance I would pick a different paint.

Mike
 
Well, actually, it is the pigment that poses the problem. Many color pigments use metals to produce the color, and it is these metals that cause the problem. Many paints have a large amount of titanium dioxide ( a white pigment, used as a color base ) which is problematic. So, while you might be able to use polyurethane paint, you may not be able to use specific colors, produced by specific manufacturers.

Mike is right; test before final application.

Radar manufacturers sometimes offer some guidance on this. You may need to dig through their online documentation, however. An email to tech support may also produce useable ideas.
 
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