🔍 Key Concepts

• S-band frequency range and how it compares to higher-frequency bands like X-band • How transmission line losses change with frequency in coaxial cable versus waveguide • Practical shipboard concerns: cost, mechanical complexity, ruggedness, and safety

💭 Think About

• Ask yourself: At S-band frequencies, are coaxial cables still reasonably efficient, or do they become excessively lossy like they do at much higher frequencies? • Consider the main advantages of waveguides: are they typically chosen for power handling, low loss at very high frequencies, or to solve mechanical problems? • Think about which options describe realistic engineering limitations versus exaggerated or unlikely problems with waveguides on ships.

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify whether waveguides are generally better or worse than coax for very high frequencies (above S-band) and long runs. • Check if safety and leakage from waveguide flanges is actually a common limiting factor in marine radar installations. • Consider whether cost and installation difficulty are major reasons designers might choose coax over waveguide when performance allows it.