"James Waldby" wrote in message
...

http://www.dvice.com/archives/2012/07/make-your-own-d.php is an
example: "Make your own Doppler radar out of coffee cans". This one
is
like a "radar gun" and as you note, "Weather doppler is a bit
tougher".

Weather doppler is a bit tougher.
THE air mass is not a steel structure.
And it's coming at you and going away at the same time and pretty
much
same speed (by comparison).
jiw

If the NWS storm alert system used a digital, GPS-aware cellular radio
network like OnStar or ADS-B they could tag tornado warnings with the
projected track plus an estimate of uncertainty or DOP
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilution_of_precision_(GPS)
so each receiver could respond only to nearby threats.

IOW the warning area could begin as a large circle when the tornado is
first detected, then converge to the area ahead of it as its path
becomes known. Al the receiver needs is a center point plus a radius
around it.

It's possible but hardly worth the effort for the current VHF FM
analog weather radios, though perhaps a good idea for a smart phone
app.
jsw