In a method for adaptive calculation of pulse compression filter coefficients for a received signal in a radar installation, which received signal is evaluated with the aid of a complex pulse compression mismatch filter, a pulse compression filter coefficient set h(t) is calculated for an ideal theoretical received signal s(t) for a pulse compression mismatch filter, such that a pulse compression output signal results with a desired main lobe to side lobe ratio. A transformed set of pulse compression filter coefficients Hopt(f) for the complex pulse compression mismatch filter Hopt(f) is calculated for a distorted received signal using the following rule: H opt ⁡ ( f ) = S ⁡ ( f ) · H ⁡ ( f ) · S v * ⁡ ( f )  S v ⁡ ( f )  2 where S(f): the Fourier-transform of an undistorted received signal s(t), Sv(f): the Fourier-transform of a distorted received signal sv(t), sv*(f): the complex conjugate of Sv(f), H(f): the Fourier-transform of the pulse compression mismatch filter h(t).