> Each of the small detectors need to decern what is noise and what is not.

In my un-optimized imaginary system, the sensors are very sensitive and dumb, like me. All the difficult work is done by the central DSP-like brain that can identify even the tiniest of waves moving through the grid.

The utility comes from seeing the relative values in the grid... a pattern of tiny changes in some arc, moving through the grid.

Sure, killer triangulation (actually radial measurement?), but also possibly a decent 500 light-year AM tuner?