Narrative:

Longview approach (GGG) lost primary and secondary radar. It appears to be the same malfunction as I reported yesterday. The log in the TRACON is reporting radar loss due to generator switchover at radar site knocking radar channels off line. I haven't even gotten the chance to complete this form and we've already had another outage. This next one more serious than this. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the radar outage occurred during the switchover to the standby generator at the radar site when commercial power failed. Reporter went on to say that there are numerous radar outages at this facility. Reporter stated that reporter was told by an af technician that a recent outage was due to commercial telephone line being OTS. Reporter said the telephone company line with radar data from the site runs about 250 mi before reaching the facility although the radar site is only about 20 mi away. Reporter alleges that 95 percent of the radar outages were due to a data compression unit which receives the radar data from the site via the telephone company line. Reporter learned from a technician that the data compression unit is affected by electrical pulses generated by thunderstorms and causes cards in the unit to blow. According to the reporter, a radar technician stated that the manufacturer of the unit installed a surge protector on the system but that it was removed after it failed to work. Reporter alleges that the a technician told the reporter that the manufacturer does not know how to fix the problem with the compression unit. Reporter alleges that the facility technicians have indicated that they do not consider the radar problem as being that important by referencing the traffic volume at dfw as compared to this facility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTED RADAR OUTAGE DURING SWITCHOVER FROM COMMERCIAL PWR TO GENERATOR PWR.

Narrative: LONGVIEW APCH (GGG) LOST PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RADAR. IT APPEARS TO BE THE SAME MALFUNCTION AS I RPTED YESTERDAY. THE LOG IN THE TRACON IS RPTING RADAR LOSS DUE TO GENERATOR SWITCHOVER AT RADAR SITE KNOCKING RADAR CHANNELS OFF LINE. I HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN THE CHANCE TO COMPLETE THIS FORM AND WE'VE ALREADY HAD ANOTHER OUTAGE. THIS NEXT ONE MORE SERIOUS THAN THIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE RADAR OUTAGE OCCURRED DURING THE SWITCHOVER TO THE STANDBY GENERATOR AT THE RADAR SITE WHEN COMMERCIAL PWR FAILED. RPTR WENT ON TO SAY THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS RADAR OUTAGES AT THIS FACILITY. RPTR STATED THAT RPTR WAS TOLD BY AN AF TECHNICIAN THAT A RECENT OUTAGE WAS DUE TO COMMERCIAL TELEPHONE LINE BEING OTS. RPTR SAID THE TELCO LINE WITH RADAR DATA FROM THE SITE RUNS ABOUT 250 MI BEFORE REACHING THE FACILITY ALTHOUGH THE RADAR SITE IS ONLY ABOUT 20 MI AWAY. RPTR ALLEGES THAT 95 PERCENT OF THE RADAR OUTAGES WERE DUE TO A DATA COMPRESSION UNIT WHICH RECEIVES THE RADAR DATA FROM THE SITE VIA THE TELCO LINE. RPTR LEARNED FROM A TECHNICIAN THAT THE DATA COMPRESSION UNIT IS AFFECTED BY ELECTRICAL PULSES GENERATED BY TSTMS AND CAUSES CARDS IN THE UNIT TO BLOW. ACCORDING TO THE RPTR, A RADAR TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER OF THE UNIT INSTALLED A SURGE PROTECTOR ON THE SYS BUT THAT IT WAS REMOVED AFTER IT FAILED TO WORK. RPTR ALLEGES THAT THE A TECHNICIAN TOLD THE RPTR THAT THE MANUFACTURER DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX THE PROB WITH THE COMPRESSION UNIT. RPTR ALLEGES THAT THE FACILITY TECHNICIANS HAVE INDICATED THAT THEY DO NOT CONSIDER THE RADAR PROB AS BEING THAT IMPORTANT BY REFING THE TFC VOLUME AT DFW AS COMPARED TO THIS FACILITY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.