Narrative:

Operating on cenrap due to ASR9 OTS for antenna upgrade. As usual, targets dropping. It always occurs. We have a continuing ucr on this. Targets drop at various altitudes, various locations, for varying amounts of time. Traffic was very light this evening. I had 6 targets and data blocks drop during the 1 1/2 hours on position. This represents approximately 1/5 of the airplanes I worked during this period. I was working one of the 3 position open. I worked center radar for 11 yrs. It worked a million percent better than what gets piped to us here in the terminal. Yet it is supposedly the same data center uses. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that the facility ucr has not yet been closed. Reporter advised the facility manager was sitting with him when targets dropped. Dropped targets will first show 'CST' in the ARTS data block for a short time, then the data block will completely stop tracking and xfer, drop to a 'CST' suspend list. The reporter advises that when beacon strength is strong again, the airports tag will again 'reacquire' and tracking will continue. The controller advised that management has advised that a cenrap system update has been idented and will be installed as soon as practicable. The reporter states that the principle center radar site is located approximately 30 mi west of cmh, at london, oh. Other TRACON controllers have since negotiated with management not to use cenrap except as an emergency backup, not as a weekly training aid. Cenrap usage was required for approximately 2 weeks to repair and update the cmh ASR9 system, which has now returned to service. Supplemental information from acn 416400: apparently we'll be on it for a few days. At least it is 'cenrap plus' (primary radar from our ASR9 and beacon radar from ZID). The problem in working with cenrap is the beacon targets dropping, as well as the data tags. We must be constantly paranoid about losing targets/tags. They drop anywhere, any time, for no apparent reason. No one seems to know why.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACON APCH CTLR CONCERNED WITH INCONSISTENT CENRAP (CTR RADAR ARTS PRESENTATION PROCESSING). RADAR TARGETS WILL DROP AT ERRATIC TIMES, REGARDLESS OF ALT. FACILITY UCR ON FILE.

Narrative: OPERATING ON CENRAP DUE TO ASR9 OTS FOR ANTENNA UPGRADE. AS USUAL, TARGETS DROPPING. IT ALWAYS OCCURS. WE HAVE A CONTINUING UCR ON THIS. TARGETS DROP AT VARIOUS ALTS, VARIOUS LOCATIONS, FOR VARYING AMOUNTS OF TIME. TFC WAS VERY LIGHT THIS EVENING. I HAD 6 TARGETS AND DATA BLOCKS DROP DURING THE 1 1/2 HRS ON POS. THIS REPRESENTS APPROX 1/5 OF THE AIRPLANES I WORKED DURING THIS PERIOD. I WAS WORKING ONE OF THE 3 POS OPEN. I WORKED CTR RADAR FOR 11 YRS. IT WORKED A MILLION PERCENT BETTER THAN WHAT GETS PIPED TO US HERE IN THE TERMINAL. YET IT IS SUPPOSEDLY THE SAME DATA CTR USES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT THE FACILITY UCR HAS NOT YET BEEN CLOSED. RPTR ADVISED THE FACILITY MGR WAS SITTING WITH HIM WHEN TARGETS DROPPED. DROPPED TARGETS WILL FIRST SHOW 'CST' IN THE ARTS DATA BLOCK FOR A SHORT TIME, THEN THE DATA BLOCK WILL COMPLETELY STOP TRACKING AND XFER, DROP TO A 'CST' SUSPEND LIST. THE RPTR ADVISES THAT WHEN BEACON STRENGTH IS STRONG AGAIN, THE ARPTS TAG WILL AGAIN 'REACQUIRE' AND TRACKING WILL CONTINUE. THE CTLR ADVISED THAT MGMNT HAS ADVISED THAT A CENRAP SYS UPDATE HAS BEEN IDENTED AND WILL BE INSTALLED AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE. THE RPTR STATES THAT THE PRINCIPLE CTR RADAR SITE IS LOCATED APPROX 30 MI W OF CMH, AT LONDON, OH. OTHER TRACON CTLRS HAVE SINCE NEGOTIATED WITH MGMNT NOT TO USE CENRAP EXCEPT AS AN EMER BACKUP, NOT AS A WKLY TRAINING AID. CENRAP USAGE WAS REQUIRED FOR APPROX 2 WKS TO REPAIR AND UPDATE THE CMH ASR9 SYS, WHICH HAS NOW RETURNED TO SVC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 416400: APPARENTLY WE'LL BE ON IT FOR A FEW DAYS. AT LEAST IT IS 'CENRAP PLUS' (PRIMARY RADAR FROM OUR ASR9 AND BEACON RADAR FROM ZID). THE PROB IN WORKING WITH CENRAP IS THE BEACON TARGETS DROPPING, AS WELL AS THE DATA TAGS. WE MUST BE CONSTANTLY PARANOID ABOUT LOSING TARGETS/TAGS. THEY DROP ANYWHERE, ANY TIME, FOR NO APPARENT REASON. NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHY.

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.