Narrative:

Radar problems at anchorage TRACON A11. Backgnd: this is written by a controller and not from a technical standpoint or using technical language. I know very little of how these digitized system sync with our analog radar and/or beacon system; and to be honest I am not sure if they were designed to do so. A11 switched to TPX2000 digitizer system approximately 2-3 months ago and that is when most if not all the problems listed below began. The radar in use is ASR 8 analog now running through the TPX2000 digitizer for primary targets. I do not know if the beacon problems listed below are from this digitization or not; but they began coincidentally at the same time as the other listed problems. Critical safety issues: too many false targets probably hundreds a day. It is not uncommon to have from 1-10 or more in any given sector at a time. These false targets take a controller's attention away from what he/she should be doing during critical times of separating IFR traffic and issuing TA's on targets that are actually there. This is a major problem and a huge safety issue. Since we have transitioned to the digitized radar; controllers must worry about each of these numerous false targets. The frequency of these false targets led to sort of a cry wolf syndrome. In other words; controllers know that the majority of the time the computer is crying wolf by showing us a target that isn't really there; and while we shouldn't ignore it; due to the frequency of these targets; human nature and logic; just as with the little boy crying wolf; leads us to ignore them. Distracting movement of digital data block: not having worked stars; but having worked mearts; as I recall the only target you should see is a digital one. The way the A11 system is currently working; when digitized by the TPX2000; is that you not only get a digitized target; a diamond; but you also have a primary trying to compete with this target and there is for lack of another way to say it some 'shimmy' or jerky movement of the diamond and this is distracting to a controller. If and when stars comes online and we only have a digital presentation; hopefully this will cease; but for now we have been told we must have the diamond on. Why when you have a primary I don't know; and it is very distracting. Time for targets to acquire: since the TPX2000 came on line; it takes 2-3 times longer for a target to tag when issued a code and for departures to acquire. The powers that be tell me that this isn't and cannot be so; as this is not a function of the TPX2000. My response to them was; 'dude I don't know the technical reason for it but ask any controller in the facility and he/she will tell you that this is so and is unsafe.' false/erroneous altitudes: there have been several instances where when beacons come close to another target you will get a false altitude readout. I had one just yesterday that instead of reading 008; when the IFR traffic got in close proximity to the unknown target the altitude went to 027 which was very close to the IFR traffic I had on frequency. This will get your attention quick and elevate your heart rate unnecessarily as well. In closing; it is my and others' opinion that the only reason we are on this piecemeal system is because they could/cannot get our ASR 11 up and interfaced with the stars system. As I have said before I am neither a technician nor one with the most knowledge of this system. What I am is a 25 yr veteran of radar ATC including digitized micro earts and I have never seen as unsafe system as we are currently running here at A11.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A11 CTLR DESCRIBED RADAR PROBS; IE; FALSE TARGETS; WITH THE DIGITIZER CURRENTLY OPERATING WITH AN ASR-8 RADAR SYS.

Narrative: RADAR PROBS AT ANCHORAGE TRACON A11. BACKGND: THIS IS WRITTEN BY A CTLR AND NOT FROM A TECHNICAL STANDPOINT OR USING TECHNICAL LANGUAGE. I KNOW VERY LITTLE OF HOW THESE DIGITIZED SYS SYNC WITH OUR ANALOG RADAR AND/OR BEACON SYS; AND TO BE HONEST I AM NOT SURE IF THEY WERE DESIGNED TO DO SO. A11 SWITCHED TO TPX2000 DIGITIZER SYS APPROX 2-3 MONTHS AGO AND THAT IS WHEN MOST IF NOT ALL THE PROBS LISTED BELOW BEGAN. THE RADAR IN USE IS ASR 8 ANALOG NOW RUNNING THROUGH THE TPX2000 DIGITIZER FOR PRIMARY TARGETS. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE BEACON PROBS LISTED BELOW ARE FROM THIS DIGITIZATION OR NOT; BUT THEY BEGAN COINCIDENTALLY AT THE SAME TIME AS THE OTHER LISTED PROBS. CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUES: TOO MANY FALSE TARGETS PROBABLY HUNDREDS A DAY. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON TO HAVE FROM 1-10 OR MORE IN ANY GIVEN SECTOR AT A TIME. THESE FALSE TARGETS TAKE A CTLR'S ATTN AWAY FROM WHAT HE/SHE SHOULD BE DOING DURING CRITICAL TIMES OF SEPARATING IFR TFC AND ISSUING TA'S ON TARGETS THAT ARE ACTUALLY THERE. THIS IS A MAJOR PROB AND A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. SINCE WE HAVE TRANSITIONED TO THE DIGITIZED RADAR; CTLRS MUST WORRY ABOUT EACH OF THESE NUMEROUS FALSE TARGETS. THE FREQUENCY OF THESE FALSE TARGETS LED TO SORT OF A CRY WOLF SYNDROME. IN OTHER WORDS; CTLRS KNOW THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME THE COMPUTER IS CRYING WOLF BY SHOWING US A TARGET THAT ISN'T REALLY THERE; AND WHILE WE SHOULDN'T IGNORE IT; DUE TO THE FREQUENCY OF THESE TARGETS; HUMAN NATURE AND LOGIC; JUST AS WITH THE LITTLE BOY CRYING WOLF; LEADS US TO IGNORE THEM. DISTRACTING MOVEMENT OF DIGITAL DATA BLOCK: NOT HAVING WORKED STARS; BUT HAVING WORKED MEARTS; AS I RECALL THE ONLY TARGET YOU SHOULD SEE IS A DIGITAL ONE. THE WAY THE A11 SYS IS CURRENTLY WORKING; WHEN DIGITIZED BY THE TPX2000; IS THAT YOU NOT ONLY GET A DIGITIZED TARGET; A DIAMOND; BUT YOU ALSO HAVE A PRIMARY TRYING TO COMPETE WITH THIS TARGET AND THERE IS FOR LACK OF ANOTHER WAY TO SAY IT SOME 'SHIMMY' OR JERKY MOVEMENT OF THE DIAMOND AND THIS IS DISTRACTING TO A CTLR. IF AND WHEN STARS COMES ONLINE AND WE ONLY HAVE A DIGITAL PRESENTATION; HOPEFULLY THIS WILL CEASE; BUT FOR NOW WE HAVE BEEN TOLD WE MUST HAVE THE DIAMOND ON. WHY WHEN YOU HAVE A PRIMARY I DON'T KNOW; AND IT IS VERY DISTRACTING. TIME FOR TARGETS TO ACQUIRE: SINCE THE TPX2000 CAME ON LINE; IT TAKES 2-3 TIMES LONGER FOR A TARGET TO TAG WHEN ISSUED A CODE AND FOR DEPS TO ACQUIRE. THE POWERS THAT BE TELL ME THAT THIS ISN'T AND CANNOT BE SO; AS THIS IS NOT A FUNCTION OF THE TPX2000. MY RESPONSE TO THEM WAS; 'DUDE I DON'T KNOW THE TECHNICAL REASON FOR IT BUT ASK ANY CTLR IN THE FACILITY AND HE/SHE WILL TELL YOU THAT THIS IS SO AND IS UNSAFE.' FALSE/ERRONEOUS ALTS: THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL INSTANCES WHERE WHEN BEACONS COME CLOSE TO ANOTHER TARGET YOU WILL GET A FALSE ALT READOUT. I HAD ONE JUST YESTERDAY THAT INSTEAD OF READING 008; WHEN THE IFR TFC GOT IN CLOSE PROX TO THE UNKNOWN TARGET THE ALT WENT TO 027 WHICH WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE IFR TFC I HAD ON FREQ. THIS WILL GET YOUR ATTN QUICK AND ELEVATE YOUR HEART RATE UNNECESSARILY AS WELL. IN CLOSING; IT IS MY AND OTHERS' OPINION THAT THE ONLY REASON WE ARE ON THIS PIECEMEAL SYS IS BECAUSE THEY COULD/CANNOT GET OUR ASR 11 UP AND INTERFACED WITH THE STARS SYS. AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE I AM NEITHER A TECHNICIAN NOR ONE WITH THE MOST KNOWLEDGE OF THIS SYS. WHAT I AM IS A 25 YR VETERAN OF RADAR ATC INCLUDING DIGITIZED MICRO EARTS AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN AS UNSAFE SYS AS WE ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING HERE AT A11.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.