RPTR SAYS THAT ATC FACILITY CANNOT SEE ON RADAR EMER SQUAWKS WHEN THE EMER MODE IS SELECTED.

Narrative

I FLY IN AUSTIN; TX; AND SURROUNDING AREAS. A FRIEND OF MINE WHO ALSO FLIES IN MY AREA IS ALSO AN AIR TFC CTLR FOR THE FAA. MY FRIEND TELLS ME THAT DUE TO A SOFTWARE GLITCH AT AUSTIN TRACON; TRANSPONDERS WHICH HAVE AN 'EMER' SETTING; SUCH AS (TRANSPONDER MANUFACTURER) AND THE MIL TRANSPONDERS; WILL NOT BE SHOWN AS SQUAWKING EMER. PLTS USING THIS EQUIP MUST NOW USE '7-7-0-0' VICE 'EMER;' I WAS TOLD HOUSTON ARTCC WILL PICK UP THESE 'EMER' ACFT; BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE LOW FLIERS NEAR AUSTIN THAT HOUSTON DOES NOT SEE? IF AUSTIN TRACON HAS 'OFFICIALLY' RELEASED THIS INFO I CAN'T FIND IT. I THANKED MY FRIEND FOR THE INFO AND HOPE YOU CAN SORT THIS OUT SO -- IF TRUE -- OTHER PLTS WILL HEAR OF THIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. CALLED FACILITY AND FOUND OUT THAT THE RPTR IS CORRECT; HOWEVER; THE PROBLEM HAS RECENTLY BEEN FIXED. APPARENTLY; THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE ASR-9 RADAR SYS WILL NOT PROCESS EMER SQUAWKS ON EQUIP THAT HAS AN EMER SELECT FEATURE; ONLY WHEN 7700 IS USED WILL IT APPEAR. THIS FACILITY IDENTED THE PROBLEM AND THE FAA TECH CTR DID THE REST OF THE WORK AND CHANGED THE SOFTWARE AT ALL ASR-9 LOCATIONS. THEY HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS SINCE THE SOFTWARE CHANGE.