RADAR SITE IS DROPPING BEACON TARGETS WHEN ACFT ARE 60 MI AWAY AND BELOW 11000 FT.

Narrative

THE RADAR SITE AT THE SUX ARPT SITS ON THE LOWEST PART OF THE ARPT AND DUE TO THE BLUFFS EITHER SIDE OF THE ARPT; RADAR COVERAGE IS POOR BELOW 11000 FT AND WITHIN 60 NM. THIS COMBINED WITH THE ASR 7A AND ARTS 2A DROPPING BEACON TARGETS; THE CTLR MAY LOSE AN ACFT'S TARGET ALTOGETHER. THE SOLUTION WOULD BE TO UPGRADE AND RELOCATE THE RADAR SITE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CLAIMS THAT A NEW COMPUTER PROGRAM PATCH IS SCHEDULED FOR INSTALLATION IN 1 OR 2 MONTHS THAT SUPPOSEDLY WILL CORRECT THE PROBLEM OF DROPPING BEACON TARGETS. HOWEVER; RPTR STILL FEELS THAT THE PROBLEM IS ANTENNA LOCATION AND NOT A COMPUTER PROBLEM. HE SAID THAT ACFT AT 20 MI AWAY FROM RADAR SITE AND BELOW 7000 FT GENERALLY WON'T BE OBSERVED ON RADAR; AND ALSO 60 MI OUT BELOW 11000 FT. ACFT ARE SELDOM WORKED BY THE CTLR THAT FAR AWAY FROM THE ANTENNA. A UCR HAS NOT BEEN FILED. HE SAID THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS EXISTED FOR AT LEAST 2 YRS. FACILITY MGMNT IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. RPTR WILL KEEP ASRS INFORMED ON THE STATUS AND WORKING CONDITIONS OF THE NEW PATCH ONCE INSTALLED.