RPTR STATES THERE HAVE BEEN 4 RADAR OUTAGES WITHIN A WK. IN 2 OF THESE INSTANCES THE STANDBY GENERATOR DID NOT COME ON-LINE AFTER COMMERCIAL PWR WAS DISRUPTED.

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ASR-9 RADAR AT Y90 (BDL APCH) HAS HAD 4 OUTAGES WITHIN PAST WK. FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS ON MAR/THU/96 AT APPROX XX10 LCL. INITIALLY THERE WAS A LOSS OF BOTH RADAR AND RADIO; RADIOS RETURNED APPROX 1 MIN AFTER OUTAGE. RADAR RETURNED ABOUT 7-9 MINS AFTER OUTAGE UTILIZING CENRAP (CTR RADAR). 2 OTHER TIMES GENERATOR DID NOT COME ON LINE CAUSING RADAR OUTAGES. RUMOR IS THAT SQUIRRELS ARE DISRUPTING THE COMMERCIAL PWR. ALSO A CONTINUING PROB WITH THE MODE S PROGRAM CAUSES DIFFICULTY IN TRACKING TARGETS IN THE CENRAP MODE. GHOSTING OF TARGETS CONTINUES TO BE A PROB ON OCCASION; BUT THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS THE RELIABILITY OF THE RADAR SYS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATED THAT THE REASON FOR THE COMMERCIAL PWR FAILURES WERE THE RESULT OF THE UTILITY COMPANY BROWN OUTS. HE SAID THAT THE BACKUP GENERATOR IS NOW ON-LINE. HE WAS TOLD BY MAINT THAT A BAD SOLENOID HAD BEEN REPLACED IN THE GENERATOR AND INDICATED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NO PROBS WITH IT IN THE LAST 3 WKS SINCE IT WAS REPAIRED.