LANCAIR 360 IS SURPRISED TO DISCOVER THAT ATC IS WORKING WITHOUT RADAR DURING IFR FLT.

Narrative

I WAS ON AN IFR PROFICIENCY FLT IN MY ACFT FROM DWH TO CLL. I WAS IN RADAR CONTACT WITH HOUSTON APCH AND HANDED OFF TO ZHU WHO HANDLES IFR TFC AT CLL. I LEARNED LATER THAT CTR'S RADAR WAS INOP; BUT WAS NEVER ADVISED BY THE CTLR THAT I WAS NOT IN RADAR CONTACT. CTLR KEPT ASKING FOR POS RPTS WHILE ENRTE TO CLL AND DURING THE ILS-DME RWY 34 APCH AND EVEN WHILE I WAS HOLDING AT THE PUBLISHED MISSED APCH HOLDING POINT. I WAS FLYING THE FULL PROC ARCING SW ON THE DME ARC AND HIS CONTINUOUS REQUESTS FOR MY POS DISTR ME; LED TO INCREASED WORKLOAD IN IMC; DEGRADED MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND CAUSED ME TO WONDER IF MAYBE I WAS OFF COURSE. ALL THIS WAS COMPOUNDED BY POOR RADIO RECEPTION DURING THE APCH. SHORTLY AFTER JOINING THE LOC THE CTLR ONCE AGAIN ASKED MY POS. WHEN I TOLD HIM I WAS LOC INBOUND (THINKING WHY CAN'T HE SEE ME ON RADAR?) HE GOT UPSET SAYING 'WELL IT SURE WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO KNOW THAT; I TOLD YOU TO RPT ESTIMATE ON THE LOC!' I DID NOT RECALL HEARING HIM REQUEST THAT EARLIER; AND WAS UNABLE TO RESPOND BEFORE BEING HANDED OFF TO TWR. AFTER THE LOW APCH I FLEW THE PUBLISHED MISSED; WAS HANDED BACK TO CTR AND ONCE AGAIN HAD COMS PROBS/POOR RADIO RECEPTION DURING THE CLB TO THE HOLDING POINT. WHILE HOLDING; I HEARD THE CTLR TELL ANOTHER ACFT HIS RADAR WAS DOWN. HAD I BEEN ADVISED OF THIS; I WOULD HAVE SEEN THE 'BIG PICTURE' AND UNDERSTOOD ALL THE POS QUERIES AND WOULD HAVE RPTED LOC INBOUND EVEN THOUGH I DID NOT HEAR HIM REQUEST IT OF ME EARLIER. MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WOULD HAVE REMAINED HIGH AND THE SELF-DOUBT OVER MY POS WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. AFTER THE HOLD; I REQUESTED ANOTHER APCH; THIS TIME ARCING SE. THIS WAS APPROVED; BUT THE CTLR ADMONISHED ME AGAIN FOR NOT RPTING LOC INBOUND EARLIER; BUT STILL NO MENTION THAT HE HAD NO RADAR COVERAGE. WHILE ON THE ARC; I LOST THE CLL VOR SIGNAL; CANCELLED MY IFR CLRNC AND PROCEEDED BACK TO DWH IN VFR CONDITIONS; SO I COULD INVESTIGATE MY RADIO RECEPTION PROB. MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE PLT CTLR GLOSSARY REQUIRES THE CTLR TO ADVISE WHEN RADAR CONTACT IS LOST. HAD THIS RULE BEEN FOLLOWED; THE SIT I DESCRIBED WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED AND I WOULD NOT BE FACED WITH A POTENTIAL VIOLATION AFTER 16 YRS OF ACCIDENT AND VIOLATION FREE FLYING.