ATC equipment problem ASR-9 radar false targets.

Attributes
ACN	253536
Time
Date	199310
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bdl
State Reference	CT
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bdl
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 7
ASRS Report	253536
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

I returned from a week's vacation. Upon my first radar assignment to the west departure sector, I soon realized the ASR-9 presentation was showing numerous primary returns, many of them would appear and disappear each sweep making the issuance of TA's nearly impossible. The ASR-9 is a digital display and all primary targets are exactly the same once the computer decides the return is traffic. I tried the radar in all 3 modes with no success of alleviating the problem. Although this has been a problem before, it has not been to this extent.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC EQUIP PROB ASR-9 RADAR FALSE TARGETS.

Narrative: I RETURNED FROM A WK'S VACATION. UPON MY FIRST RADAR ASSIGNMENT TO THE W DEP SECTOR, I SOON REALIZED THE ASR-9 PRESENTATION WAS SHOWING NUMEROUS PRIMARY RETURNS, MANY OF THEM WOULD APPEAR AND DISAPPEAR EACH SWEEP MAKING THE ISSUANCE OF TA'S NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. THE ASR-9 IS A DIGITAL DISPLAY AND ALL PRIMARY TARGETS ARE EXACTLY THE SAME ONCE THE COMPUTER DECIDES THE RETURN IS TFC. I TRIED THE RADAR IN ALL 3 MODES WITH NO SUCCESS OF ALLEVIATING THE PROB. ALTHOUGH THIS HAS BEEN A PROB BEFORE, IT HAS NOT BEEN TO THIS EXTENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.