Narrative:

On nov/fri/06; the standard terminal automation replacement system (stars) was changed during an upgrade made by the DOD to their radar system. Deer valley's stars is slaved off of luke AFB radar. The upgrade changed the primary targets and history trails from green to blue. In the tower environment the blue is barely visible due to the sunlight and not visible at all when wearing sunglasses. The primary targets are weaker and many aircraft are not picked up by the radar. Since this upgrade has taken place; we also are experiencing many dropped secondary targets resulting in the loss of aircraft altitude and airspeed data. Deer valley ATCT is a VFR tower with radar working approximately 400000 operations a year. The stars equipment is an important safety tool that is used to verify location of aircraft; altitude and airspeed. The changes made by the DOD to the radar system has compromised the safety at deer valley. The majority of traffic at deer valley is student pilots and unfamiliar transit aircraft. We rely heavily on the stars equipment to verify the location; altitude and airspeed of traffic in order to issue entry instructions; sequencing and most important; safety alerts to aircraft in close proximity to each other when they are not visible from the tower. With radar verification of an aircraft's location; altitude and airspeed; accurate and specific traffic can be issued by the controller. The loss of primary targets; secondary data blocks and inability to see the blue primary targets and history trails compromises safety at deer valley. With the huge volume of traffic worked at deer valley airport; it is unacceptable that the DOD radar equipment changes would reduce the reliability of such an important safety tool used to prevent aircraft accidents. The DOD should be required to change the upgrade using green instead of blue primary targets and correct the loss of primary targets and secondary data blocks from stars facilities.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DVT CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING THE TWR RADAR DISPLAY AFTER THE DOD INITIATED UPGRADES TO THE STARS SYS.

Narrative: ON NOV/FRI/06; THE STANDARD TERMINAL AUTOMATION REPLACEMENT SYS (STARS) WAS CHANGED DURING AN UPGRADE MADE BY THE DOD TO THEIR RADAR SYS. DEER VALLEY'S STARS IS SLAVED OFF OF LUKE AFB RADAR. THE UPGRADE CHANGED THE PRIMARY TARGETS AND HISTORY TRAILS FROM GREEN TO BLUE. IN THE TWR ENVIRONMENT THE BLUE IS BARELY VISIBLE DUE TO THE SUNLIGHT AND NOT VISIBLE AT ALL WHEN WEARING SUNGLASSES. THE PRIMARY TARGETS ARE WEAKER AND MANY ACFT ARE NOT PICKED UP BY THE RADAR. SINCE THIS UPGRADE HAS TAKEN PLACE; WE ALSO ARE EXPERIENCING MANY DROPPED SECONDARY TARGETS RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF ACFT ALT AND AIRSPD DATA. DEER VALLEY ATCT IS A VFR TWR WITH RADAR WORKING APPROX 400000 OPS A YEAR. THE STARS EQUIP IS AN IMPORTANT SAFETY TOOL THAT IS USED TO VERIFY LOCATION OF ACFT; ALT AND AIRSPD. THE CHANGES MADE BY THE DOD TO THE RADAR SYS HAS COMPROMISED THE SAFETY AT DEER VALLEY. THE MAJORITY OF TFC AT DEER VALLEY IS STUDENT PLTS AND UNFAMILIAR TRANSIT ACFT. WE RELY HEAVILY ON THE STARS EQUIP TO VERIFY THE LOCATION; ALT AND AIRSPD OF TFC IN ORDER TO ISSUE ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS; SEQUENCING AND MOST IMPORTANT; SAFETY ALERTS TO ACFT IN CLOSE PROX TO EACH OTHER WHEN THEY ARE NOT VISIBLE FROM THE TWR. WITH RADAR VERIFICATION OF AN ACFT'S LOCATION; ALT AND AIRSPD; ACCURATE AND SPECIFIC TFC CAN BE ISSUED BY THE CTLR. THE LOSS OF PRIMARY TARGETS; SECONDARY DATA BLOCKS AND INABILITY TO SEE THE BLUE PRIMARY TARGETS AND HISTORY TRAILS COMPROMISES SAFETY AT DEER VALLEY. WITH THE HUGE VOLUME OF TFC WORKED AT DEER VALLEY ARPT; IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT THE DOD RADAR EQUIP CHANGES WOULD REDUCE THE RELIABILITY OF SUCH AN IMPORTANT SAFETY TOOL USED TO PREVENT ACFT ACCIDENTS. THE DOD SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO CHANGE THE UPGRADE USING GREEN INSTEAD OF BLUE PRIMARY TARGETS AND CORRECT THE LOSS OF PRIMARY TARGETS AND SECONDARY DATA BLOCKS FROM STARS FACILITIES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.