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FPS-6 Long Range Height Finder Radar Set - A Long Range Height Finder Radar set built by General Electric Company. Deployed to long-range radar sites in the 1950s and early 1960s, usually in pairs and as part of the SAGE network. Variants include the FPS-6A, FPS-6B, FPS-90, FPS-116 and the mobile version MPS-14.
This is a nodding type height-finder, initially manually positioned by an operator. Under the SAGE System, it was positioned by the SAGE Direction Center. Target identification and height determination were made by an operator under both the manual and the automatic SAGE System. The FPS-6B incorporated a higher power magnetron and variable nodding feature not available in the other versions.
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 Othello AFS, two FPS 6 Height Finder Radars on the left, FPS 3 Search Radar in the bubble and Operations building on the right, circa 1959. |
FPS-6 Height Finder Radar
| Element
|
Value
|
Notes
|
| Nomenclature |
FPS-6 |
|
| Origins |
|
|
| Variants |
FPS-6A
FPS-6B
MPS-14
FPS-90
FPS-116 |
|
| Manufacturer |
General Electric Company |
|
| Type |
Height Finder |
|
| Number Made |
450~ |
|
| IEEE Band |
S |
|
| Frequency |
2700 to 2900 mhz |
|
| PRF |
300-400 pps |
|
| Pulse Width |
2 to 3 us |
|
| Avg Slew Rate |
7-1/2 rpm |
|
| Power |
3.5 mw
4.5 mw |
QK-327A Magnetron
QK-338A Magnetron
|
| Range |
200 nmi |
Long Range
|
| Altitude |
60,000 feet |
|
| Introduced |
1950s |
|
| Federal Stock No. |
5840-505-0921
5840-561-9160 A Model
5840-679-3304 B Model |
|
|
 FPS-6 Radar Set Antenna on Tower. |
FPS-6 Major Components (edit list)
| Component
|
Model
|
Quantity
|
Height
|
Width
|
Deep
|
Weight
|
Notes
|
| Motor Generator
|
PU-293
PU-293A/U
|
1
|
18"
|
16"
|
44.6"
|
|
|
| Antenna Equipment
|
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Antenna Control
|
C-1050/FPS-6
|
4
|
18"
|
7.5"
|
13"
|
50 lb
|
|
| Antenna Control
|
C-1048/FPS-6
|
1
|
7"
|
6"
|
9.5"
|
25 lb
|
|
| Radar Set Group
|
OA-320/FPS-6
|
1
|
48"
|
24"
|
42"
|
1,200 lb
|
|
| Heat Exchanger
|
HD-188/FPS-6
|
1
|
21.37"
|
34.25"
|
30.5"
|
300 lb
|
|
| Terminal Box
|
J-470
|
1
|
7.25"
|
22.5"
|
57"
|
130 lb
|
|
| Transmitter
|
T-338
|
1
|
31"
|
31"
|
37"
|
800 lb
|
|
| Modulator Group
|
OA-329/FPS-6
|
1
|
60"
|
40"
|
34"
|
1,200 lb
|
|
| Power Supply
|
PP-783/FPS-6
|
1
|
27.5"
|
48"
|
61"
|
1,155 lb
|
|
| Voltage Regulator
|
CN-93/CPS-6B
|
1
|
45.5"
|
21.5"
|
22.5"
|
425 lb
|
|
| Dehydrator
|
HD-187/FPS-6
|
1
|
26"
|
26"
|
34"
|
300 lb
|
|
| Radar Set Group
|
OA-270/FPS-6
|
2
|
42"
|
32"
|
25"
|
700 lb
|
|
| Indicator Height
|
ID-331/FPS-6
|
4
|
11"
|
14.5"
|
6"
|
35 lb
|
|
| Radar Set Group
|
OA-357/FPS-6
|
1
|
48"
|
22"
|
44"
|
750 lb
|
|
| Antenna Control
|
C-1049/FPS-6
|
1
|
8
|
7
|
11.5
|
25 lb
|
|
| Radome-Tower Group
|
AN/GPA-89
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
FPS-6A Major Components (edit list)
| Component
|
Model
|
Quantity
|
Height
|
Width
|
Deep
|
Weight
|
Notes
|
| Antenna Group
|
OA-2035/FPS-6A
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Motor Generator
|
PU-293
PU-293A/U
|
1
|
18"
|
16"
|
44.6"
|
|
|
| Blanker, Interference
|
MX-1739A
|
1
|
11"
|
15"
|
12"
|
49 lb
|
|
| Antenna Control
|
C-1050/FPS-6
|
4
|
18"
|
7.5"
|
13"
|
50 lb
|
|
| Control Group Assy
|
OA-2036/FPS-6A
|
1
|
48"
|
24"
|
42"
|
1.200 ln
|
|
| Ferrite Isolator
|
CU-492
CU-492A/FPS-6A
|
1
|
14"
15.25"
|
24"
18.75"
|
24"
30"
|
90 lb
|
|
| Heat Exchanger
|
HD-188/FPS-6
|
1
|
21.37"
|
34.25"
|
30.5"
|
300 lb
|
|
| Heat Exchanger
|
HD-289/FPS-6A
|
1
|
18.125"
|
30"
|
19"
|
360 lb
|
|
| Terminal Box
|
J-470
|
1
|
7.25"
|
22.5"
|
57"
|
130 lb
|
|
| Transmitter
|
T-338A/FPS-6A
|
1
|
44"
|
41"
|
52"
|
1,100 lb
|
|
| Modulator Group
|
OA-329A/FPS-6A
|
1
|
70"
|
44"
|
42"
|
1,535 lb
|
|
| Power Supply
|
PP-783/FPS-6
|
1
|
27.5"
|
48"
|
61"
|
1,155 lb
|
|
| Voltage Regulator
|
CN-93/CPS-6B
|
1
|
45.5"
|
21.5"
|
22.5"
|
425 lb
|
|
| Indicator Group
|
OA-1385/GPA-40
3 Boxes
|
1
1
1
|
45.5"
27"
19.75
|
33.5
13.5"
14.5
|
26"
14"
16.5"
|
320 lb
60 lb
65 lb
|
|
| Dehydrator
|
HD-187/FPS-6
|
1
|
26"
|
26"
|
34"
|
300 lb
|
|
| Indicator Group
|
OA-1040/GPA
|
1
|
21"
|
21"
|
27.5"
|
150 lb
|
|
| Indicator Group
|
OA-929/FPS-6A
|
2
|
37"
|
36"
|
42.5"
|
500 lb
|
|
| Indicator Height
|
ID-331/FPS-6
|
4
|
11"
|
14.5"
|
6"
|
35 lb
|
|
| Radar Set Group
|
OA-2037/FPS-6
|
1
|
59"
|
34"
|
51"
|
1,100 lb
|
|
| Control Antenna
|
C-1830/GPS
|
1
|
45"
|
26"
|
33.5"
|
320 lb
|
|
| Antenna Control
|
C-1049/FPS-6
|
1
|
8
|
7
|
11.5
|
25 lb
|
|
| Radome-Tower Group
|
AN/GPA-89
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
FPS-6B Major Components (edit list)
| Component
|
Model
|
Quantity
|
Height
|
Width
|
Deep
|
Weight
|
Notes
|
| Antenna Group
|
OA-2040/FPS-6B
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Motor Generator
|
PU-293
PU-293A/U
|
1
|
18"
|
16"
|
44.6"
|
|
|
| Blanker, Interference
|
MX-1739A/FPS-6
|
1
|
11"
|
15"
|
12"
|
49 lb
|
|
| Antenna Control
|
C-1050/FPS-6
|
4
|
18"
|
7.5"
|
13"
|
50 lb
|
|
| Radar Set Group
|
OA-2036/FPS-6B
|
1
|
48"
|
24"
|
42"
|
1,200 lb
|
|
| Ferrite Isolator
|
CU-492
CU-492A/FPS-6A
|
1
|
14"
15.25"
|
24"
18.75"
|
24"
30"
|
90 lb
|
|
| Heat Exchanger
|
HD-188/FPS-6
|
1
|
21.37"
|
34.25"
|
30.5"
|
300 lb
|
|
| Heat Exchanger
|
HD-289/FPS-6A
|
1
|
18.125"
|
30"
|
19"
|
360 lb
|
|
| Terminal Box
|
J-910/FPS-6B
|
1
|
7.25"
|
22.5"
|
57"
|
130 lb
|
|
| Transmitter
|
T-338A/FPS-6A
|
1
|
44"
|
41"
|
52"
|
1,100 lb
|
|
| Modulator Group
|
OA-329A/FPS-6A
|
1
|
70"
|
44"
|
42"
|
1,535 lb
|
|
| Power Supply
|
PP-783/FPS-6
|
1
|
27.5"
|
48"
|
61"
|
1,155 lb
|
|
| Voltage Regulator
|
CN-93/CPS-6B
|
1
|
45.5"
|
21.5"
|
22.5"
|
425 lb
|
|
| Indicator Group
|
OA-1385/GPA-40
3 Boxes
|
1
1
1
|
45.5"
27"
19.75
|
33.5
13.5"
14.5
|
26"
14"
16.5"
|
320 lb
60 lb
65 lb
|
|
| Dehydrator
|
HD-187/FPS-6
|
1
|
26"
|
26"
|
34"
|
300 lb
|
|
| Indicator Group
|
OA-1040/GPA
|
1
|
21"
|
21"
|
27.5"
|
150 lb
|
|
| Indicator Group
|
OA-929/FPS-6A
|
2
|
37"
|
36"
|
42.5"
|
500 lb
|
|
| Indicator Height
|
ID-331/FPS-6
|
4
|
11"
|
14.5"
|
6"
|
35 lb
|
|
| Control Antenna
|
C-1830/GPS
|
1
|
45"
|
26"
|
33.5"
|
320 lb
|
|
| Antenna Control
|
C-1049/FPS-6
|
1
|
8
|
7
|
11.5
|
25 lb
|
|
| Radome-Tower Group
|
AN/GPA-89
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
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See Also:
Sources:
- Winkler, David F., Searching the Skies: the Legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program, USAF Hq Air Combat Command, 1997, 192 pages, Pdf
- MIL-HDBK-162A, 15 Dec 1965.
Links:
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