Tyler FAA Radar Site
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Tyler FAA Radar Site (circa 1980-Active) - A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Long Range Radar (LLR) site established circa 1979-1980 near Tyler, Pipestone County, Minnesota. The site is used to identify and track military and civilian aircraft movements within a 200-mile+ radius and to provide air-ground radio communication with those aircraft. Assigned an FAA ID of QJC. Active FAA Radar Site. HistoryThis site became an FAA radar site circa 1979-1980, furnishing radar track data to the FAA ARTCC's and to USAF Direction Centers. The initial FAA ARSR-2 search radar remained in operation until it was modified to become a Common Air Route Surveillance Radar (CARSR) with a 7172 antenna reportedly as of 18 Jan 2012. A FYQ-47 Common Digitizer was probably placed in service when the site was activated. By 1990 the site was equipped with an ARSR-2 search radar and a CD-2A Common Digitizer. The Tyler CD-2 was scheduled to receive an upgrade kit to implement three level weather data processing in March 1992. Mode S Beacon System The Tyler FAA Radar Site was selected in the 1990s to become one of 21 long-range radar sites to have a Mode S radar beacon system installed. The Mode S system allowed operation in the existing beacon modes but added features to improve beacon operation by allowing aircraft identification with a single interrogation and two-way digital communication between controllers and pilots. Besides the 21 long-range sites, there were other short-range radars to be upgraded for a total of 137 sites on the implementation list. Tyler was #116 on the list, scheduled to receive the Mode S equipment on 30 Mar 1995. Installation required interfacing with the radar system, addition of a beacon antenna on top of the search radar antenna, a new larger radome, interfacing with the Common Digitizer (CD-2) if installed, additional communication lines and equipment. CARSR RadarThe nationwide replacement program converting FAA legacy radar systems to the CARSR radar configuration was completed by 17 Aug 2015 and Tyler FAA Radar Site was a part of that program. Legacy FAA radars underwent a Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) that replaced key components in the vintage ARSR-1, ARSR-2, FPS-20, FPS-66 and FPS-67 radars. The CARSR program replaced legacy klystron radar transmitters with a solid-state transmitter as well as renovating the radar receiver and signal processor. The CARSR modification also included common digitizer functionality making a separate common digitizer unnecessary. The Tyler FAA Radar Site is now operating with the CARSR radar. The secondary radar was the Mode S beacon set. The radar site data is now available to the USAF/NORAD Battle Control System-Fixed (BCS-F) operations centers (EADS & WADS) as well as the FAA Minneapolis ARTCC (ZMP) and adjacent ARTCCs. Other federal agencies have access to the data under the Homeland Security umbrella.
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