Lovell FAA Radar Site

 (1963-Active) - A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Joint Use (FAA/ADC) Long Range Radar (LLR) site first established in 1963 on Medicine Mountain near Lovell, Big Horn County, Wyoming. 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 a SAGE System ID of Z-224 and an FAA ID of QSI. Active FAA Radar Site.

History
This site became an active FAA radar site in 1963, furnishing radar track data to the FAA ARTCC's and to USAF Direction Centers. The site was constructed in 1962 and was dedicated on 29 Jun 1963 by the FAA and the Lovell Chamber of Commerce. The initial FAA ARSR-2 search radar remained in operation until it was modified to become a Common Air Route Surveillance Radar (CARSR) circa 2012.

By 1990 the site was equipped with an FPS-65A search radar and a CD-2A Common Digitizer. The CD-2A was scheduled to receive an upgrade kit to implement three level weather data processing in March 1992.

The Mode S installation at the Lovell site was not without controversy over the impact on the nearby Medicine Wheel National Historic Landmark. The landmark is just 1.5 miles from the radar site and contains a stone megalith considered sacred by Native American tribes. The installation required a new radome because the Mode S antenna was larger than the existing radome could accommodate and the FAA neglected to obtain the necessary permits and environmental assessments for the change. An assessment was initiated and public comments received through 21 Mar 1995 after which the project was approved.

The Mode S equipment was installed along with the new antennas at a reported cost of $160,000. The new radome was installed on 27 Aug 1996 with operations expected to resume on 30 Aug 1996.

CARSR Radar
At the time of the CARSR changeout, the legacy radar in place was an ARSR-2 and the CARSR conversion included a 7172 Antenna. The secondary radar for the site is the Mode S beacon set.

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Current Status
Active FAA facility near Lovell in Big Horn County, Wyoming.

{| See Also:
 * Salt Lake City ARTCC
 * JSS System
 * FAA Air Route Traffic Control Centers
 * US Radar Sets

Sources:
 * , page 170.


 * Milstein, Michael, Air-Traffic control radar switched for bigger model, The Billings Gazette (Billings, Montana), 28 Aug 1996, Page 10.
 * Milstein, Michael, FAA expects rennovation may help hide radar dome, The Billings Gazette (Billings, Montana), 18 Feb 1995, Page 6.
 * Cernick, Clifford, It's a Bubble, The Billings Gazette (Billings, Montana), 30 Jun 1963, Page 29.

Links:
 * Radomes - Lovell FAA Radar Site
 * Wikipedia - Joint Surveillance System