What are you expecting?

I know I've been out of it for a while but it's just another primary radar. I worked a number of different radars throughout my operational days, most of which were spent with ANSPs other than NATS - each was different and had it's own strengths and weaknesses.

And, BTW, at one unit I was using far more capable kit than the nearest NATS-operated unit.

Our 424 is probably, by now, the last. It's certainly now breathing its last :{

424
 

Helen, I can no longer be confident about my memory ( or anything else ! ) but I am reasonably sure that we were never able to offer SRA's to rwy 10 at LBA.

Hello Gordon. Hope you're well.

Whilst I was never a member of your Leeds ATC squad, I am reasonably confident that SRAs weren't available for RW10. Yes for RW14 and 28 and when the 32 ILS was unserviceable.

The Watchman can manage 2 mile SRAs. I don't know about the capabilities of the newer offerings from Raytheon et al.

Anybody got any 424 spare parts for disposal, please? Anything considered....

Decca 424 at Castle Donington
 

Interested to hear the old 424 radar at EMA is still around. I (and Peter Bentley from Decca) installed and calibrated it back in the early 60s. Happy memories of lots of glowing valves and the whine of the 400c/s (or Hz, as they would say nowadays!) generator.

The Decca 424 at Lasham is turning and burning in its new guise as a 424(M)

So you'll be back in work then?

Dunno. Somebody will have to be. Could be a vacancy for another 424 ATCO!

Don't look at me; it's those 24 hours of standby duties; I like a glass or 5 of vino in the evenings.

No problem. That's a pre-requisite for operating a 424...

Along with three hands!:)

By the way, what's the 'M' suffix stand for? Are you using the 'new' displays?

(M) = Maris (U K) Ltd, ie. the company which refurbished the head and turning gear, and installed solid state electronics and flat screen daylight-viewing displays.

Did they re-furbish your joystick too?

Oh, come on, get a grip...

How old IS the 424M at Lasham ? Must be at least fifty. The Watchman at LBA is now into its 26th year and has had the 4G proofing treatment. I l'll be amazed if it's still around in another 25 years though.

It started life as a Decca 424, and dates from the early to mid-fifties, so it is around 60 years old. Story goes that Dan-Air procured in the early seventies from an ex-Navy source. Sadly the long and short range tubes gave up the ghost in 2013, and were disposed of along with the control panel, but the the head and turning gear remain. I understand that the head was tidied up and re-coated.

It gets the jets in...when it's not raining...

Don't know exactly when Dan Air installed the 424 at Lasham however the Ecko ARAA was still in use in the early '80s until Arthur Beaton left 'cos several guys from Farnborough visited late '70s with a view to doing relief duties for Arthur and I remember them describing it to me.
A retired Farnborough controller (the late Byron Jones) actually did join Dan Air, (must've been about '81 'cos I remember him trying to cope with Farnborough's new SSR equipped displays and they weren't installed until '81), and operated the ARAA, along with LATCC retiree Des Middleton.

Clearly the 424 doesn't go without a fight, thanks to MARIS.