"Squawk standby"

[Roy Smith]

I had a wierd thing happen a week or so ago.

We were VFR, and called up POU tower (class D satellite of NY Approach),
10 southwest landing with blah, blah. The tower controller told us to
squawk standby. After confirming that instruction, we did so and a
little while later he told us to squawk vfr.

When we asked what that was all about, he said it was for radar
identification. A little while later, he did the same thing to another
incomming flight.

Any idea what might have been going on? The only thing I can think of
is some sort of equipment malfuction which let him see that there was a
secondary return, but not read the code or see idents. Is that possible?

[SD]

The Only time I have ever had a controler tell me to squawk standby
was when I was in a flight of 2 bringing a plane back after we had an
engine overhauled. He did not want 2 transponders next to each other
because the computer would go nuts having two so close to each other.
He then communticated with the lead pilot and I was to follow the same
directions.


Scott

On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 09:40:27 -0500, Roy Smith > wrote:

>I had a wierd thing happen a week or so ago.
>
>We were VFR, and called up POU tower (class D satellite of NY Approach),
>10 southwest landing with blah, blah. The tower controller told us to
>squawk standby. After confirming that instruction, we did so and a
>little while later he told us to squawk vfr.
>
>When we asked what that was all about, he said it was for radar
>identification. A little while later, he did the same thing to another
>incomming flight.
>
>Any idea what might have been going on? The only thing I can think of
>is some sort of equipment malfuction which let him see that there was a
>secondary return, but not read the code or see idents. Is that possible?

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Roy Smith" > wrote in message
...
>
> I had a wierd thing happen a week or so ago.
>
> We were VFR, and called up POU tower (class D satellite of NY
> Approach), 10 southwest landing with blah, blah. The tower
> controller told us to squawk standby. After confirming that
> instruction, we did so and a little while later he told us to squawk vfr.
>
> When we asked what that was all about, he said it was for radar
> identification. A little while later, he did the same thing to another
> incomming flight.
>
> Any idea what might have been going on? The only thing I can think of
> is some sort of equipment malfuction which let him see that there was a
> secondary return, but not read the code or see idents. Is that possible?
>

What code were you on when you initially called?

[Roy Smith]

In article t>,
"Steven P. McNicoll" > wrote:

> "Roy Smith" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > I had a wierd thing happen a week or so ago.
> >
> > We were VFR, and called up POU tower (class D satellite of NY
> > Approach), 10 southwest landing with blah, blah. The tower
> > controller told us to squawk standby. After confirming that
> > instruction, we did so and a little while later he told us to squawk vfr.
> >
> > When we asked what that was all about, he said it was for radar
> > identification. A little while later, he did the same thing to another
> > incomming flight.
> >
> > Any idea what might have been going on? The only thing I can think of
> > is some sort of equipment malfuction which let him see that there was a
> > secondary return, but not read the code or see idents. Is that possible?
> >
>
> What code were you on when you initially called?
>
>

1200.

[Dave Stadt]

"Roy Smith" > wrote in message
...
> In article t>,
> "Steven P. McNicoll" > wrote:
>
> > "Roy Smith" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > >
> > > I had a wierd thing happen a week or so ago.
> > >
> > > We were VFR, and called up POU tower (class D satellite of NY
> > > Approach), 10 southwest landing with blah, blah. The tower
> > > controller told us to squawk standby. After confirming that
> > > instruction, we did so and a little while later he told us to squawk
vfr.
> > >
> > > When we asked what that was all about, he said it was for radar
> > > identification. A little while later, he did the same thing to
another
> > > incomming flight.
> > >
> > > Any idea what might have been going on? The only thing I can think of
> > > is some sort of equipment malfuction which let him see that there was
a
> > > secondary return, but not read the code or see idents. Is that
possible?
> > >
> >
> > What code were you on when you initially called?
> >
> >
>
> 1200.

Happens 'round here all the time. He sees a 1200 squawk and thinks it is
you. You go to stand-by and you disappear from radar. He now knows it is
you when you squawk 1200 again. Seems to always happen at Class D airports.
Can they assign unique Xponder codes? Seems to me they can't.

[Bob Fry]

Why don't they simply ask you to ident? I'm thinking maybe the mode C
wasn't working and they wanted him to recycle is transponder.

"Dave Stadt" > writes:

> Happens 'round here all the time. He sees a 1200 squawk and thinks it is
> you. You go to stand-by and you disappear from radar. He now knows it is
> you when you squawk 1200 again. Seems to always happen at Class D airports.
> Can they assign unique Xponder codes? Seems to me they can't.

[Jürgen Exner]

Dave Stadt wrote:
> Happens 'round here all the time. He sees a 1200 squawk and thinks
> it is you. You go to stand-by and you disappear from radar. He now
> knows it is you when you squawk 1200 again.

But isn't that what 'ident' is for?

jue

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Roy Smith" > wrote in message
...
>
> 1200.
>

I suspect he saw multiple targets squawking 1200 in the same general
location. He had you squawk standby to see which one you were. Depending
on the equipment in use and how it's set up, he may or may not see an ident
on a 1200 code.

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Bob Fry" > wrote in message
...
>
> Why don't they simply ask you to ident?
>

Depends on the equipment and how it's set up. He may not be able to see an
ident on a 1200 code.


>
> I'm thinking maybe the mode C
> wasn't working and they wanted him to recycle is transponder.
>

The Mode C would have no effect on the target itself.

[RK]

On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 23:56:29 GMT, "Dave Stadt" > wrote:

>Happens 'round here all the time. He sees a 1200 squawk and thinks it is
>you. You go to stand-by and you disappear from radar. He now knows it is
>you when you squawk 1200 again. Seems to always happen at Class D airports.
>Can they assign unique Xponder codes? Seems to me they can't.
>

I guess it depends on the ATC equipment. The Class D airport I fly out of (VNY)
can assign unique squawk codes and does all the time when it gets busy.

Ron Kelley