The towering Sea-Based X-Band radar, back in Pearl Harbor for a few weeks of work, can track a baseball-sized object on the East Coast from waters as far away as the West Coast.

Inside the domed top of the $900 million behemoth is an octagonal array studded with 45,000 radiating elements delineated in Aztec-like geometry.

The "SBX," as it's called, has a lot of radar power, and maybe it's not surprising that some think it's also causing some electronic voodoo here on O'ahu.

Some have called or written in to say their car remote locking devices are temporarily disabled when the SBX pulls into port.

Here's the response from the Missile Defense Agency, which operates the SBX:

"The Sea-Based X-Band radar (SBX) is currently berthed at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for routine maintenance checks and will be in port for approximately three weeks. The large X-Band radar will not be used for any tracking while in or near Pearl Harbor, so there will not be any high power radio-frequency emissions.

"Navigation radars used for entering or leaving port and radio communications while in port are the same as systems used every day in Pearl Harbor and at Honolulu Harbor, so no interference is expected, and none has been identified in past visits. Coordinated testing in 2006 with Naval Region Hawai'i and the Honolulu Federal Aviation Administration looked for interference, but didn't identify any.

"When the large X-Band radar is operated offshore, safety interlocks are installed and procedures are followed to ensure the radar is operated safely. Extensive safety and environmental studies as well as radio frequency power surveys have been completed and have found that the radar will cause no damage to people or the environment with these safety features."

Related environmental studies are available at www.mda.mil/peis/html/home.html. Click on "Resources."

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com.