ATX PLT MAKES GAR FROM OVER APCH LIGHTS AFTER REALIZING GEAR NOT GREEN FOR LNDG. COMPLAINS OF POOR TWR COM.

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THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXPLANATION OF THE GAR AT LGA. I WAS CLRED TO INTERCEPT THE GS AT 4000 FT. UPON SWITCHING TO LGA TWR; COMS WERE POOR WITH MANY CREW COMPLAINING OF POOR XMISSIONS. ON THE APCH HVY RAIN OCCURRED WITH SOME MODERATE TURB AND LIGHTNING. REACHING 1000 FT I HAD SLOWED TO WITHIN THE GEAR OPERATING SPD AND SELECTED THE GEAR DOWN FOLLOWED BY 1/4 FLAPS TO START THE SPD REDUCTION TO LNDG SPD. GND CONTACT WAS NOW INTERMITTENT. I DELAYED TURNING ON THE LNDG LIGHT IN ORDER TO ELIMINATE THE BRIGHT REFLECTION IN THE HVY RAIN UNTIL I HAD THE APCH LIGHTS. THE ACFT BEHIND ME MADE ANOTHER INQUIRY ABOUT MY POS AS HE WAS NOW AT OR INSIDE THE OM; BUT THE TWR'S RESPONSE AGAIN WAS HARD TO UNDERSTAND. COMING UP TO THE APCH LIGHTS; I SELECTED 1/2 FLAPS AND OVER THE APCH LIGHTS I SELECTED FULL FLAPS AND TURNED ON THE LNDG LIGHT. SEEING NO LIGHT; I SELECTED THE TAXI LIGHT AND COMPLETED THE REMAINING PRELNDG CHKLIST NOTICING THAT THE GEAR WAS NOT PROPERLY INDICATING DOWN. I THEN INITIATED THE GAR. THIS SIT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED IF COMS WITH THE TWR HAD BEEN GOOD.