RPTR COULD NOT GET THE PLT ACTIVATED LIGHTS TO RESPOND.

Narrative

THE APCH CHARTS AND NOTES FOR HSV ARPT INDICATES THAT AFTER MIDNIGHT; PLT CTLED LIGHTING WOULD BE IN EFFECT FOR RWY LIGHTS. SINCE WE ARRIVED LATE AND AFTER MIDNIGHT AT HSV WE HAD PLANNED AND EXPECTED TO USE THE PLT CTLED LIGHTING SYS. THERE IS NO VOR ON THE FIELD AND WE PLANNED ON USING THE PLT CTLED LIGHTING SYS TO HELP IDENT THE ARPT. THE ARPT HAS 2 N/S RWYS. THE E RWY 18L/36R WAS NOTAMED CLOSED TO ACRS. THERE WERE RAIN SHOWERS IN THE AREA; HOWEVER; THE ARPT WX WAS VFR WITH 9000 FT CEILING AND APPROX 7 MI VISIBILITY. THE RWY 18R ILS WAS TURNED OFF. APPROX 5-8 MI N OF THE ARPT THE RWY 18R RWY LIGHTS WERE IN SIGHT. WE KEYED THE MIKE 7 TIMES TO GET MAX INTENSITY OF THE RWY LIGHTS. IT DIDN'T WORK. THE LIGHTS WERE LEFT ON BY THE TWR BEFORE CLOSING AND THE PLT CTLED LIGHTING SYS DIDN'T WORK. THIS LEFT SOME DOUBT AS TO WHAT ARPT WE HAD IN SIGHT. HAD THE OM NOT BEEN WORKING FOR RWY 18R THERE WAS NO WAY TO POSITIVELY IDENT THE ARPT. THIS EXPECTATION OF USING PLT CTLED LIGHTING (LIKE THE BOOK SAYS); LEFT A LOT OF CONFUSION IN THE COCKPIT. A NOTAM TELLING US THAT THE RWY LIGHTS WOULD BE LEFT ON WOULD HAVE HELPED US.