IMPROPER LOCATION OF WX RPTING EQUIP ASOS.

Narrative

IN OCT/95 INSTALLATION OF AN ASOS WAS INITIATED AT REPUBLIC ARPT; FARMINGDALE; NY. THIS INSTALLATION WAS BEGUN WITHOUT ANY APPARENT REGARD FOR THE ACCURACY OF RPTS IT WILL EVENTUALLY XMIT. ITS PRESENT POS SHIELDS CERTAIN SENSORS FROM THE ELEMENTS OF AVIATION WX IT IS SUPPOSED TO RPT. IT IS ALSO ON THE MOVEMENT AREA OF THE ARPT AND AS SUCH IT PRESENTS A COLLISION HAZARD FOR HOVER TAXIING HELIS. WITHOUT CALLING INTO QUESTION THE ACCURACY OF THE SYS HAD IT BEEN PROPERLY INSTALLED; I AM CONCERNED ABOUT FALSE WIND READINGS WHICH ARE ALL BUT GUARANTEED BY POSITIONING IT IN AN AREA WHERE IT WILL BE SHIELDED BY BUILDINGS WHEN THE WIND IS OUT OF THE N QUADRANT. AS AN AIR TFC CTLR WHO MAY HAVE TO BASE RWY IN USE DECISIONS ON THIS EQUIP I FEEL MY CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY OF THE FLYING PUBLIC WHOM I SERVE JUSTIFIES AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS MATTER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED TWR CTLRS ARE LARWS CERTIFIED AND WILL CONTINUE TO AUGMENT ASOS WX WHEN IT IS COMMISSIONED. TWR HAS CTRFIELD WIND INDICATORS WHICH COULD BE USED FOR WIND DIRECTION AND VELOCITY IF THEY ARE NOT REMOVED WHEN ASOS IS COMMISSIONED.