WX RPTING EQUIP PROB ASOS.

Narrative

SINCE DEC/XX/95; THE CAE ASOS HAS BEEN USED AS THE SOLE MEANS OF WX RPTING AT COLUMBIA (EXCEPT FOR AUGMENTATIONS); NUMEROUS PROBS HAVE BEEN NOTICED. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THIS SYS LOWERS THE SAFETY MARGIN FOR ALL ACFT; AND IF IN PLACE AT UNCTLED FIELDS WHERE AUGMENTATION IS NOT AVAILABLE; WILL BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO ACCIDENTS DUE TO ITS INVALID RPTING. SOME EXAMPLES: 1) TWR OPERATOR INTERFACE DISPLAY (OID) TRAINING DID NOT EXPLAIN SUFFICIENTLY HOW THE OID OPERATES. THE SYS GIVES 2 ALARMS FOR EACH OBSERVATION; AND WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO DISSEMINATE THE NEW WX UNTIL THE DISPLAY HAS GONE FROM 'INVERSE' TO 'NORMAL' TYPE; 2) OID DISPLAY CHANGES THE RPTED WX AFTER INVERSE TYPE HAS DISAPPEARED (SOMETIMES-NOT ALWAYS); 3) VISIBILITY READINGS ARE POOR -- DURING THE END OF DECEMBER; DURING 2 DAYS OF IFR WX; VISIBILITY 1/2 TO 1 MI; IN TWR; NO GREATER THAN 1 MI WHEN I WENT OUTSIDE AND DROVE AROUND THE ARPT; ASOS SHOWED 3-7 MI; 4) ATC SUPVRS WILL NOT TAKE ANY ACTION. I HAVE BEEN TOLD REPEATEDLY THAT WE CANNOT CALL THE ASOS VISIBILITY OTS; IT IS 'THE WX SVC'S EQUIPMENT;' 5) SOFTWARE PROBS NEED TO BE FIXED: 'INVERSE' TYPE PROB AS IN (2); INCORRECT RPTING SETTINGS FOR SPECIAL OBSERVATIONS; WX NOT SENT TO TRACON DISPLAY IN A TIMELY MANNER; RESTRS TO VISIBILITY RANDOMLY BEING DROPPED; WE ONCE HAD A 'FUNNEL CLOUD' REMARK APPEAR; 6) NO ATC OR NWS INVOLVEMENT IN PLACEMENT OF THE ASOS SITE. POSITIONING AT CAE IS NOT OPTIMUM FOR WX OBSERVATION; BUT IT IS EASY TO GET TO FOR REPAIRS; AND 7) CLOUD RPTING IS NOT ACCEPTABLE DURING CHANGING CONDITIONS; ESPECIALLY SCATTERED LAYERS CHANGING TO BROKEN. I BELIEVE THE AVIATION USERS AND THE NWS HAVE BEEN DUPED INTO ACCEPTING THIS SYS BEFORE IT IS TRULY READY FOR AVIATION USE. MULTIPLE SITES AT EACH ARPT SEEM TO BE NEEDED TO GIVE A TRUE DEPICTION OF WX; AND THE 'BUGS' NEED TO BE FIXED. PROBS WHICH DIRECTLY AFFECT THE SAFETY OF THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE SYS SHOULD BE IDENTED AND FIXED BEFORE ATC AND PLTS ARE REQUIRED TO USE IT.