TRACON RADAR CTLR ASSUMED A RADAR CTL POS AND DURING SCOPE ALIGNMENT CHK FOUND THAT THERE WERE NO PRIMARY TARGETS DISPLAYED. CTLR MOVED TO ANOTHER SCOPE AND WAS QUESTIONED LATER BY A SUPVR WHEY HE MADE THE MOVE AND IF IT WAS NECESSARY.

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ASSIGNED BY AREA SUPVR IN CHARGE (ASIC) TO WORK THE CCC POS. AFTER RECEIVING BRIEFING AND ASSUMING POS; I BEGAN REQUIRED SCOPE ALIGNMENT CHKS (IN ACCORDANCE WITH FAA HANDBOOK 7110.65J AND HANDBOOK 7210.3M). I DISCOVERED THAT THE SCOPE HAD NO PRIMARY TARGETS DISPLAYED WHATSOEVER. THERE WERE BEACON TARGETS AND ARTS APPEARED NORMAL. I TOLD THE SUPVR THAT 'I HAD TO GET OFF THIS SCOPE' AND WENT TO THE ADJACENT POS (PREVIOUSLY NOT IN USE). MAINT TECHNICIANS DISCOVERED THE REASON FOR THE LOSS OF PRIMARY TARGETS WAS DUE TO A FAILURE OF THE 'VIDEO TERMINATOR.' A SENIOR MAINT TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THAT A FAILURE OF THIS COMPONENT WAS VERY RARE; AND CONCURRED WITH MY BELIEF THAT THE RADAR DISPLAYS (KNOWN AS 'FDADS') HERE AT THE NY TRACON WERE BECOMING CRITICALLY UNSTABLE. AFTER BEING RELIEVED FROM THE POS; THE SUPVR ASKED TO SPEAK TO ME ABOUT WHAT HAD OCCURRED. HE QUESTIONED MY JUDGEMENT AS TO WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS REALLY NECESSARY FOR ME TO 'ABANDON' THE DISPLAY WITH NO PRIMARIES; AND WHETHER PERHAPS IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN BETTER TO STICK WITH THAT DISPLAY USING ONLY SECONDARY RETURNS. I TOOK OUT THE 7210.3M AND SHOWED HIM THE APPROPRIATE CHAPTERS AND PARAGRAPHS THAT DEAL WITH RADAR SCOPE CHKS AND ALIGNMENT TO VERIFY FOR HIM THAT I WAS NOT 'MAKING THIS UP.' WHILE HE AGREED THAT I DID THE CHKS CORRECTLY; HE POINTED OUT THAT THERE ARE NO MANDATED PROVISIONS FOR LEAVING THE POS. FAA HANDBOOK 7110.65J; 5-1-1 STATES 'PROVIDE RADAR SVC ONLY IF YOU ARE PERSONALLY SATISFIED THAT THE RADAR PRESENTATION AND EQUIP PERFORMANCE IS ADEQUATE FOR THE SVC BEING PROVIDED.' MY SUPVR SAID THAT DOESN'T MEAN I CAN JUST CHANGE POS AT WILL. UNDER OUR CONTRACT; HE COULD FORCE ME TO REMAIN ON THAT POS; OVERRIDING MY OBJECTIONS. I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED THAT PRESSURE IS BEING BROUGHT TO BEAR ON THE SUPVRS TO KEEP ANY PROBS WITH OUR FDADS AS QUIET AS POSSIBLE; AND THAT THIS IS BECAUSE OF PROBS THE FAA IS HAVING WITH ITS 'STARS' PROGRAM.