A DC8 FO RPTED THAT THE GS AT SJC IS NOTAMED OTS; REQUIRING THAT THE RWY 30L LOC DME BE USED. AS THE CREW APCHED THE RWY; THEY NOTED THAT THE PAPI WAS SO DIM THAT IT WAS USELESS. THE LCL CTLR SAID THAT THE CITY OF SAN JOSE HAD PLACED THE PAPI ON A LIGHT SENSOR.

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SJC RWY 30L GLIDE PATH NOTAMED OTS FROM MAY/XA/00 TO JUL/XA/00 DUE TO RWY CONSTRUCTION. ACTIVE APCH IS LOC RWY 30L. RWY 30L HAS A PAPI-L. UPON DSNDING BELOW CLOUD LAYER AT 1000 FT AGL; WE NOTICED THAT THE PAPI APPEARED TO BE OTS. THE CAPT QUERIED THE LCL CTLR WHO STATED THAT 'THE CITY OF SAN JOSE HAD THE PAPI ON A LIGHT SENSOR THAT ADJUSTED THE INTENSITY OF THE LIGHTS.' THE TIME WAS APPROX XA58. THE AMBIENT LIGHT BELOW THE STRATUS LAYER WAS SUCH THAT THE PAPI WAS NOT ADEQUATE TO USE FOR GUIDANCE UNTIL WE WERE 1 MI FROM THE APCH END OF RWY 30L. AT THAT POINT WE WERE BELOW THE GLIDE PATH. ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE. UPON CLRING THE RWY; I QUESTIONED THE GND CTLR WHO INDICATED THAT THEY HAVE HAD NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE PAPI INTENSITY DURING CERTAIN TIME PERIODS (DAWN/DUSK AND OVCST SKIES). THE CTLR INDICATED THAT THEY HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CITY OF SAN JOSE CONCERNING THE LIGHT SENSOR PROBS BUT TO NO AVAIL. HERE WE HAVE A NON PRECISION APCH WITH NO GLIDE PATH GUIDANCE BECAUSE OF A NEED TO SAVE MONEY ON THEIR ELECTRIC BILL. THE PAPI SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE LIGHT SENSOR SYS UNTIL THE GS SYS IS RESTORED FOR RWY 30L.