Narrative:

While working lubbock ATCT, all position combined, clearance, ground, local, radar at approximately XA45 thunderstorms were approaching the airport from the west. At approximately XA55 the person that augments the ASOS WX informed me that her terminal for transmitting this WX (saids) had taken a lightning strike and was unusable. Lubbock tower has computer monitors that display the ASOS WX. But the controllers have had no training on what the display means since I could not 'use' the ASOS display and the saids was OTS. I had to rely on the WX augmented to provide me the WX via the telephone. From the number of phone calls and my personal observation of the ASOS monitor (although limited knowledge of the operation of this monitor). The ASOS appeared to be issuing a WX observation approximately every min from XB00 to about XB25. WX of this nature (especially with the saids OTS) is unusable. If ASOS is to be used (which I think it shouldn't) it should be designed to provide WX in a usable manner.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ALLEGES THE ASOS WX EQUIP APPEARED TO BE ISSUING A WX OBSERVATION ABOUT EVERY MIN FOR 25 MINS WHICH WAS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THE RPTR WAS RECEIVING OVER THE PHONE FROM THE WX AUGMENTER. RPTR CLAIMED THE CTLR'S RECEIVED NO TRAINING ON THE ASOS DISPLAY (INFO) AND WHAT IT MEANS.

Narrative: WHILE WORKING LUBBOCK ATCT, ALL POS COMBINED, CLRNC, GND, LCL, RADAR AT APPROX XA45 TSTMS WERE APCHING THE ARPT FROM THE W. AT APPROX XA55 THE PERSON THAT AUGMENTS THE ASOS WX INFORMED ME THAT HER TERMINAL FOR XMITTING THIS WX (SAIDS) HAD TAKEN A LIGHTNING STRIKE AND WAS UNUSABLE. LUBBOCK TWR HAS COMPUTER MONITORS THAT DISPLAY THE ASOS WX. BUT THE CTLRS HAVE HAD NO TRAINING ON WHAT THE DISPLAY MEANS SINCE I COULD NOT 'USE' THE ASOS DISPLAY AND THE SAIDS WAS OTS. I HAD TO RELY ON THE WX AUGMENTED TO PROVIDE ME THE WX VIA THE TELEPHONE. FROM THE NUMBER OF PHONE CALLS AND MY PERSONAL OBSERVATION OF THE ASOS MONITOR (ALTHOUGH LIMITED KNOWLEDGE OF THE OP OF THIS MONITOR). THE ASOS APPEARED TO BE ISSUING A WX OBSERVATION APPROX EVERY MIN FROM XB00 TO ABOUT XB25. WX OF THIS NATURE (ESPECIALLY WITH THE SAIDS OTS) IS UNUSABLE. IF ASOS IS TO BE USED (WHICH I THINK IT SHOULDN'T) IT SHOULD BE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE WX IN A USABLE MANNER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.