Radio frequency failure. Radio back-up frequency unreadable.

Attributes
ACN	153306
Time
Date	199008
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : las
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 2
ASRS Report	153306
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was assigned to work a sector with altitude stratums of FL240-330 for 25 mins. The sectors main and standby frequencys were OTS. We were using our last frequencys backups (known as buic). These frequencys were almost unreadable by the pilot. Later that morning I came back to work the same sector combined with ultra-high sector. Now I was working altitude limits of FL240 and above. Because the frequencys of the sector previous were almost unreadable, we used the ultra-high sectors frequencys. The frequencys were down for 3 hours. This sector on very frequency occasions cannot hear UHF aircraft. The amount of time that frequencys are going down seems too much. To work a sector and know that 60% of the time you won't be able to hear UHF aircraft is an unreasonable amount of burden to put on a controller. The frequencys need updated equipment.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RADIO FREQ FAILURE. RADIO BACK-UP FREQ UNREADABLE.

Narrative: I WAS ASSIGNED TO WORK A SECTOR WITH ALT STRATUMS OF FL240-330 FOR 25 MINS. THE SECTORS MAIN AND STANDBY FREQS WERE OTS. WE WERE USING OUR LAST FREQS BACKUPS (KNOWN AS BUIC). THESE FREQS WERE ALMOST UNREADABLE BY THE PLT. LATER THAT MORNING I CAME BACK TO WORK THE SAME SECTOR COMBINED WITH ULTRA-HIGH SECTOR. NOW I WAS WORKING ALT LIMITS OF FL240 AND ABOVE. BECAUSE THE FREQS OF THE SECTOR PREVIOUS WERE ALMOST UNREADABLE, WE USED THE ULTRA-HIGH SECTORS FREQS. THE FREQS WERE DOWN FOR 3 HRS. THIS SECTOR ON VERY FREQ OCCASIONS CANNOT HEAR UHF ACFT. THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT FREQS ARE GOING DOWN SEEMS TOO MUCH. TO WORK A SECTOR AND KNOW THAT 60% OF THE TIME YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO HEAR UHF ACFT IS AN UNREASONABLE AMOUNT OF BURDEN TO PUT ON A CTLR. THE FREQS NEED UPDATED EQUIP.

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.