Narrative:

We were #1 for takeoff on runway 3C, and we noted very scratchy xmissions that might have been tower. We tuned both radios to tower in order to improve our probability of clear reception. Poor reception at this spot is common and is well known to tower personnel. I hoped it would improve when they moved the tower, but it doesn't seem any better. We requested a repeat of last transmission, and it was clearance into position for us. Tower was still scratchy but understandable. When takeoff clearance came, it too was scratchy, and neither pilot heard anything more than clearance to takeoff. During the initial takeoff climb, we experienced a TCASII RA on traffic that had taken off on runway 3R. Tower issued a frequency change to departure, and when we checked in, he asked if we were maintaining heading 360 degrees. When we replied in the negative, he assigned heading 350 degrees. I cannot determine if tower assigned 360 degrees, and we did not hear it because of poor reception or if he simply failed to assign a divergent heading. I wish we had been assigned 360 degrees, for it might have improved our separation from the traffic off runway 3R. In any event, the radio dead spot at the south end of runway 3C should be corrected. Callback conversation with chicago quality control revealed the following: the quality control person at dtw would not talk about this problem. He sent me to the regional quality control person in chicago. This person admits that there have been several complaints about dtw communications blind spots (his file is 'about a foot thick' for dtw). There is a new tower at dtw. The transceivers were moved to the new tower about 9 months ago in an attempt to correct this problem and they are now in a 'test status' to see if there has been any conflict with any other facility caused by the new location. He is willing to discuss any complaint about communication problems. The reporting pilot has been based at dtw for quite some time. He has seen several communications problems at dtw but this is his first written report. He is not one of the contributors to the 'foot thick' file.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG PLT RPTS THAT THERE IS A DEAD SPOT IN COMS AT DTW ON THE GND.

Narrative: WE WERE #1 FOR TKOF ON RWY 3C, AND WE NOTED VERY SCRATCHY XMISSIONS THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN TWR. WE TUNED BOTH RADIOS TO TWR IN ORDER TO IMPROVE OUR PROBABILITY OF CLR RECEPTION. POOR RECEPTION AT THIS SPOT IS COMMON AND IS WELL KNOWN TO TWR PERSONNEL. I HOPED IT WOULD IMPROVE WHEN THEY MOVED THE TWR, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM ANY BETTER. WE REQUESTED A REPEAT OF LAST XMISSION, AND IT WAS CLRNC INTO POS FOR US. TWR WAS STILL SCRATCHY BUT UNDERSTANDABLE. WHEN TKOF CLRNC CAME, IT TOO WAS SCRATCHY, AND NEITHER PLT HEARD ANYTHING MORE THAN CLRNC TO TKOF. DURING THE INITIAL TKOF CLB, WE EXPERIENCED A TCASII RA ON TFC THAT HAD TAKEN OFF ON RWY 3R. TWR ISSUED A FREQ CHANGE TO DEP, AND WHEN WE CHKED IN, HE ASKED IF WE WERE MAINTAINING HDG 360 DEGS. WHEN WE REPLIED IN THE NEGATIVE, HE ASSIGNED HDG 350 DEGS. I CANNOT DETERMINE IF TWR ASSIGNED 360 DEGS, AND WE DID NOT HEAR IT BECAUSE OF POOR RECEPTION OR IF HE SIMPLY FAILED TO ASSIGN A DIVERGENT HDG. I WISH WE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED 360 DEGS, FOR IT MIGHT HAVE IMPROVED OUR SEPARATION FROM THE TFC OFF RWY 3R. IN ANY EVENT, THE RADIO DEAD SPOT AT THE S END OF RWY 3C SHOULD BE CORRECTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH CHICAGO QUALITY CTL REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE QUALITY CTL PERSON AT DTW WOULD NOT TALK ABOUT THIS PROB. HE SENT ME TO THE REGIONAL QUALITY CTL PERSON IN CHICAGO. THIS PERSON ADMITS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT DTW COMS BLIND SPOTS (HIS FILE IS 'ABOUT A FOOT THICK' FOR DTW). THERE IS A NEW TWR AT DTW. THE TRANSCEIVERS WERE MOVED TO THE NEW TWR ABOUT 9 MONTHS AGO IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THIS PROB AND THEY ARE NOW IN A 'TEST STATUS' TO SEE IF THERE HAS BEEN ANY CONFLICT WITH ANY OTHER FACILITY CAUSED BY THE NEW LOCATION. HE IS WILLING TO DISCUSS ANY COMPLAINT ABOUT COM PROBS. THE RPTING PLT HAS BEEN BASED AT DTW FOR QUITE SOME TIME. HE HAS SEEN SEVERAL COMS PROBS AT DTW BUT THIS IS HIS FIRST WRITTEN RPT. HE IS NOT ONE OF THE CONTRIBUTORS TO THE 'FOOT THICK' FILE.

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.