Narrative:

This is the third loud tone I've taken to my right ear through my headset while working at bradley TRACON. Other controllers have also taken frequent 'hits.' I don't know all of the causes, but often the tones are a result of 2 or more pilots transmitting at the same time. 'Black boxes' have been installed at each radar sector and we have been instructed to plug our headsets into these black boxes. As explained to me at the time of installation, these boxes are supposed to cut out any sudden, loud noise over the frequency or through the land lines. I have since been told that the only thing these boxes do is reduce the overall volume of anything coming through the headset. What this means is we now have to put the master volume control up to maximum just to hear anything. In fact, when the room is busy as a whole, I usually can't hear well enough to work traffic safely. Lately these same black boxes have been failing frequently, and we're experiencing a lot of static when transmitting when we do use the boxes. By only reducing overall volume, the problem is not being addressed or corrected with these black boxes. A loud tone is still painful and louder than normal xmissions. Bradley TRACON is in desperate need of a whole new communication system that has some sort of 'circuit breaker' that could cut out the noise when a loud tone is detected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR AT BDL TRACON ALLEGES THAT NOISE SUPPRESSION BOXES INSTALLED AT THE COMS PLUG INS ARE FAILING AND NOT PROTECTING THE CTLR FROM 'NOISE HITS' THROUGH THE EAR PIECE.

Narrative: THIS IS THE THIRD LOUD TONE I'VE TAKEN TO MY R EAR THROUGH MY HEADSET WHILE WORKING AT BRADLEY TRACON. OTHER CTLRS HAVE ALSO TAKEN FREQUENT 'HITS.' I DON'T KNOW ALL OF THE CAUSES, BUT OFTEN THE TONES ARE A RESULT OF 2 OR MORE PLTS XMITTING AT THE SAME TIME. 'BLACK BOXES' HAVE BEEN INSTALLED AT EACH RADAR SECTOR AND WE HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO PLUG OUR HEADSETS INTO THESE BLACK BOXES. AS EXPLAINED TO ME AT THE TIME OF INSTALLATION, THESE BOXES ARE SUPPOSED TO CUT OUT ANY SUDDEN, LOUD NOISE OVER THE FREQ OR THROUGH THE LAND LINES. I HAVE SINCE BEEN TOLD THAT THE ONLY THING THESE BOXES DO IS REDUCE THE OVERALL VOLUME OF ANYTHING COMING THROUGH THE HEADSET. WHAT THIS MEANS IS WE NOW HAVE TO PUT THE MASTER VOLUME CTL UP TO MAX JUST TO HEAR ANYTHING. IN FACT, WHEN THE ROOM IS BUSY AS A WHOLE, I USUALLY CAN'T HEAR WELL ENOUGH TO WORK TFC SAFELY. LATELY THESE SAME BLACK BOXES HAVE BEEN FAILING FREQUENTLY, AND WE'RE EXPERIENCING A LOT OF STATIC WHEN XMITTING WHEN WE DO USE THE BOXES. BY ONLY REDUCING OVERALL VOLUME, THE PROB IS NOT BEING ADDRESSED OR CORRECTED WITH THESE BLACK BOXES. A LOUD TONE IS STILL PAINFUL AND LOUDER THAN NORMAL XMISSIONS. BRADLEY TRACON IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF A WHOLE NEW COM SYS THAT HAS SOME SORT OF 'CIRCUIT BREAKER' THAT COULD CUT OUT THE NOISE WHEN A LOUD TONE IS DETECTED.

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.