Narrative:

Aircraft X was a phoenix arrival; handed off to me from ZAB sector 42. The aircraft was approximately 5 mi into my airspace; level at 10000 ft and I hadn't established radio communication with him. I transmitted to see if he was on frequency and heard no response so I called the ZAB sector 42 controller and asked him to see if he still had aircraft X on his frequency. While I was on the landline; I heard an aircraft say that aircraft X had heard me and responded; but apparently I hadn't heard him. I got off the landline and transmitted to aircraft X again and this time I heard him. I was on the standby transmitter and receiver; but this frequency (124.1) is notorious for problems on both main and standby. It is common knowledge that there is a 'blind spot' on this frequency right where aircraft X was at the time of the problem. The FAA has done a few things to attempt to rectify the situation; but without success. (They have swapped frequencys a few times with clearance delivery; south departure and south arrival. I think they have also tried changing the power setting.) this frequency problem indirectly contributed to an operational error a few months ago. Not only is there a blind spot in the frequency coverage; but the quality of the receiver is terrible. I think this is a hazardous situation that the FAA needs to address immediately.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: P50 CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING LIMITED RADIO COVERAGE WITH ARR ACFT; A KNOWN ANOMALY NEEDING ATTENTION.

Narrative: ACFT X WAS A PHOENIX ARR; HANDED OFF TO ME FROM ZAB SECTOR 42. THE ACFT WAS APPROX 5 MI INTO MY AIRSPACE; LEVEL AT 10000 FT AND I HADN'T ESTABLISHED RADIO COM WITH HIM. I XMITTED TO SEE IF HE WAS ON FREQ AND HEARD NO RESPONSE SO I CALLED THE ZAB SECTOR 42 CTLR AND ASKED HIM TO SEE IF HE STILL HAD ACFT X ON HIS FREQ. WHILE I WAS ON THE LANDLINE; I HEARD AN ACFT SAY THAT ACFT X HAD HEARD ME AND RESPONDED; BUT APPARENTLY I HADN'T HEARD HIM. I GOT OFF THE LANDLINE AND XMITTED TO ACFT X AGAIN AND THIS TIME I HEARD HIM. I WAS ON THE STANDBY XMITTER AND RECEIVER; BUT THIS FREQ (124.1) IS NOTORIOUS FOR PROBS ON BOTH MAIN AND STANDBY. IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A 'BLIND SPOT' ON THIS FREQ RIGHT WHERE ACFT X WAS AT THE TIME OF THE PROB. THE FAA HAS DONE A FEW THINGS TO ATTEMPT TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION; BUT WITHOUT SUCCESS. (THEY HAVE SWAPPED FREQS A FEW TIMES WITH CLRNC DELIVERY; S DEP AND S ARR. I THINK THEY HAVE ALSO TRIED CHANGING THE PWR SETTING.) THIS FREQ PROB INDIRECTLY CONTRIBUTED TO AN OPERROR A FEW MONTHS AGO. NOT ONLY IS THERE A BLIND SPOT IN THE FREQ COVERAGE; BUT THE QUALITY OF THE RECEIVER IS TERRIBLE. I THINK THIS IS A HAZARDOUS SITUATION THAT THE FAA NEEDS TO ADDRESS IMMEDIATELY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.