ATC radio equipment design status at toledo, oh.

Attributes
ACN	214584
Time
Date	199206
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : tol
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : tol
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 260 flight time total : 1800 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	214584
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

Whenever in communication with toledo approach on frequency 128.00, I have experienced the worst voice transmission quality of any ATC equipment I have ever heard in 9 yrs of flying. The sound quality which approximates 2 soup cans and a string, has been the source of much amusement and joke whenever a toledo trip finds it's way into a day's schedule. However, on this particular evening the barely intelligible voices from tol's TRACON were so bad I misunderstood several xmissions which were eventually corrected by repeated readbacks. On a different day, I quizzed the controller as to why the xmissions were so poor. The controller replied that numerous complaints have been received by the facility everyday for a long time, however, no action has been taken even though the controllers at the TRACON have lobbied for a change in antenna placement. I don't know if antenna placement is the problem here, but it is only a matter of time before a misunderstanding takes place and flight safety is jeopardized because of this easily fixed problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC RADIO EQUIP DESIGN STATUS AT TOLEDO, OH.

Narrative: WHENEVER IN COM WITH TOLEDO APCH ON FREQ 128.00, I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE WORST VOICE XMISSION QUALITY OF ANY ATC EQUIP I HAVE EVER HEARD IN 9 YRS OF FLYING. THE SOUND QUALITY WHICH APPROXIMATES 2 SOUP CANS AND A STRING, HAS BEEN THE SOURCE OF MUCH AMUSEMENT AND JOKE WHENEVER A TOLEDO TRIP FINDS IT'S WAY INTO A DAY'S SCHEDULE. HOWEVER, ON THIS PARTICULAR EVENING THE BARELY INTELLIGIBLE VOICES FROM TOL'S TRACON WERE SO BAD I MISUNDERSTOOD SEVERAL XMISSIONS WHICH WERE EVENTUALLY CORRECTED BY REPEATED READBACKS. ON A DIFFERENT DAY, I QUIZZED THE CTLR AS TO WHY THE XMISSIONS WERE SO POOR. THE CTLR REPLIED THAT NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED BY THE FACILITY EVERYDAY FOR A LONG TIME, HOWEVER, NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN EVEN THOUGH THE CTLRS AT THE TRACON HAVE LOBBIED FOR A CHANGE IN ANTENNA PLACEMENT. I DON'T KNOW IF ANTENNA PLACEMENT IS THE PROBLEM HERE, BUT IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE A MISUNDERSTANDING TAKES PLACE AND FLT SAFETY IS JEOPARDIZED BECAUSE OF THIS EASILY FIXED PROBLEM.

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.