Narrative:

Due to the installation of a new frequency, 119.32 at the bluffton sector, cleveland ARTCC, numerous distortion problems have resulted in an unsafe condition at the ravenna and bluffton sectors. For the past 2 yrs there had been an ongoing frequency problem with the bluffton (bft) sector at cleveland ARTCC. The frequency in use was 133.52 MHZ. One of the major problems with this frequency was the distortion caused by bleed-over on frequency 133.37 MHZ used by the lorain (lor) sector, also a part of cleveland ARTCC. Following numerous attempts to have the problem corrected, a NASA safety report was filed in nov/92. On mar/xx/93 the keystone area at cleveland ARTCC which operates bluffton, lorain, ravenna (rav) and sandusky (sky) high altitude sectors, was advised that the next day the frequency at bft would be changed to 119.32 MHZ. There was no test program or request for input from the area on impact of this frequency change. Following installation of the new frequency (119.32) numerous problems arose. The bleed-over had now moved from the lor sector to the rav sector. The rav sector frequency is 119.87 MHZ. The rav controller could hear the clrncs being issued by the bft controller and vice-versa. The bft transmission volume in the rav controller's headset was louder than any other voice xmissions. I would like to emphasize at this point that the ravenna sector is the most complex sector and handles more peak period traffic volume than any other sector at ZOB. To address this problem, management decided to combine the bft and sky sectors when 119.32 and 119.87 became unusable at the sky position. These sector areas consist of the same geographical boundaries with sky controling FL240-310 and bft controling FL330 and above. This greatly increased the workload on the sky sector. An unsafe condition report has been filed at the center. I feel that this problem has a serious detrimental effect to the safety of the national air traffic system users who fly through this section of airspace located in cleveland ARTCC's control. It also negatively impacts sectors that routinely go red due to traffic volume. The controllers are being required to work with frequencys that bleed over. I cannot believe the level of incompetence displayed co-locating 2 frequencys at the same rcag site. Both 119.87 and 110.32 are located at the sandusky rcag. Does this sound familiar? The original problem was 133.37 and 133.52 being co-located at cleveland ARTCC. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said that facility is still working on the problem and hopes that the new filters will rectify it. Reporter's supervisor is also trying to get it fixed. No ucr filed yet. Reporter thinks that the new frequency being used now is better than the last frequency. Reporter stated that this problem has been ongoing for about 2 yrs. Reporter will keep ASRS informed of status.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR CLAIMS THAT THERE IS AN ONGOING FREQ FEED-THROUGH PROB WITH 2 SECTORS THAT IS IMPACTING SAFETY.

Narrative: DUE TO THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW FREQ, 119.32 AT THE BLUFFTON SECTOR, CLEVELAND ARTCC, NUMEROUS DISTORTION PROBS HAVE RESULTED IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION AT THE RAVENNA AND BLUFFTON SECTORS. FOR THE PAST 2 YRS THERE HAD BEEN AN ONGOING FREQ PROB WITH THE BLUFFTON (BFT) SECTOR AT CLEVELAND ARTCC. THE FREQ IN USE WAS 133.52 MHZ. ONE OF THE MAJOR PROBS WITH THIS FREQ WAS THE DISTORTION CAUSED BY BLEED-OVER ON FREQ 133.37 MHZ USED BY THE LORAIN (LOR) SECTOR, ALSO A PART OF CLEVELAND ARTCC. FOLLOWING NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO HAVE THE PROB CORRECTED, A NASA SAFETY RPT WAS FILED IN NOV/92. ON MAR/XX/93 THE KEYSTONE AREA AT CLEVELAND ARTCC WHICH OPERATES BLUFFTON, LORAIN, RAVENNA (RAV) AND SANDUSKY (SKY) HIGH ALT SECTORS, WAS ADVISED THAT THE NEXT DAY THE FREQ AT BFT WOULD BE CHANGED TO 119.32 MHZ. THERE WAS NO TEST PROGRAM OR REQUEST FOR INPUT FROM THE AREA ON IMPACT OF THIS FREQ CHANGE. FOLLOWING INSTALLATION OF THE NEW FREQ (119.32) NUMEROUS PROBS AROSE. THE BLEED-OVER HAD NOW MOVED FROM THE LOR SECTOR TO THE RAV SECTOR. THE RAV SECTOR FREQ IS 119.87 MHZ. THE RAV CTLR COULD HEAR THE CLRNCS BEING ISSUED BY THE BFT CTLR AND VICE-VERSA. THE BFT XMISSION VOLUME IN THE RAV CTLR'S HEADSET WAS LOUDER THAN ANY OTHER VOICE XMISSIONS. I WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE AT THIS POINT THAT THE RAVENNA SECTOR IS THE MOST COMPLEX SECTOR AND HANDLES MORE PEAK PERIOD TFC VOLUME THAN ANY OTHER SECTOR AT ZOB. TO ADDRESS THIS PROB, MGMNT DECIDED TO COMBINE THE BFT AND SKY SECTORS WHEN 119.32 AND 119.87 BECAME UNUSABLE AT THE SKY POS. THESE SECTOR AREAS CONSIST OF THE SAME GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES WITH SKY CTLING FL240-310 AND BFT CTLING FL330 AND ABOVE. THIS GREATLY INCREASED THE WORKLOAD ON THE SKY SECTOR. AN UNSAFE CONDITION RPT HAS BEEN FILED AT THE CTR. I FEEL THAT THIS PROB HAS A SERIOUS DETRIMENTAL EFFECT TO THE SAFETY OF THE NATIONAL AIR TFC SYS USERS WHO FLY THROUGH THIS SECTION OF AIRSPACE LOCATED IN CLEVELAND ARTCC'S CTL. IT ALSO NEGATIVELY IMPACTS SECTORS THAT ROUTINELY GO RED DUE TO TFC VOLUME. THE CTLRS ARE BEING REQUIRED TO WORK WITH FREQS THAT BLEED OVER. I CANNOT BELIEVE THE LEVEL OF INCOMPETENCE DISPLAYED CO-LOCATING 2 FREQS AT THE SAME RCAG SITE. BOTH 119.87 AND 110.32 ARE LOCATED AT THE SANDUSKY RCAG. DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR? THE ORIGINAL PROB WAS 133.37 AND 133.52 BEING CO-LOCATED AT CLEVELAND ARTCC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THAT FACILITY IS STILL WORKING ON THE PROB AND HOPES THAT THE NEW FILTERS WILL RECTIFY IT. RPTR'S SUPVR IS ALSO TRYING TO GET IT FIXED. NO UCR FILED YET. RPTR THINKS THAT THE NEW FREQ BEING USED NOW IS BETTER THAN THE LAST FREQ. RPTR STATED THAT THIS PROB HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR ABOUT 2 YRS. RPTR WILL KEEP ASRS INFORMED OF STATUS.

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.