Narrative:

When 7-8 mi out (west of bed) having just passed over 6b6, I made radio contact with bed tower. I was acknowledged and was asked to make request. I replied I was inbound with ATIS and when I did not hear a reply as I approached the air traffic area, I made a right 360 and continued to call 3 times and switched to another radio and called 2 more times and finally heard a reply when at such time I indicated that I had switched to another radio even though I had been flying all day and had no previous problem with the radio up to rut and back with 2 stops each way, etc. I completed the 360 and was again 7-8 mi out when I got the second reply and I was told that it wasn't my radio, that they were using a radio that was pretty weak. (I wasn't told why?) at that time, I was told to report a 2 mi final to 11 and I acknowledged. Bed tower also told me that they had heard me transmitting each time even though I didn't hear them, they heard me each time. I proceeded and when I was 2 mi out, I called 3 times to report I was on final and got no reply and I looked to my left and saw another aircraft at my altitude appearing to also be on final for 11 about 1/2 to 3/4 mi off my left wing. I was about to initiate a right 360 when the other aircraft began a left turn, obviously having seen me on final abreast of his aircraft. I completed my landing and when I turned off the active I tuned into ground frequency for clearance to taxi and mentioned the other aircraft to the ground controller. He gave me clearance to taxi and proceeded to tell me that I am supposed to contact tower before I enter the air traffic area, to which I replied that tower not only got my transmission 7 mi out but also gave me clearance to proceed and to report a 2 mi final to 11. I also told ground that tower told me that they heard each of my numerous calls and that I hadn't heard their replies most of the time due to their using a weak radio. Nothing further was said and I taxied to west ramp, parked, and tied down.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC EQUIP PROB, TWR DOES SEEM TO RESPOND TO PLT COM. WEAK ATC XMISSIONS.

Narrative: WHEN 7-8 MI OUT (W OF BED) HAVING JUST PASSED OVER 6B6, I MADE RADIO CONTACT WITH BED TWR. I WAS ACKNOWLEDGED AND WAS ASKED TO MAKE REQUEST. I REPLIED I WAS INBOUND WITH ATIS AND WHEN I DID NOT HEAR A REPLY AS I APCHED THE ATA, I MADE A R 360 AND CONTINUED TO CALL 3 TIMES AND SWITCHED TO ANOTHER RADIO AND CALLED 2 MORE TIMES AND FINALLY HEARD A REPLY WHEN AT SUCH TIME I INDICATED THAT I HAD SWITCHED TO ANOTHER RADIO EVEN THOUGH I HAD BEEN FLYING ALL DAY AND HAD NO PREVIOUS PROB WITH THE RADIO UP TO RUT AND BACK WITH 2 STOPS EACH WAY, ETC. I COMPLETED THE 360 AND WAS AGAIN 7-8 MI OUT WHEN I GOT THE SECOND REPLY AND I WAS TOLD THAT IT WASN'T MY RADIO, THAT THEY WERE USING A RADIO THAT WAS PRETTY WEAK. (I WASN'T TOLD WHY?) AT THAT TIME, I WAS TOLD TO RPT A 2 MI FINAL TO 11 AND I ACKNOWLEDGED. BED TWR ALSO TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD HEARD ME XMITTING EACH TIME EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T HEAR THEM, THEY HEARD ME EACH TIME. I PROCEEDED AND WHEN I WAS 2 MI OUT, I CALLED 3 TIMES TO RPT I WAS ON FINAL AND GOT NO REPLY AND I LOOKED TO MY L AND SAW ANOTHER ACFT AT MY ALT APPEARING TO ALSO BE ON FINAL FOR 11 ABOUT 1/2 TO 3/4 MI OFF MY L WING. I WAS ABOUT TO INITIATE A R 360 WHEN THE OTHER ACFT BEGAN A L TURN, OBVIOUSLY HAVING SEEN ME ON FINAL ABREAST OF HIS ACFT. I COMPLETED MY LNDG AND WHEN I TURNED OFF THE ACTIVE I TUNED INTO GND FREQ FOR CLRNC TO TAXI AND MENTIONED THE OTHER ACFT TO THE GND CTLR. HE GAVE ME CLRNC TO TAXI AND PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT I AM SUPPOSED TO CONTACT TWR BEFORE I ENTER THE ATA, TO WHICH I REPLIED THAT TWR NOT ONLY GOT MY XMISSION 7 MI OUT BUT ALSO GAVE ME CLRNC TO PROCEED AND TO RPT A 2 MI FINAL TO 11. I ALSO TOLD GND THAT TWR TOLD ME THAT THEY HEARD EACH OF MY NUMEROUS CALLS AND THAT I HADN'T HEARD THEIR REPLIES MOST OF THE TIME DUE TO THEIR USING A WEAK RADIO. NOTHING FURTHER WAS SAID AND I TAXIED TO W RAMP, PARKED, AND TIED DOWN.

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.