ATC equipment problem communication frequency not reliable for communication.

Attributes
ACN	319252
Time
Date	199510
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ttzp
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 17000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ttzp tower : dfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Merlin III
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 3400
ASRS Report	319252
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

Ttzp reported to have not received position reports (G449) at point perry or perga. This did not directly conflict with traffic today, but can cause problems if piarco cannot keep track of traffic. We often cannot hear piarco transmit and must make our position reports 'in the blind.' piarco has radar but often does not opt to use it, instead it relies on position reports from pilots. In our aircraft (southwest-3), we often cannot receive or transmit at certain points along the G-449 airway. My suggestion is to either add more relay stations for better radio reception, or to use their radar facilities more. Our company was ahead of us by approximately 80 NM and could hear our position reports throughout our entire flight. Ttzp is located in port of spain, trinidad international airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC EQUIP PROB COM FREQ NOT RELIABLE FOR COM.

Narrative: TTZP RPTED TO HAVE NOT RECEIVED POS RPTS (G449) AT POINT PERRY OR PERGA. THIS DID NOT DIRECTLY CONFLICT WITH TFC TODAY, BUT CAN CAUSE PROBS IF PIARCO CANNOT KEEP TRACK OF TFC. WE OFTEN CANNOT HEAR PIARCO XMIT AND MUST MAKE OUR POS RPTS 'IN THE BLIND.' PIARCO HAS RADAR BUT OFTEN DOES NOT OPT TO USE IT, INSTEAD IT RELIES ON POS RPTS FROM PLTS. IN OUR ACFT (SW-3), WE OFTEN CANNOT RECEIVE OR XMIT AT CERTAIN POINTS ALONG THE G-449 AIRWAY. MY SUGGESTION IS TO EITHER ADD MORE RELAY STATIONS FOR BETTER RADIO RECEPTION, OR TO USE THEIR RADAR FACILITIES MORE. OUR COMPANY WAS AHEAD OF US BY APPROX 80 NM AND COULD HEAR OUR POS RPTS THROUGHOUT OUR ENTIRE FLT. TTZP IS LOCATED IN PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD INTL ARPT.

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.