Flight crew has difficulty identing the ILS at ewr.

Attributes
ACN	329030
Time
Date	199602
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	329030
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 : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Ewr ILS identify. Location, 20 mi northwest ewr. Just a small matter to look into. The ILS identify is very hard to hear until within 10 mi of airport. Other locations are readable at 30 mi out. This puts the first officer on the ILS identify hunt when we have a lot of other things to do. This may be unavoidable at ewr due to close proximity to other facilities. Thanks for looking into it. Callback conversation with afsfo revealed the following information: callback was made to the afsfo office at ewr and ewr tower. They verified that the signal strength of the ILS transmitter remains the same at all times and is set to the strength of any other ILS throughout the country. The tower was very interested in this situation and would like to be informed immediately if a reduced signal is encountered again. The reporter was informed of these standards for ILS signal strength and identify strength.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC HAS DIFFICULTY IDENTING THE ILS AT EWR.

Narrative: EWR ILS IDENT. LOCATION, 20 MI NW EWR. JUST A SMALL MATTER TO LOOK INTO. THE ILS IDENT IS VERY HARD TO HEAR UNTIL WITHIN 10 MI OF ARPT. OTHER LOCATIONS ARE READABLE AT 30 MI OUT. THIS PUTS THE FO ON THE ILS IDENT HUNT WHEN WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS TO DO. THIS MAY BE UNAVOIDABLE AT EWR DUE TO CLOSE PROX TO OTHER FACILITIES. THANKS FOR LOOKING INTO IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH AFSFO REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK WAS MADE TO THE AFSFO OFFICE AT EWR AND EWR TWR. THEY VERIFIED THAT THE SIGNAL STRENGTH OF THE ILS XMITTER REMAINS THE SAME AT ALL TIMES AND IS SET TO THE STRENGTH OF ANY OTHER ILS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. THE TWR WAS VERY INTERESTED IN THIS SIT AND WOULD LIKE TO BE INFORMED IMMEDIATELY IF A REDUCED SIGNAL IS ENCOUNTERED AGAIN. THE RPTR WAS INFORMED OF THESE STANDARDS FOR ILS SIGNAL STRENGTH AND IDENT STRENGTH.

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.