ARTCC radar controller says that frequency 118 pt 77 at the lit remote site is unusable due to break...

Attributes
ACN	355639
Time
Date	199612
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lit
State Reference	AR
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 4 controller non radar : 8 controller radar : 14
ASRS Report	355639
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

Continuously for the past 6 months the little rock ultra high sector here at ZME has had to log out the frequency 118.77 due to the fact that the transmitters and receivers have been breaking up. This sector has been forced to continuously use the buec (backup emergency communication) radios to communicate with aircraft. The problem has been logged out continuously and logs have been taken for daily operations. The situation has never been corrected 100 percent. My problem is that if the backup radios quit there is no backup. These radios are meant for temporary use during outages and we rely on them for extended periods of time. This sector daily spaces and sequences dfw terminal traffic and houston terminal traffic when there is in trail requirements. Nevertheless, they all cross at little rock VOR. The frequencys need to be fixed 100 percent even if it means relocating the site. Safety is the main concern and the equipment has been 'band-aided' together rather than the problem solved.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR SAYS THAT FREQ 118 PT 77 AT THE LIT REMOTE SITE IS UNUSABLE DUE TO BREAKING UP OF XMISSIONS AND RECEIVING OF MESSAGES. THE RPTR SAYS CTLRS MUST USE THE BUEC BACKUP SYS AND THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROB FOR THE LAST 6 MONTHS. THIS PROB HAS BEEN LOGGED ALMOST DAILY WITH NO RESOLUTION. RPTR SUGGESTS RELOCATING THE REMOTE RADIO SITE.

Narrative: CONTINUOUSLY FOR THE PAST 6 MONTHS THE LITTLE ROCK ULTRA HIGH SECTOR HERE AT ZME HAS HAD TO LOG OUT THE FREQ 118.77 DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE XMITTERS AND RECEIVERS HAVE BEEN BREAKING UP. THIS SECTOR HAS BEEN FORCED TO CONTINUOUSLY USE THE BUEC (BACKUP EMER COM) RADIOS TO COMMUNICATE WITH ACFT. THE PROB HAS BEEN LOGGED OUT CONTINUOUSLY AND LOGS HAVE BEEN TAKEN FOR DAILY OPS. THE SIT HAS NEVER BEEN CORRECTED 100 PERCENT. MY PROB IS THAT IF THE BACKUP RADIOS QUIT THERE IS NO BACKUP. THESE RADIOS ARE MEANT FOR TEMPORARY USE DURING OUTAGES AND WE RELY ON THEM FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME. THIS SECTOR DAILY SPACES AND SEQUENCES DFW TERMINAL TFC AND HOUSTON TERMINAL TFC WHEN THERE IS IN TRAIL REQUIREMENTS. NEVERTHELESS, THEY ALL CROSS AT LITTLE ROCK VOR. THE FREQS NEED TO BE FIXED 100 PERCENT EVEN IF IT MEANS RELOCATING THE SITE. SAFETY IS THE MAIN CONCERN AND THE EQUIP HAS BEEN 'BAND-AIDED' TOGETHER RATHER THAN THE PROB SOLVED.

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.