Reporter claims radios went dead with vscs equipment indicating VHF and UHF transmitter on standby a...

Narrative:

I was working sector 41 at ZOA. My radios went dead and I noticed that the 125.85 transmitter, 323.0 transmitter and receiver were showing 'south' for standby. I attempted to change the 125.85 transmitter (via vscs) to 'main' but nothing happened. I was unable to communicate with any aircraft for 7 mins. Although it was not busy at the time, if it had been safety would have been in the hands of the pilots and TCASII only. My radios returned for no apparent reason but the pilots then complained that it sounded like a telephone was ringing when I transmitted on 'mains' or 'standby.' buec is ok. This has happened to other controllers at sector 41 before. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that at time the radios went dead, the vscs display indicated opposite of what he had been using, ie, VHF transmitter and UHF transmitter and receiver on main and the VHF received on standby. Reporter recalled that the receivers were working but the transmitters were OTS. Reporter said that he understands that maintenance was advised of the problem was indicated that they do not know what caused it. Reporter does not feel there has been much discussion of this by the facility management or of any potential resolve to the problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CLAIMS RADIOS WENT DEAD WITH VSCS EQUIP INDICATING VHF AND UHF XMITTER ON STANDBY ALONG WITH THE UHF RECEIVER. THE VHF RECEIVER INDICATED ON THE MAIN EQUIP. RPTR COULD NOT CHANGE TO MAIN VHF XMITTER. VSCS EQUIP WAS OTS FOR 7 MINS.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING SECTOR 41 AT ZOA. MY RADIOS WENT DEAD AND I NOTICED THAT THE 125.85 XMITTER, 323.0 XMITTER AND RECEIVER WERE SHOWING 'S' FOR STANDBY. I ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE THE 125.85 XMITTER (VIA VSCS) TO 'MAIN' BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. I WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ANY ACFT FOR 7 MINS. ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT BUSY AT THE TIME, IF IT HAD BEEN SAFETY WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE HANDS OF THE PLTS AND TCASII ONLY. MY RADIOS RETURNED FOR NO APPARENT REASON BUT THE PLTS THEN COMPLAINED THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE A TELEPHONE WAS RINGING WHEN I XMITTED ON 'MAINS' OR 'STANDBY.' BUEC IS OK. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER CTLRS AT SECTOR 41 BEFORE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT AT TIME THE RADIOS WENT DEAD, THE VSCS DISPLAY INDICATED OPPOSITE OF WHAT HE HAD BEEN USING, IE, VHF XMITTER AND UHF XMITTER AND RECEIVER ON MAIN AND THE VHF RECEIVED ON STANDBY. RPTR RECALLED THAT THE RECEIVERS WERE WORKING BUT THE XMITTERS WERE OTS. RPTR SAID THAT HE UNDERSTANDS THAT MAINT WAS ADVISED OF THE PROB WAS INDICATED THAT THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED IT. RPTR DOES NOT FEEL THERE HAS BEEN MUCH DISCUSSION OF THIS BY THE FACILITY MGMNT OR OF ANY POTENTIAL RESOLVE TO THE PROB.

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.

Attributes
ACN	362566
Time
Date	199703
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : oak
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : oak
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 8
ASRS Report	362566
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other

Reporter claims radios went dead with vscs equipment indicating VHF and UHF transmitter on standby along with the UHF receiver. The VHF receiver indicated on the main equipment. Reporter could not change to main VHF transmitter. Vscs equipment was OTS for 7 mins.