Narrative:

I am reporting this incident, not so much because it in itself was serious, but because it might have led to more serious confusion. Since the 'monitor guard NOTAM,' I thought it might be good for this type of event to be considered as much more probable today than in the past. During climb out from 39N, I attempted to contact new york on 132.8. I had set up 121.5 for monitoring on my second radio, but failed to FLIP the transmit switch, so that my first (and possibly second) calls went out on 121.5. Someone on guard said, 'you are transmitting on guard' and I realized my mistake. I contacted new york on 132.8, received a squawk code and continued my climb to 5500 ft. I also monitored guard. I began to hear guard trying to call me. After several such calls, I told 132.8 about the calls and asked if I should respond. He said, no, it was ok. Guard, however, continued to call. Eventually, one of guard's calls sounded like 132.8 and I responded on 132.8. The 132.8 controller said, 'I did not call you.' I explained I was still getting guard calls and he said, ok, go talk to them. I called on guard, explained I had inadvertently called new york once or twice on guard, gave them my present frequency and squawk. Guard responded, 'thank you for the information,' and I went back to 132.8. I observed no further calls from guard. As I continued north to sax and then toward huo, however, I believe I heard several new york controllers issuing approach vectors and clrncs on guard. Eventually, someone told them they were transmitting on guard and that, too, stopped. I have 2 communication radios -- each with only a single frequency. To change frequencys since the 'monitor guard' NOTAM, I turn off 'both,' change the radio with guard to a new frequency, toggle the transmitter switch, establish communications on the new frequency, and once I have complied with initial instructions on the new frequency, put guard in the old frequency radio and retoggle 'both.' in this case, I forgot to toggle the transmit upon leaving unicom at 39N. The cost of upgrading radios in my airplane to newer radios with dual frequencys would be about 50% the value of the aircraft, since the whole stack would require rework. (I actually priced this.) failing a radio change, this is probably the only and best way to monitor guard and yet be certain you have a working frequency and radio setting to return to if communication cannot be established on the next frequency. I have always monitored guard on longer flts, but never as religiously as today's environment requires. Yet I have also found that I frequently seem to forget the last step of selecting guard. I will get involved in complying with instructions on the new frequency and simply forget when I am done. In departing 39N, I remember thinking, 'let's try putting in guard now, so I won't forget, I know I can get 39N back if I have to.' bad idea. I should have stuck to the new regime, even if it too has problems. Of course, I will redouble my efforts to do the switching correctly, but given that one always heard controllers telling pilots (even commercial airlines) that they forget to switch, this event will continue to be a possibility. I do not have a solution. Guidance on when to give guard priority over the normal frequency might help resolve occurrences.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT INADVERTENTLY XMITTED ON GUARD FREQ 121.5 IN ZNY CLASS E AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I AM RPTING THIS INCIDENT, NOT SO MUCH BECAUSE IT IN ITSELF WAS SERIOUS, BUT BECAUSE IT MIGHT HAVE LED TO MORE SERIOUS CONFUSION. SINCE THE 'MONITOR GUARD NOTAM,' I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE GOOD FOR THIS TYPE OF EVENT TO BE CONSIDERED AS MUCH MORE PROBABLE TODAY THAN IN THE PAST. DURING CLBOUT FROM 39N, I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT NEW YORK ON 132.8. I HAD SET UP 121.5 FOR MONITORING ON MY SECOND RADIO, BUT FAILED TO FLIP THE XMIT SWITCH, SO THAT MY FIRST (AND POSSIBLY SECOND) CALLS WENT OUT ON 121.5. SOMEONE ON GUARD SAID, 'YOU ARE XMITTING ON GUARD' AND I REALIZED MY MISTAKE. I CONTACTED NEW YORK ON 132.8, RECEIVED A SQUAWK CODE AND CONTINUED MY CLB TO 5500 FT. I ALSO MONITORED GUARD. I BEGAN TO HEAR GUARD TRYING TO CALL ME. AFTER SEVERAL SUCH CALLS, I TOLD 132.8 ABOUT THE CALLS AND ASKED IF I SHOULD RESPOND. HE SAID, NO, IT WAS OK. GUARD, HOWEVER, CONTINUED TO CALL. EVENTUALLY, ONE OF GUARD'S CALLS SOUNDED LIKE 132.8 AND I RESPONDED ON 132.8. THE 132.8 CTLR SAID, 'I DID NOT CALL YOU.' I EXPLAINED I WAS STILL GETTING GUARD CALLS AND HE SAID, OK, GO TALK TO THEM. I CALLED ON GUARD, EXPLAINED I HAD INADVERTENTLY CALLED NEW YORK ONCE OR TWICE ON GUARD, GAVE THEM MY PRESENT FREQ AND SQUAWK. GUARD RESPONDED, 'THANK YOU FOR THE INFO,' AND I WENT BACK TO 132.8. I OBSERVED NO FURTHER CALLS FROM GUARD. AS I CONTINUED N TO SAX AND THEN TOWARD HUO, HOWEVER, I BELIEVE I HEARD SEVERAL NEW YORK CTLRS ISSUING APCH VECTORS AND CLRNCS ON GUARD. EVENTUALLY, SOMEONE TOLD THEM THEY WERE XMITTING ON GUARD AND THAT, TOO, STOPPED. I HAVE 2 COM RADIOS -- EACH WITH ONLY A SINGLE FREQ. TO CHANGE FREQS SINCE THE 'MONITOR GUARD' NOTAM, I TURN OFF 'BOTH,' CHANGE THE RADIO WITH GUARD TO A NEW FREQ, TOGGLE THE XMITTER SWITCH, ESTABLISH COMS ON THE NEW FREQ, AND ONCE I HAVE COMPLIED WITH INITIAL INSTRUCTIONS ON THE NEW FREQ, PUT GUARD IN THE OLD FREQ RADIO AND RETOGGLE 'BOTH.' IN THIS CASE, I FORGOT TO TOGGLE THE XMIT UPON LEAVING UNICOM AT 39N. THE COST OF UPGRADING RADIOS IN MY AIRPLANE TO NEWER RADIOS WITH DUAL FREQS WOULD BE ABOUT 50% THE VALUE OF THE ACFT, SINCE THE WHOLE STACK WOULD REQUIRE REWORK. (I ACTUALLY PRICED THIS.) FAILING A RADIO CHANGE, THIS IS PROBABLY THE ONLY AND BEST WAY TO MONITOR GUARD AND YET BE CERTAIN YOU HAVE A WORKING FREQ AND RADIO SETTING TO RETURN TO IF COM CANNOT BE ESTABLISHED ON THE NEXT FREQ. I HAVE ALWAYS MONITORED GUARD ON LONGER FLTS, BUT NEVER AS RELIGIOUSLY AS TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT REQUIRES. YET I HAVE ALSO FOUND THAT I FREQUENTLY SEEM TO FORGET THE LAST STEP OF SELECTING GUARD. I WILL GET INVOLVED IN COMPLYING WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON THE NEW FREQ AND SIMPLY FORGET WHEN I AM DONE. IN DEPARTING 39N, I REMEMBER THINKING, 'LET'S TRY PUTTING IN GUARD NOW, SO I WON'T FORGET, I KNOW I CAN GET 39N BACK IF I HAVE TO.' BAD IDEA. I SHOULD HAVE STUCK TO THE NEW REGIME, EVEN IF IT TOO HAS PROBS. OF COURSE, I WILL REDOUBLE MY EFFORTS TO DO THE SWITCHING CORRECTLY, BUT GIVEN THAT ONE ALWAYS HEARD CTLRS TELLING PLTS (EVEN COMMERCIAL AIRLINES) THAT THEY FORGET TO SWITCH, THIS EVENT WILL CONTINUE TO BE A POSSIBILITY. I DO NOT HAVE A SOLUTION. GUIDANCE ON WHEN TO GIVE GUARD PRIORITY OVER THE NORMAL FREQ MIGHT HELP RESOLVE OCCURRENCES.

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.