Narrative:

I am filling out this form after working a sector that has had serious problems with adequate radio reception for months now. The sampson sector 26 at ZDC has an rcag site located at ilm airport; nc. Up until a few months ago; it worked fine. However; it is now a daily; almost hourly occurrence -- where you cannot communicate with some of the aircraft in the sector. Just today; I could not hear the readback of an aircraft at FL180; who was 15 mi south of fay. I had another at 15000 ft 30 NM north of ilm and could not hear him. Rduz departures that enter my sector heading sbound; cannot be heard until they're out of 10000 ft; sometimes higher. Switching to the backup (#2) receiver nets the same poor result as the main receiver. Switching to buec; which is not located at ilm has its own blind areas. This has been a well-documented issue that airways facilities and air traffic have known about; yet there has been no remedy; nor change to the situation. Maintenance and support have taken a backseat to politics. They wait to fix something after it's broken; and even then; scratch their collective-heads to figure out where the resources will come from to fix the problem that they've neglected all along.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZDC CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING ON GOING COM PROBS AT SECTOR 26.

Narrative: I AM FILLING OUT THIS FORM AFTER WORKING A SECTOR THAT HAS HAD SERIOUS PROBS WITH ADEQUATE RADIO RECEPTION FOR MONTHS NOW. THE SAMPSON SECTOR 26 AT ZDC HAS AN RCAG SITE LOCATED AT ILM ARPT; NC. UP UNTIL A FEW MONTHS AGO; IT WORKED FINE. HOWEVER; IT IS NOW A DAILY; ALMOST HOURLY OCCURRENCE -- WHERE YOU CANNOT COMMUNICATE WITH SOME OF THE ACFT IN THE SECTOR. JUST TODAY; I COULD NOT HEAR THE READBACK OF AN ACFT AT FL180; WHO WAS 15 MI S OF FAY. I HAD ANOTHER AT 15000 FT 30 NM N OF ILM AND COULD NOT HEAR HIM. RDUZ DEPS THAT ENTER MY SECTOR HDG SBOUND; CANNOT BE HEARD UNTIL THEY'RE OUT OF 10000 FT; SOMETIMES HIGHER. SWITCHING TO THE BACKUP (#2) RECEIVER NETS THE SAME POOR RESULT AS THE MAIN RECEIVER. SWITCHING TO BUEC; WHICH IS NOT LOCATED AT ILM HAS ITS OWN BLIND AREAS. THIS HAS BEEN A WELL-DOCUMENTED ISSUE THAT AIRWAYS FACILITIES AND AIR TFC HAVE KNOWN ABOUT; YET THERE HAS BEEN NO REMEDY; NOR CHANGE TO THE SITUATION. MAINT AND SUPPORT HAVE TAKEN A BACKSEAT TO POLITICS. THEY WAIT TO FIX SOMETHING AFTER IT'S BROKEN; AND EVEN THEN; SCRATCH THEIR COLLECTIVE-HEADS TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE RESOURCES WILL COME FROM TO FIX THE PROB THAT THEY'VE NEGLECTED ALL ALONG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.