Narrative:

Working high altitude during heavy traffic with WX deviations; abc from iah to bro level at FL260 and another abc from hrl to iah climbing to FL270. Both aircraft were deviating around a single cell east of ngp. The iah..bro abc to the east; the hrl..gland.GLAND3.iah abc to the west. Frequency 133.75 has been basically inoperative for several months. As I have stated in recent ASRS reports we have to shuffle between sites to communicate with aircraft. We shut off the lrd site and use only the qxb site to reduce missed readbacks and make the frequency at least somewhat usable. I was attempting to communicate with 2 aircraft on the boundary with my airspace and mexico. My d-side was newly certified and there was no staffing for a tracker. The sbound abc changed his deviation from the east to the west by making a 70 degree right turn to go around the cell. This placed the abc's in confliction. The pilot had attempted to contact me but; I never heard the xmissions because 133.75 is malfunctioning. When I noticed the turn I took action to correct the situation and the aircraft passed approximately 6 mi apart at a co-altitude of FL255. The frequency problem was the main distraction from a proper scan. I should have assigned FL250 to the northbound abc and asked the next controller to descend the H25A I was trying to top with the abc. I didn't want to turn the northbound abc out because I would have had to turn all the iah arrs to sequence. With most communications requiring 2 or 3 xmissions it would have become unmanageable.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZHU CTLR DESCRIBED NEAR LOSS OF SEPARATION EVENT CITING WX FACTORS AND LONGSTANDING FREQ PROBLEM AS CONTRIBUTORY.

Narrative: WORKING HIGH ALT DURING HVY TFC WITH WX DEVS; ABC FROM IAH TO BRO LEVEL AT FL260 AND ANOTHER ABC FROM HRL TO IAH CLBING TO FL270. BOTH ACFT WERE DEVIATING AROUND A SINGLE CELL E OF NGP. THE IAH..BRO ABC TO THE E; THE HRL..GLAND.GLAND3.IAH ABC TO THE W. FREQ 133.75 HAS BEEN BASICALLY INOP FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. AS I HAVE STATED IN RECENT ASRS RPTS WE HAVE TO SHUFFLE BTWN SITES TO COMMUNICATE WITH ACFT. WE SHUT OFF THE LRD SITE AND USE ONLY THE QXB SITE TO REDUCE MISSED READBACKS AND MAKE THE FREQ AT LEAST SOMEWHAT USABLE. I WAS ATTEMPTING TO COMMUNICATE WITH 2 ACFT ON THE BOUNDARY WITH MY AIRSPACE AND MEXICO. MY D-SIDE WAS NEWLY CERTIFIED AND THERE WAS NO STAFFING FOR A TRACKER. THE SBOUND ABC CHANGED HIS DEV FROM THE E TO THE W BY MAKING A 70 DEG R TURN TO GO AROUND THE CELL. THIS PLACED THE ABC'S IN CONFLICTION. THE PLT HAD ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ME BUT; I NEVER HEARD THE XMISSIONS BECAUSE 133.75 IS MALFUNCTIONING. WHEN I NOTICED THE TURN I TOOK ACTION TO CORRECT THE SITUATION AND THE ACFT PASSED APPROX 6 MI APART AT A CO-ALT OF FL255. THE FREQ PROB WAS THE MAIN DISTR FROM A PROPER SCAN. I SHOULD HAVE ASSIGNED FL250 TO THE NBOUND ABC AND ASKED THE NEXT CTLR TO DSND THE H25A I WAS TRYING TO TOP WITH THE ABC. I DIDN'T WANT TO TURN THE NBOUND ABC OUT BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE HAD TO TURN ALL THE IAH ARRS TO SEQUENCE. WITH MOST COMS REQUIRING 2 OR 3 XMISSIONS IT WOULD HAVE BECOME UNMANAGEABLE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.