B737-700 captain reports lost communication shortly after take off. All radios are rendered inoperat...

Narrative:

Flight was departing ZZZ and after 2 or 3 solid radio calls to departure; I heard a 'click' in my headset and we immediately went to 'hot microphone.' I was then unable to reach departure control and it appeared the #1 VHF communication was inoperative. Trying #2 communication was unsuccessful also. As the first officer was the PF; I began to try other radios and handsets to reach departure. Realizing that this problem would not be resolved quickly; we squawked 7600 and kept working on the radio issues. Meanwhile; we sent an ACARS to dispatch and everyone was aware of our 'hot microphone/NORDO' problem. Without communications; we followed our last clearance to climb to FL190 and leveled out there. Continuing our radio troubleshooting; we discovered that I had to unplug not only my headset; but the hand microphone on my side to prevent the hot microphone. Additionally; we were only able to use the #1 communication with my audio selector transmit switch on #2 communication and my first officer transmitting on #1 communication and using the speaker. 'Altitude/norm' made no difference on the audio panel. Suspected that the captain's audio selector panel had an internal short. As we climbed to our assigned altitude of FL410; we were able to have one radio that worked and re-established communications with center. The remainder of the flight was uneventful using our single radio. An operational side issue: is ATC aware that if we are too heavy to climb to our assigned cruise altitude; '10 mins after departure' in the case of lost communications; that we will climb to the highest altitude we can until burning down to a lighter weight to climb to the ATC/pre departure clearance assigned altitude? In our case; we were able to climb unrestr to our clearance altitude of FL410; but I would have climbed to FL390 until light enough to reach our clearance altitude. An electrical malfunction internally in the audio panel or #1 VHF communication. Better quality control during manufacturer.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 CAPTAIN REPORTS LOST COM SHORTLY AFTER TAKE OFF. ALL RADIOS ARE RENDERED INOPERATIVE BY AN APPARENT SHORT IN THE CAPTAIN'S COM PANEL. A SINGLE RADIO IS EVENTUALLY REGAINED AND THE FLIGHT CONTINUES TO DESTINATION.

Narrative: FLT WAS DEPARTING ZZZ AND AFTER 2 OR 3 SOLID RADIO CALLS TO DEP; I HEARD A 'CLICK' IN MY HEADSET AND WE IMMEDIATELY WENT TO 'HOT MIKE.' I WAS THEN UNABLE TO REACH DEP CTL AND IT APPEARED THE #1 VHF COM WAS INOP. TRYING #2 COM WAS UNSUCCESSFUL ALSO. AS THE FO WAS THE PF; I BEGAN TO TRY OTHER RADIOS AND HANDSETS TO REACH DEP. REALIZING THAT THIS PROB WOULD NOT BE RESOLVED QUICKLY; WE SQUAWKED 7600 AND KEPT WORKING ON THE RADIO ISSUES. MEANWHILE; WE SENT AN ACARS TO DISPATCH AND EVERYONE WAS AWARE OF OUR 'HOT MIKE/NORDO' PROB. WITHOUT COMS; WE FOLLOWED OUR LAST CLRNC TO CLB TO FL190 AND LEVELED OUT THERE. CONTINUING OUR RADIO TROUBLESHOOTING; WE DISCOVERED THAT I HAD TO UNPLUG NOT ONLY MY HEADSET; BUT THE HAND MIKE ON MY SIDE TO PREVENT THE HOT MIKE. ADDITIONALLY; WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO USE THE #1 COM WITH MY AUDIO SELECTOR XMIT SWITCH ON #2 COM AND MY FO XMITTING ON #1 COM AND USING THE SPEAKER. 'ALT/NORM' MADE NO DIFFERENCE ON THE AUDIO PANEL. SUSPECTED THAT THE CAPT'S AUDIO SELECTOR PANEL HAD AN INTERNAL SHORT. AS WE CLBED TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF FL410; WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE ONE RADIO THAT WORKED AND RE-ESTABLISHED COMS WITH CTR. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL USING OUR SINGLE RADIO. AN OPERATIONAL SIDE ISSUE: IS ATC AWARE THAT IF WE ARE TOO HVY TO CLB TO OUR ASSIGNED CRUISE ALT; '10 MINS AFTER DEP' IN THE CASE OF LOST COMS; THAT WE WILL CLB TO THE HIGHEST ALT WE CAN UNTIL BURNING DOWN TO A LIGHTER WT TO CLB TO THE ATC/PDC ASSIGNED ALT? IN OUR CASE; WE WERE ABLE TO CLB UNRESTR TO OUR CLRNC ALT OF FL410; BUT I WOULD HAVE CLBED TO FL390 UNTIL LIGHT ENOUGH TO REACH OUR CLRNC ALT. AN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION INTERNALLY IN THE AUDIO PANEL OR #1 VHF COM. BETTER QUALITY CTL DURING MANUFACTURER.

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.

Attributes
ACN	812466
Time
Date	200811
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 227 flight time type : 11500
ASRS Report	812466
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

B737-700 captain reports lost communication shortly after take off. All radios are rendered inoperative by an apparent short in the captain's communication panel. A single radio is eventually regained and the flight continues to destination.