ALT DEV ALT EXCURSION OCCURS DURING ALLEGED RADIO COM PROBLEM WITH ARTCC RADAR CTLR.

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WHILE AT LEVEL CRUISE AT 14000 FT; WASHINGTON CENTER CALLED TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK AT 7 MI (WORKING FREQ 121.05). WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE TFC CALL AND RPTED THAT WE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. WASHINGTON CALLED OUT ANOTHER UPDATED TFC RPT AND WE AGAIN ACKNOWLEDGED THE CALL. WASHINGTON CENTER NEXT TOLD US TO TURN R TO 280 DEG (ORIGINAL HDG WAS 235 DEG). WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE HDG CHANGE AND TURNED TO 280 DEG. WASHINGTON NEXT DIRECTED US TO CLB TO 15000 FT. WE ACKNOWLEDGED CALL AND CLBED TO 15000 FT. AFTER ARRIVING AT 15000 FT; WASHINGTON CENTER ADVISED US THAT WE SHOULD BE AT 14000 FT AND 'HOW DID WE HEAR THEIR TRANSMITTER'. WE ANSWERED 'LOUD AND CLR' AND ADVISED THAT WE WERE DSNDING BACK TO 14000 FT. DURING THIS ENTIRE EPISODE WE HAD THE OTHER ACFT VISUALLY AND NEVER APCHED CLOSER THAN 4 MI OF HIS POS. CENTER WAS EVIDENTLY WORKING SEVERAL FREQS AT ONCE (NORMAL IN THIS SECTOR AT NIGHT) AND CENTER HAD POOR RADIO RECEPTION FROM THE REMOTE R/T UNIT IN THE N OF GVE. HOWEVER; SINCE WE HAD OTHER ACFT VISUALLY; SAFETY WAS NOT COMPROMISED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 187944: CENTER WAS EVIDENTLY WORKING SEVERAL FREQS AT ONCE AND/OR HAD POOR RADIO RECEPTION FROM HIS REMOTE R/T UNIT IN THE N AREA OF GVE. IF WE HAD BEEN IMC CONDITION AND THIS EPISODE HAPPENED THERE COULD HAVE BEEN SOME REAL DANGER. NEED TO CHK OUT THE EQUIP R/T IN THAT AREA.