RADIO FREQ FAILURE BUEC OTS REQUIRING COMBINED POSITIONS OF OP. POOR RADIO COVERAGE IN HMU SECTOR.

Narrative

WHEN HOUSTON CTR WAS PROPOSING PLANS FOR RESECTORIZATION; A PROBLEM OF FREQ COVERAGE FOR HMU SECTOR WAS IDENT. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT ADDRESSED AND HMU SECTOR OPERATES WITH 126.0 AS ITS ONLY FREQ. THIS CAUSES THE NW 1/3 OF THE SECTOR TO HAVE NO FREQ COVERAGE WITHOUT ACTIVATING AND USING BUEC EQUIP. THIS PART OF THE SECTOR IS ALSO RUN WITH NO RADAR COVERAGE AT OR BELOW 6000 FT. THE #1 PRIORITY BUEC IS USED OVER 50% OF THE TIME TO WORK THE SECTOR. THIS BUEC HAS BEEN OTS CONTINUOUSLY SINCE JAN/92 AND OFF AND ON FOR THE PAST MONTH. TODAY; FRIDAY AFTERNOON; THE MAIN AND STANDBY XMITTERS FAILED AND I HAD NO BUEC THAT COULD COVER THE SECTOR OR ANY OTHER FREQ AVAILABLE. THE SECTOR HAD TO BE COMBINED ON ANOTHER DURING ONE OF THE BUSIEST DAYS OF THE WK. THE PRIMARY FREQ FOR THE SECTOR SHOULD PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR THE WHOLE SECTOR. RELIABLE BACK-UP EQUIP SHOULD BE AVAILABLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED FACILITY MGMNT WAS AWARE OF THE FREQ COVERAGE PROBLEM AT THE TIME OF RESECTORIZATION. FACILITY MGMNT HAD STATED A NEW RCAG SITE WOULD BE INSTALLED AT MCB TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM WITHIN 4 TO 6 WEEKS. 6 MONTHS AFTER RESECTORIZATION THE SITE HAD NOT BEEN INSTALLED. A UCR WAS FILED. RPTR STATED THEY HAVE RECEIVED WORD THAT THE RCAG SITE HAS BEEN FUNDED AND WITHIN 4 TO 6 WEEKS WILL BE OPERATIONAL.