ACR PIC'S RADIO TUNING TECHNIQUES GETS HIM A LOSS OF COM FREQ ON SHORT FINAL.

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ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 16R AT SEA-TAC ARPT: AT SOME POINT INSIDE THE OM; AFTER BEING CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 16R; I TUNED GND CTL INTO THE R HEAD OF THE #1 COM RADIO (TO FACILITATE THE SWITCHOVER AFTER LNDG). THE PROB AROSE WHEN; BY THIS ACTION; I TUNED OUT THE TWR FREQ OF 119.9 MHZ. POSSIBLE CAUSAL FACTORS: I HAD JUST COME OFF OF 2 YRS ON THE WDB AS COPLT. THE COM RADIOS IN THAT ACFT ARE TUNED IN A DIFFERENT MANNER THAN ON THE MLG; I.E.; PRE- TUNING IS DONE IN THE R WINDOW; THEN TRANSFERRED INTO THE L WINDOW FOR USE. THE MLG RADIO PANEL IS NOT VERY USER- FRIENDLY DUE TO THE COCKPIT SIZE AND DESIGN; I.E.; THE #1 COM RADIO IS ABOUT HALF VISIBLE FROM THE CAPT'S SEAT (OBSCURED BY ARM REST) CAUSING THE CAPT TO HAVE TO LEAN TO THE R TO SEE THE ENTIRE RADIO PANEL. THE WINDOW SELECTOR INDICATOR LIGHTS ARE NOT VISIBLE IN BRIGHT SUNLIGHT; AND THE WINDOW SELECTOR SWITCH IS NOT READILY NOTICEABLE WITHOUT THE WHITE RUBBER SWITCH COVER INSTALLED. THE BASIC PROB; HOWEVER; LIES IN TRYING TO DO TOO MANY THINGS AT ONCE AND NOT GIVING ONE'S FULL ATTN TO ANY OF THEM. AS A RESULT OF THE ABOVE MISTAKE; WE LANDED WITHOUT HAVING THE TWR TUNED. AFTER TAKING THE HIGHSPD TURNOFF AND STOPPING AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 16L; WE DISCOVERED MY MISTAKE WHEN GND CTLR CALLED AND TOLD US TO RETURN TO TWR FREQ. I WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ADVISED; VIA PHONE; THAT WE HAD CAUSED AN ACFT THAT HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF ON 16L TO HAVE HIS TKOF CLRNC CANCELLED BECAUSE OF OUR NO-COM STATUS. THE POSSIBLE RAMIFICATIONS OF THIS KIND OF MISTAKE ARE FRIGHTENING; TO SAY THE LEAST. I FEEL THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO EMPHASIZE THE NEED TO BE AWARE OF THE IDIOSYNCRASIES OF DIFFERENT ACFT RADIO TUNING PANELS; PARTICULARLY UNTIL ONE'S CURRENT ACFT OP BECOMES SECOND NATURE. EXTRA DILIGENCE TO DETAIL NEVER GOES UNREWARDED IN OUR BUSINESS -- WE STAY ALIVE LONGER!