FLC OF A CPR MDT JET FAILED TO MAINTAIN 2-WAY COMS WITH ARTCC DUE TO WRONG COM FREQ SELECTED.

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LAST CLRNC RECEIVED WAS DIRECT ARMEL VOR. AFTER A FEW MINS WE SUSPECTED SOMETHING WAS AMISS WHEN NO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS WERE RECEIVED; SO I ASKED CTR IF HE STILL WANTED US DIRECT ARMEL. SOUNDING CONFUSED IN HIS RESPONSE; HE ASKED US OUR POS. I GAVE IT IN REF TO ARMEL. AFTER ANOTHER MIN WENT BY; HE ASKED US OUR POS AGAIN AND I RESPONDED AGAIN; ONLY THIS TIME WHEN I GAVE OUR POS WE HAD JUST PASSED ARMEL (OUR PREVIOUS CLRNC LIMIT). AFTER A FEW MORE SECONDS HE GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE TO ANOTHER ZDC CTLR. AFTER INITIAL CALL-UP; THE CTLR SAID HE HAD BEEN CALLING US FOR 5 MINS AND IMMEDIATELY INSTRUCTED US TO CALL WASHINGTON APCH. THEN BEFORE I CALLED APCH; THE CAP TOOK CTL OF THE RADIO AND BEGAN TO RUDELY CHASTISE THE CTR CTLR STATING WE HAD BEEN ON THIS SAME FREQ AND BLAMED THE CTLRS FOR CREATING THIS SIT. AFTER THE CAPT'S LONG WINDED ARGUMENT; THE CTLR ANGRILY RESPONDED THAT HE HAD THE WHOLE EVENT ON TAPE TO PROVE HE WAS NOT AT FAULT AND TO ONCE AGAIN CONTACT WASHINGTON APCH. REST OF FLT UNEVENTFUL. AFTER THE BUSY DAY WAS OVER; I SAT DOWN AND BEGAN TO THINK THROUGH THE INCIDENT AGAIN AND RECALLED THAT THE FREQ THE 'CONFUSED' CTLR GAVE US WAS ONLY ONE 'CLICK' OF THE KNOB OFF FROM THE OTHER CTR FREQ. THE ONLY EXPLANATION I CAN COME UP WITH IS THAT COM RADIO FREQ CHANGE KNOB WAS INADVERTENTLY MOVED; CAUSING US TO BE ON THE WRONG ZDC FREQ. THE CAPT'S ACTION OF ARGUING WITH THE CTLR IN A HIGH DENSITY ENVIRONMENT IN A HIGH SPD ACFT FURTHER COMPROMISED SAFETY BEYOND THE INITIAL FREQ MISHAP--THE PLACE FOR RESOLVING THESE DISAGREEMENTS IS ON THE GND OVER THE PHONE. SPECIAL CARE MUST BE TAKEN WHEN A KNOB IS SUSPECTED OF BEING BUMPED OR TURNED.