FLC OF A B737-100 LOST COM DURING A STAR ARR RESULTING IN NOT FOLLOWING THE ALT DSCNT PROFILE DEPICTED. SUBSEQUENTLY; RE-ESTABLISHED COM OVER DEST ARPT AND WAS GIVEN ANOTHER ARR RTE WITH NO FURTHER COM PROBS.

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VICINITY OF YQO ENRTE EWR TO DTW LOST COM WITH ATC -- COULD HEAR ATC CHATTER AND WAS AWAITING FURTHER DSCNT CLRNC. UNABLE TO ESTABLISH COM UNTIL OVER DTW AT FL220. AFTER 10 OR MORE FREQ CHANGES AND AFTER ESTABLISHING INTERMITTENT COM WITH CTR; WAS VECTORED TO POLAR 1 ARR (A NW ARR TO DTW). LNDG UNEVENTFUL. REQUESTED MAINT TO CHK RADIOS. CLEANED CONTACTS AND RECHKED BOTH COMS. COMS CHKED OK AND CONTINUED TO NEXT STOP UNEVENTFULLY. BELIEVE A COMBINATION OF FREQ CONGESTION AND RADIO PROBS LEFT US 'HIGH AND DRY' OVER OUR DEST. ONCE WE WERE ON THE ARR; A VERY SHORT LOSS OF COM WITH ATC MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ACTUALLY FLY THE ARR AND MEET XING RESTRS. THE CAPT WAS EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY OBTAINING ATIS AND CONTACTING COMPANY ON #2 COM. I WAS FLYING AND NAVING ALONE AND GOT VERY INVOLVED TRYING TO CONTACT ATC ABOUT FURTHER DSCNT. WHEN CAPT FINALLY GAVE UP ON CONTACTING COMPANY; I TOLD HIM 'WE GOT A PROB.' WITHIN MINS WE ARRIVED OVER THE DTW VOR. IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH OF AN EVENT TO SERIOUSLY TAX THE BEST EFFORTS OF A 2 MAN CREW -- ESPECIALLY; IN THE LAST 30 MINS OF A FLT. THE B737-100 WE WERE FLYING REQUIRES A RADIO TO BE TUNED TO THE LCL COMMERCIAL RADIO FREQ. WE WERE USING THAT RADIO TO OBTAIN ATIS AND TALK TO COMPANY. COMPANY DISPATCH WAS ATTEMPTING TO SELCAL US; BUT TO NO AVAIL. 'FOR WANT OF A NAIL A SHOE WAS LOST;' ETC. BY THE TIME WE REALIZED WE WERE OUT OF CONTACT WITH ATC; WE COULD NOT COMPLY WITH FARS AND FLY OUR CLRNC FARS.