RPTR SIT OF A PROB WITH 2 DC FREQS. RPTR CLAIMS A UCR HAS BEEN FILED ON 1 FREQ. FREQ WAS TAKEN OTS FOR FLT CHK. ON A SUBSEQUENT OCCASION; RECEPTION PROBS WERE ENCOUNTERED ON THE OTHER FREQ; TFC WAS SWITCHED TO AN ADJOINING SECTOR BY HAVING THE PLTS IDENT AS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. RPTR ALLEGES EQUIP PROBS ARE NOT BEING RECTIFIED IN A TIMELY AND EFFICIENT MANNER DUE PLANNED FACILITY MOVE TO A NEW LOCATION.

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WASHINGTON TWR/TRACON IS PREPARING TO MOVE INTO AN ENTIRE NEW FACILITY. CONSEQUENTLY; MANY EQUIP PROBS ARE NOT BEING RECTIFIED IN A TIMELY; EFFICIENT MANNER. BASICALLY; CTLRS FEEL THAT MGMNT/MAINT HAS THE ATTITUDE OF 'SCREW IT WE'RE MOVING SOON ANYWAY.' THE FAA IS WAY BEHIND HERE IN JUST TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH WHAT THEY HAVE NOW. LACK OF MAINT PERSONNEL AND MOTIVATION SEEMS TO BE THE FOCUS OF THE PROB. FOR A LONG TIME (IN EXCESS OF 2 YRS) WE HAVE HAD PARTICULAR PROBS WITH 2 FREQS ON THE DEP SIDE OF THE ROOM. THEY ARE 126.55 AND 125.65. ON MAR/FRI/97; FAA FORM 1800-1 (UCR) WAS FILED WITH HEADQUARTERS FAA REGARDING KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED INTERFERENCE PROBS WITH FREQ 125.65. THIS RPTR FILED THAT RPT. THE END RESULT WAS THE FREQ WAS TAKEN OTS AWAITING FLT CHK. FOR THE TIME BEING THE STATUS REMAINS THE SAME. AS AN ALTERNATIVE 126.55 WAS BEING UTILIZED. THIS FREQ HAS BEEN PROBLEMATIC OVER THE PAST FEW YRS AS WELL. IT'S ASSIGNED TO A HIGH SECTOR YET SELDOM GOT UTILIZED. THE PROB IS ONE OF RECEPTION. IN THE NE QUADRANT OF THE AIRSPACE CTLRS CANNOT HEAR READBACKS TO CTL INSTRUCTIONS. NORMALLY; AFTER A FEW RETRIES TO THE PLT WE GOT THE READBACK. PLTS AREN'T TOO HAPPY BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO REPEAT THEMSELVES OR RUN THROUGH A SERIES OF WASTED MOTIONS TRYING TO SEE IF THE ACFT HAD A XMIT PROB. VALID ARGUMENTS ALL. THIS IS A BUSY SECTOR IN THE WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA SO ONE CAN IMAGINE THE FRUSTRATION AND POSSIBLE SAFETY CONSEQUENCES IT CAN CAUSE. ON MAR/MON/97; AT APPROX XA50 PM EST A SIT AROSE THAT I ATTRIBUTE DIRECTLY TO PROBS WITH THE FREQS. THE SCENARIO INVOLVED A B727 IFR TO LGA AND A VFR B737 BEING WORKED BY AN ADJACENT FACILITY (BALTIMORE APCH). THE INCIDENT HAPPENED 5-10 NM SW OF THE BAL VOR. MY WORKLOAD WAS MODERATE. THE B727 WAS EBOUND FROM DCA HEADED TO ENO VIA ITS 271 DEG RADIAL. I STARTED HAVING RECEPTION PROBS ON FREQ 126.55 AND RPTED IT TO THE SUPVRS ON DUTY. ONE OF THEM SET ME UP ON A SPARE FREQ. I HAD TO CHANGE EACH ACFT TO THE NEW FREQ; AND THE ONLY WAY I FELT WAS SAFE TO ASSURE THEY HEARD ME WAS TO HAVE EACH INDIVIDUAL ACFT ACKNOWLEDGE THE CHANGE BY IDENTING. IT TOOK A LOT OF TIME TO DO SO. I HAD A SUPVR SITTING RIGHT BESIDE ME AS AN EXTRA SET OF EYES AND TO ASSIST ME AS NEEDED. I'M SURE GLAD HE WAS THERE. THE SUPVR WAS SITTING 2 FT FROM ME AND VERY CALMLY POINTED TO MY SCOPE. HE POINTED OUT AN ACFT WHOSE MODE C REFLECTED 14500 FT HEADED N TO S ACROSS THE PATH OF THE EBOUND B727. AS IS USUALLY THE CASE; THE B727 WAS CLBING THROUGH 14000 FT WHEN I ISSUED A TURN AND TFC. THE B727 RPTED IT WAS RESPONDING TO A TCASII RESOLUTION AND I DIDN'T BOTHER HIM FOR A MOMENT. THE TFC WAS CALLED AS TYPE UNKNOWN AND ALT UNVERIFIED. THE JET TOLD ME IT WAS A B737 AND 14500 FT WAS RIGHT. AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT I HAD MAYBE 2 OTHER AIRPLANES; HAVING 'DUMPED OFF' ALL I COULD. THERE ARE LOTS OF CAUSAL FACTORS HERE. I HAVE 20 YRS AIR TFC EXPERIENCE IN RADAR; 16 OF THEM ARE RIGHT HERE IN DCA. THE B737 WAS ABOVE CLASS B AIRSPACE OPERATING VFR. MAYBE THE ADJACENT FACILITY WAS TRYING TO POINT OUT THE B737 TO ME; I'D HAD TOO MUCH ELSE TO DO AT THE TIME ANYWAY SO PROBABLY DIDN'T HEAR THEM IF THEY WERE. I WAS IN MY OWN AIRSPACE AT THE TIME. I DAMN NEAR SWITCHED THE ACR TO THE CTR BUT HADN'T MADE THE HDOF YET. IF IT WEREN'T FOR THAT SUPVR'S 'EXTRA SET OF EYES' I'D NEVER HAVE SEEN THE OTHER AIRPLANE. WE ASKED THE PLT TO CALL US WHEN HE GOT TO LGA. HE DID. HE WASN'T ANGRY. HE SAID HE WAS SURPRISED AND STARTLED BY THE EVENT BUT UNDERSTOOD THE SIT. THE ONLY THING HE SAID THAT SETS ME ABACK IS THAT HE WANTED THE TFC CALL TO HAVE BEEN MADE SOONER.