BA3100 FLC FINDS IT DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN COM WITH SCK APCH CTL ON V-23 AT 3000 FT MSL WHILE 40 NM OUT ON THE 124 DEG RADIAL.

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OUR ACFT WAS OPERATING AT THE MOCA AND/OR MEA OF 3000 FT ON V-23 BTWN CZQ AND LIN VORS. WE WERE IN A SEGMENT OF THE AIRWAY WHICH THE MEA WAS 4000 FT BUT THE MOCA WAS 3000 FT. THERE HAD NOT BEEN ANY ATC OR OTHER ACFT RECEPTION HEARD ON OUR FREQ FOR APPROX 8 MINS. I DID HEAR A VERY FAINT VOICE/XMISSION IN THE HEADSET. I THEN TURNED THE SQUELCH OFF ON THE COM RADIO TO CHK TO VOLUME LEVEL. NO SQUELCH WAS HEARD. I THEN TURNED THE VOLUME UP AND TURNED THE SQUELCH BACK TO ON. I CALLED STOCKTON APCH TO INQUIRE IF THEY HAD BEEN ATTEMPTING TO CALL US. STOCKTON STATED THAT THEY HAD BEEN ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT US SINCE WRAPS INTXN. THEY INSTRUCTED US TO CLB/MAINTAIN 5000 FT; WHICH WE DID. I INFORMED STOCKTON APPARENTLY THERE WAS A PROB WITH OUR COM RADIO SINCE THE VOLUME LEVEL DROPPED OFF. OTHER ACFT ALSO ASKED STOCKTON APCH IF THEY (STOCKTON) HEARD THEIR XMISSIONS AS THEY HAD BEEN TRYING TO CALL STOCKTON AS WELL AND THEY ALSO HEARD NO XMISSIONS FOR AWHILE. STOCKTON STATED THEY DID NOT HEAR THAT ACFT'S CALL. I WROTE UP OUR COM PROB IN OUR ACFT LOGBOOK. HOWEVER IT IS NOT KNOWN AT THIS POINT IF THE RECEPTION PROB WAS OUR ACFT'S OR ATC. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO CALL STOCKTON APCH BEFORE THE MEA INCREASED; ALTHOUGH WE WERE AT THE MOCA. I ASSUMED THAT STOCKTON'S MVA IN OUR AREA WAS 3000 FT OR LOWER AND THAT IS WHY WE DID NOT HEAR A CLB CLRNC. THE ACFT WAS OPERATING AT 3000 FT TO AVOID FLYING IN ICING CONDITIONS DUE TO DEFERRED DEICE EQUIP.