A B737-800 FLC WAS UNABLE TO RECEIVE COMS FROM THE SLC TWR WHICH FORCED AN ACFT TO GAR.

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FLT WAS CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 34R; SLC; BY SLC TWR ON FREQ 119.05. ACFT WAS A B737-800; USING NUMBER 1 VHF RADIO WHICH USES LOWER ANTENNA. WE DID NOT HEAR TKOF CLRNC DUE TO AN APPARENT DEAD SPOT FOR THE LOWER ANTENNA. THIS FORCED A GAR OF A LNDG ACFT. MY COMPANY HAS A NOTAM FOR RWY 16R ON THIS ACFT; BUT NOT RWY 34R. THE LOSS OF COM AT UNEXPECTED TIMES ON THE GND USING VHF NUMBER 1 IS A BIG PROB ON THE B737-800. THIS IS A KNOWN PROB THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED BEFORE IT CAUSES AN ACCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS CONCERNED THAT THE B737-800 FLEET HAS TWO DIFFERENT COM ANTENNA LOCATIONS. THOSE UTILIZING THE LOWER ANTENNA EXPERIENCE LOSS OF COM DURING SOME GND OPS. FURTHER; WORKING AROUND THIS KNOWN PROB REQUIRES THE PF'S ATTENTION TO BE DIRECTED TO THE AFT PORTION OF THE PEDESTAL TO USE THE NUMBER 2 COM RADIO DURING THE CRITICAL PHASE OF THE TKOF. RECENT ACFT ARE BEING DELIVERED WITH THE NUMBER 1 RADIO UTILIZING THE UPPER ANTENNA WHICH SOLVES THE LOSS OF COM. FOR REASONS UNKNOWN THERE HAS BEEN NO EFFORT MADE TO PLACARD THE ACFT AS TO WHICH ANTENNA SITE IS BEING USED. THE RPTR BELIEVES THIS WOULD BE MOST BENEFICIAL TO THE FLCS. ON THE SECOND CALLBACK ON FEB/XA/00; THE RPTR CLARIFIED WHAT HE MEANT BY PLACARDING THE ACFT AS TO WHICH ANTENNA THE NUMBER 1 VHF RADIO IS CONNECTED TO. THIS IS BECAUSE THEIR FLEET OF B737-800'S CONSIST OF OLD AND NEWER MODELS OF THE ACFT. THE RPTR STATED; THAT BECAUSE OF THIS; FLC'S MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY IN DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN THE MODELS AS TO WHICH ANTENNA THE NUMBER 1 VHF RADIO IS USING. THE RPTR ALSO CLAIMS THE LOSS OF COM HAPPENS AT OTHER ARPTS AS WELL.