PLT OF C172 REPORTS COM WITH PCT TRACON AT LOW ALTITUDES IN THE VICINITY OF BRV VOR IS ERRATIC AND CONTRIBUTES TO DIFFICULTIES FOR USERS TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS FOR OPS WITHIN THE DCADIZ.

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ACFT X WAS ON A VFR CROSS-COUNTRY FLT FROM WESTPOINT; VA (W97) TO QUANTICO; VA. AT APPROX XA:00 HRS; ACFT X WAS APPROX 10 NM TO THE SE OF BROOKE VORTAC AT APPROX 2500 FT MSL DSNDING TO 2000 FT MSL. PREVIOUSLY; WHILE ON THE GND AT WESTPOINT; VA; ACFT X FILED A DCADIZ VFR ENTRY FLT PLAN BY TELEPHONE WITH LEESBURG FSS. ACFT X; AFTER ATTEMPTING TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT WITH POTOMAC APCH ON 124.65 WITHOUT SUCCESS; SWITCHED FREQUENCIES TO 120.45 AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT POTOMAC APCH ON THE FREQ PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED EARLIER IN THE DAY FOR DEPARTING THE DCADIZ FROM QUANTICO; VA. RADIO CONTACT WAS MADE BY ACFT X WITH POTOMAC APCH ON 120.45. APCH HAD ACFT X ATTEMPT TO CONTACT POTOMAC APCH ON 124.65. AFTER A NUMBER OF ATTEMPTS; ON 124.65 ACFT X FINALLY MADE CONTACT WITH POTOMAC APCH. ACFT X CONTINUED TO ORBIT OUTSIDE THE DCADIZ AT 2000 FT MSL 2-3 NM SE OF BROOKE VORTAC AND POTOMAC APCH ASSIGNED AT XPONDER CODE TO ACFT X. ACFT X XMITTED THE ASSIGNED XPONDER CODE AND POTOMAC APCH ATTEMPTED TO ESTABLISH RADAR CONTACT. AFTER RADAR CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTED BY ACFT X I-DENTING; ACFT X LOST COMS WITH POTOMAC APCH. ACFT X ATTEMPTED NUMEROUS TIMES TO RE-ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH POTOMAC APCH; TO GET AN ADIZ ENTRY CLRNC DIRECT FROM 2-3 NM SE OF BROOKE VORTAC DIRECT TO QUANTICO; VA. AFTER ACFT X COULD NOT RE-ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH POTOMAC APCH; ACFT X PROCEEDED VFR IN VMC CONDITIONS ON A TRACK OUTSIDE THE DCADIZ TO STAFFORD; VA ARPT AND LNDED AT XA:21 HRS. TELEPHONE CONTACT WAS MADE BY ACFT X WITH POTOMAC APCH AND ACFT X RPTED TO POTOMAC APCH THAT ACFT X WAS ON THE GND AND ACFT X HAD LOST RADIO CONTACT WITH POTOMAC APCH ON 124.65; AT APPROX 2-3 NM SE OF BROOKE VORTAC. POTOMAC APCH ASSIGNED A NEW XPONDER CODE TO ACFT X AND GAVE ACFT X A CLRNC INTO THE ADIZ ON RADIO FREQ 124.65. ACFT X DEPARTED STAFFORD; VA AT XA:40 HRS ON THE ASSIGNED XPONDER CODE FLYING A TRACK TOWARDS BROOKE VORTAC OUTSIDE THE DCADIZ . RADIO CONTACT WAS MADE BY ACFT X WITH POTOMAC APCH ON 124.65. POTOMAC APCH CLRED ACFT X INTO THE DCADIZ DIRECT FROM PRESENT POSITION TO QUANTICO; VA. ACFT X COMPLIED WITH POTOMAC APCH'S ADIZ CLRNC AND PROCEEDED DIRECT TO QUANTICO; VA AND LNDED AT XA:54 HRS. ACFT X CLOSED OUT THE ADIZ CLRNC ON THE GND BY TELEPHONE WITH POTOMAC APCH. MAINTAINING RADIO CONTACT WITH POTOMAC APCH AT ALTITUDES 2500 AND BELOW SE OF BROOKE VORTAC HAS BEEN VERY PROBLEMATIC FOR VFR ACFT. POOR RADIO RECEPTION HAS RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED WORKLOADS FOR ALREADY OVERWORKED POTOMAC APCH CTLRS. FURTHER; PLTS OF ACFT ATTEMPTING TO COMPLY WITH APPLICABLE NOTAMS PERTAINING TO THE DCADIZ CLRNCES ARE HAMPERED BY VERY PROBLEMATIC RADIO RECEPTION WITH POTOMAC APCH. TO ALLEVIATE THE APPARENT DEAD SPOT IN RADIO RECEPTION SE OF BROOKE VORTAC AT ALTITUDES BELOW 2500 FT MSL; I RECOMMEND THAT A REMOTE XMITTER-RECEIVER BE UTILIZED BY POTOMAC APCH INSTALLED AT A LOCATION SE OF THE BROOKE VORTAC. MAINTAINING RADIO CONTACT WITH POTOMAC APCH CTLRS WOULD BE VASTLY IMPROVED AND THE CTLRS WORKLOAD WOULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED. PLTS ON IFR FLT PLANS APCHING THE BROOKE VORTAC DO NOT EXPERIENCE THE COMS PROBS TO THE SAME DEG AS VFR PLTS AS THEIR APCHES INTO THE DCADIZ AREA ARE AT HIGHER ALTITUDES.