CRJ100 CREW RPTS LOST COM IN ZOB AIRSPACE AT FL230.

Narrative

WE CHKED IN WITH ZOB JUST PRIOR TO DJB. AS WE WERE APCHING JHW WE REALIZED THAT WE HADN'T HEARD FROM ZOB IN A WHILE. WE CALLED TO SEE IF THEY STILL WANTED US WITH THEM OR IF THEY HAD FORGOTTEN TO GIVE US A HDOF. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CALL ZOB WE REALIZED WE WERE OUT OF RANGE. I STARTED LOOKING ON MY CHARTS FOR ANOTHER FREQ. THE FO WAS ABOUT TO CALL ATL RADIO TO GET A GOOD FREQ WHEN A COMPANY ACFT OFFERED TO RELAY OUR REQUEST TO ZOB FOR US. WE COMMUNICATED OUR FLT NUMBER AND SQUAWK THROUGH COMPANY TO ZOB AND WERE TOLD SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHO WE WERE OR WHERE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE. WE WERE TOLD TO RETURN TO OUR LAST FREQ AND WE EXPLAINED THAT THEY WERE OUR LAST FREQ. WE RPTED OUR POS THROUGH COMPANY IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET A FREQ. WHILE WE WERE WAITING FOR ATC TO REMEMBER WHO WE WERE AND GIVE US A GOOD FREQ; THE FO DIALED IN THE FREQ I PULLED OFF MY CHART IN COM #2. THE FO MADE POSITIVE CONTACT WITH ATC AND WAS GIVEN ANOTHER FREQ FROM THEM AT THE SAME TIME COMPANY RELAYED A FREQ TO ME. I DIALED IN THE FREQ GIVEN TO ME AND AFTER 2 ATTEMPTS WITH NO ANSWER; WE TRIED THE FREQ THE FO RECEIVED. THAT WAS THE CORRECT FREQ. ZOB'S FAILURE TO GIVE US A HDOF WAS THE PRIMARY REASON FOR THE LOST COMS. AS SOON AS THE CREW REALIZED THERE MIGHT BE A PROB WE TOOK CORRECTIVE ACTION. A LOT OF TIME WAS WASTED TRYING TO RELAY THROUGH COMPANY. THE FREQ WE PULLED OFF THE CHART GOT US ON THE RIGHT FREQ IN LESS THAN 1 MIN.