M03 controller described a radio failure event involving both the primary and battery back-up equipment requiring the use of the PET 2000 transceivers that created a bleed-over problem; reporter indicating maintenance failed to insure all back-up equipment was ready for use.

Narrative

I was not on duty at the time and I don't recall the weather conditions; but I felt this was too important to not report on; so I have pieced this together after talking to controllers on duty at the time. The evening arrival push was underway when all TRACON positions except East Arrival lost their main and standby transmitters and receivers. Controllers immediately plugged into emergency jacks to battery powered transceivers; but these also failed to operate. Finally; controllers turned to several portable radios; called PET 2000s. They were able to communicate with aircraft; but a problem developed when the PET 2000s were found to bleed over each other. To operate without bleed-over; one controller would make a transmission; get a read-back; and then the next controller would do the same. The bleed-over was later attributed to 'too much electricity in the air' by FAA technicians (not sure what that means). FAA technicians also said that the batteries for the battery powered; emergency radios were dead. It seems that the batteries also played a part in keeping the mains and standbys operating when transferring from commercial power to generator and back again; and the batteries hadn't been checked recently. The FAA calls this type of back-up; 'single redundancy.' The facility; technicians and air traffic; had a meeting the next day to discuss the situation; but nothing; to my knowledge; has come of it.