US ARTCC frequency cross-coupling updates ?

[byoungblood]

Well, I don't think anything that would inhibit a pilot being able to transmit would ever pass muster, simply because if something broke it may keep the pilot from being able to transmit entirely. You'd just be trading off what is in 99% of cases an annoyance to a potential safety issue.

To answer a couple of previous questions....

Yes, if I transmit, it overrides the repeated audio on the other frequency. That's why I really wish they'd figure out how to make it work on our low altitude frequencies where in my opinion it is needed most.

Don't confuse cross coupling with frequencies being combined. Now, terminal facilities in the US do use a different voice switching system (gotta love the government!) and I think they can cross couple across more than two frequencies at a time. However, there are only 6 sectors in my area (ZME has six areas, four with six sectors, two with seven), and only under unusual circumstances would all six frequencies be combined; typically on the mid shifts after the FedEx arrivals we go down to two scopes in my area, one works high/ultra high, the other low. So one guy has four frequencies at most, working in two cross coupled pairs. So just from a practical standpoint in a US Enroute facility, there really wouldn't be any need to cross couple more than maybe 3-4 frequencies at once.

[MIAMIATC]

fast ? for you Mr. Youngblood are you guys using high and ultrahigh in the 124.925 sector. Trying to confirm a handoff from ZFW 134.475 to 124.025 which would be the 124.925 sector. Did you guys split it up high/ultra high ?

[InterpreDemon]

YoungBlood, obviously my technical suggestions were tongue in cheek. A more rational and safer approach might be to simply play the "Jeopardy" theme clock over the side-tone after switching channels as a reminder to listen first, then talk.

And thanks for your clarification of how the cross coupling works.

[davolijj]

fast ? for you Mr. Youngblood are you guys using high and ultrahigh in the 124.925 sector. Trying to confirm a handoff from ZFW 134.475 to 124.025 which would be the 124.925 sector. Did you guys split it up high/ultra high ?

134.47 is ZFW Decod High (FL240-340).  It doesn't border ZME PBF High/UH 124.92 (FL240 and abv), but sometimes you'll hear them handing off to 124.92 on the mids.  This past month ZFW commissioned ultra high sectors over their sectors which were previously defined as high/uh (FL240 and abv).  I'll see if I can dig up a new map which would make things a little more clear.

[MIAMIATC]

Sounds good DavoLijj Please let us know. I listen to a ZFW feed over at another site a lot so that would be a goldmine of info .