Difficulty Reporting VFR Position in Remote Areas

[JoTayhen 6]

I usually fly in the Papua, New Guinea area. At some point during my flight it becomes necessary to report my position, altitude, direction of flight, destination, ETA, etc. to a central location for the purpose of traffic control and advisories. For example departing AYGA (Goroka) and flying to one of the remote bush strips will necessitate my reporting in to Moresby and giving them my flight info. I am dialing in Moresby radar freq  for this purpose however I am not able to make contact. What is the best procedure for me to use to accomplish these tasks? Should I be adjusting the Controller Name Radius?

[Dave-Pilot2ATC 870]

The Controller Name radius is the distance from your filed flight plan course that P2A looks for navfix and airport names so they can be understood in speech.  I doubt this is the issue.

If you're not able to make contact, you may be out of range.  Try just making contact, without the report, to see if they answer.  If not, see if you can find a Center Frequency to make the report to.

Dave

[JoTayhen 6]

Thanks very much, Dave. I really appreciate your getting back so soon! Regarding radio ranges, are they dependent upon or a function of altitude in P2A? Typically, VHF transmits a greater distance with altitude gained. If not, is there a way to adjust the radio communication range in P2A? Places like PNG do experience VHF radio blackouts due to a variety of factors and so they use backup HF radios to help. I certainly understand that HF radio communication is beyond the scope of P2A at least at this moment. Thanks again!

John

[Dave-Pilot2ATC 870]

The range is 250NM when airborne.  It is not adjustable by the user.

There should be a valid Center frequency in range almost everywhere, so I'd recommend giving that a try.

Dave

[JoTayhen 6]

Thanks again, Dave. I'll prepare a list of available centers and utilize them along the way. Pilot2ATC is very valuable to me and I am very grateful for its availability.