"John R. Copeland" wrote in message
...

I've run into that with Centers covering mountainous areas, too.
The first time, I thought I was losing coverage because I could barely
hear the controller talking to other aircraft on the frequency.
When I asked if he could copy me, he replied loud and clear to my area,
and explained what I'd just experienced was exactly as Steven
described.

I wouldn't try to guess whether Phoenix Tracon might have a similar
setup.


Very unlikely. The Center sectors that do this tend to be very large and
have relatively little traffic.