Regional Jet 200 ER/LR (CRJ200)
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem
ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Chart Or Publication; Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure; Aircraft
While departing ZZZ with no long range navigation operational; the captain inadvertently switched the COM 1 frequency off of an active center frequency to one that was previously used. According to ZZZ Center; they were trying to call us numerous times on the frequency that was switched off; likely for less than a minute. They finally reached us on the previous frequency and we immediately switched to the correct frequency. The aircraft was being flown via VOR inputs as the primary navigation system; and the comm frequency was accidentally switched off as the captain switched VOR frequencies while attempting to acquire the next VOR station. Firstly; aircraft that are dispatched into the country's busiest airspace should have the navigation equipment operational that ATC expects and is used to using. Every time there is a non-RNAV aircraft; ATC still clears the crew to fly to GPS points or on RNAV arrivals or departure procedures; regardless of what is filed. Aircrew of course correct the controllers; but these non-RNAV aircraft generally result in confusion from one ATC controller to the next.  Additionally; if an aircraft is to be dispatched using VORs as a primary means of navigation; all of the facilities on the route and the major ones near that route that help fix reporting points should be investigated by dispatch for closures or issues. We were repeatedly cleared to ZZZ VOR and it was; after we could not identify the fix; finally determined to be inoperative. We did not see this on the release.
CRJ-200 flight crew reported a temporary loss of communication while attempting to tune the next VOR on non-RNAV required route.