Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 12; Flight Crew Total 188; Flight Crew Type 20
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Aircraft; Human Factors
I took off from ZZZZ on a VFR flight plan to EYW. Early morning I filled up the tanks. I headed 014 to establish on [airway]; climbed to 11;500 MSL. Before being handed off to Houston Center; Merida Center advised that Houston would not allow me to continue as filed from MYDIA due to military activities; so I was told to continue to SNAKR after MYDIA and to expect continuing to Key West from there. Over MYDIA Merida handed me off to either Houston on 135.77 or Miami on 133.9. Checking in to Houston I could hear multiple radio exchanges but they didn't seem to hear me; so I kept flying to SNAKR while monitoring my fuel and I kept calling in. 40 miles to SNAKR I was alternating both Houston and Miami frequencies and I heard everyone but none of them heard me at all. Once over SNAKR I remained on Y240 on the way to YENNE and then I only kept calling Miami without success so I was concerned about the uncertainty of being diverted away from the plan (over the Gulf of Mexico) and I still monitored my fuel. Therefore some 30 miles after SNAKR I set my [transponder] to 7600; dialed 121.5 and started transmitting blind position reports; and turned right on heading 110 direct to EYW on my Garmin1000 displays. Not very long I was reached by [3 different air carriers]; they relayed me from Miami Center asking for both my continuous position reports and to contact 133.9 which I did every time as requested but they still didn't hear me so I was returning to the guard frequency after every three radio attempts. I finally got a direct acknowledge reply with Miami Center on 133.9 roughly 90 miles inbound to Key West and received instructions to continue. Then I returned my [transponder] to [assigned code] and went on my way until successfully landing on EYW. On the ground I found I had fuel for about 55 minutes; 10 minutes close to reserve. It is important to say that on my way between North-abeam Tortugas MOA and EYW I remember I heard several other airplanes had the same communications outage I had just experienced.
C182 pilot reported communication problems en-route to Key West.