Date: 201205
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZMA.ARTCC, FL
Flight conditions: Mixed
Weather elements / visibility: Rain; Thunderstorm; 3
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Navion
Operator: Personal
Operating under: Part 91
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Training
Flight phase: Cruise
Airspace: Class E ZMA
ATC / advisory: Center ZMA
Aircraft component: VHF
Reporter organization: Personal
Reporter function: Instructor
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine
Human factors: Communication Breakdown
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: General None Reported / Taken
Contributing factors: Human Factors; Aircraft; ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings
Primary problem: Ambiguous

Narrative: This was an IFR training mission/pleasure flight. Three certificated pilots on board; private pilot; Commercial Airplane Multi-Engine Land/Commercial Airplane Single Engine Land and the ATP/CFII rated instructor. After joining BR-63V with PBA a frequency change was given to Miami Center. The climb was continued to 9;000 FT and a level cruise condition set. Radio communications were 5 x 5 to that point. An unrequested direct to destination was given; followed by a frequency change to 134.80. Communications were established with Center and a confirmation that we were direct to. Center advised moderate to strong rain showers ahead between 11:00 and 1:00 with deviations approved as necessary. For some period of time we heard background communications with other aircraft but no calls for our call sign. At the top of descent point in our flight profile a call was made to Center. We could at this point hear them 2 x 2. A frequency shift was given to 125.70 and upon establishing two way radio communications we were informed the Center had been looking for us for some time and advised to copy a telephone number for a possible 'pilot' deviation. Miami Center's radio coverage in the Bahamas is poor below 7;000 FT and marginal as we get further and further away from Miami. In retrospect; a direct to track in the convective season is not advised unless no other choice exists to avoid weather. Our flight plan route had us over land as much as practicable and within close range to Bahamian facilities and radio repeaters. Had we felt we were lost comms we would have been squawking 7600. I have to assume Miami had a good RADAR feed on our squawk and a valid tag so as to route other traffic away from their own selected direct to track for us. Upon a successful switch radio comms were 5 x 5 as we were shortly speaking to Nassau Approach on 121.00 and conducted a visual approach to Runway 07 without difficulties. The IFR flight was terminated with Nassau Approach. Miami needs better repeaters and or transmitters for the Bahamian airspace. We regularly have poor radio coverage deep into the Bahamas.




Synopsis: IFR Private pilot on a training mission with Miami Center experienced communications difficulties and informed by ATC of a possible 'pilot deviation'; the reporter indicating ZMA needs better communications equipment in this subject area.