Why do we test HF radio before flight

[Orange future]

Been using HF radio for many years and always checked in with ATC before takeoff if HF is required en route.

But what are we testing?

The signal quality and freq allocation or the radio unit itself.

Now flying new fangled CPDLC/SATCOM jets it seems a bit odd to be checking the HF.

Its not the valve operated museum piece it once was.

[Akrapovic]

CPDLC/SATCOM doesn't always work!

[Los Endos]

Normally to check your sel call functionality.

[Orange future]

"Normally to check your sel call functionality."

I suspected so, thanks for the answer.

BUT.....

My company procedure and that of another company from my distant past is to simply listen to the time hack from the HF and do the selcal airborne.

I guess what I am getting at here is that I dont see the point of checking selcal if it has no impact on the operation at that stage. We still dispatch and put up with annoying HF in the back ground.

[deltahotel]

There is plenty of airspace which requires HF, even if CPDLC in use so better to find out before pushback than some hours later just before the oceanic boundary.

[Orange future]

Deltahotel,

Yep, I get the value in that but why dont we check the WX radar before push or the flaps working? Why do we pick on the HF? Why wouldnt it work, especially considering we have 2. Is there something about modern airliner HF radios that make them more unreliable than other items on board?

Something no one at work can answer.

[Cirrussy]

Or what's to say it will still be working later on when you need it?

[RandomPerson8008]

We never check it before takeoff unless local procedures require it (HNL in the past, can't recall if that's still the case there as I don't go there regularly any longer).

[MCDU2]

I suspect it's company's specific and your company made a decision that if the HF radio ain't working then it is cheaper to refile whilst you are on the ground/cancel flight/fix aircraft/change aircraft than to potentially have to deal with a contingency procedure or worst case scenario an air turn back.

[Stanley Eevil]

HF mandatory for flight within the Shanwick OCA?

[RandomPerson8008]

In HNL, iirc, the selcal check was done on the ground to alleviate frequency congestion on HF once airborne. I think they did away with the requirement since the proliferation of CPDLC because the frequency is no longer clogged with lengthy position reports.

[oceancrosser]

Never done HF checks on ground pre departure. We have two of them, occasionally there is an issue with one, but on we go.
The OPs airline is basically making things complicated.

[Smithy02]

Pre-flight HF checks are a complete waste of time, particularly for data link flights. Even worse are en-route SELCAL checks required in some airspace, they just clog up the frequency. A successful SELCAL check gives no assurance whatsoever it will work again in the future due to the myriad of factors that affect HF propagation.