Scanners?

[Linda T]

I'm looking for some assistance. I'd like to purchase a scanner to receive Amtrak info while on board. Does anyone have a used one that's relatively inexpensive yet works well, or any advise on how cheap I can get them and still get something that works? I don't want to put a lot of money into it as I'm just a volunteer, but I'd like to be able to hear what mile markers are coming up. Is there anything that I absolutely need on a scanner?

TIA

 

[Shortline]

Other than Defect Detectors, which are usually spaced about 20 miles apart, there really is no way to know what MP you're at, unless you know the territory, or the signals are CP's which use MP location rather than name location. Mostly it will be signal communication between the head end and the Conductor. May still be usefull for what you want, especially if you're familiar with the territory. What you'll want, and what you'll need, may be two different things. A regular old programable scanner should work. A newer Narrow Band scanner would be better. In either case, an earpiece to listen to it on, is a must. Nothing more annoying than scanners blaring out all day on the train, kindof a pet peeve of mine. I like the peace and quiet on the train, garbled RR radio communication and static are like nails on a chalkboard to me, too much like being at work!

 

[chakk]

Altamont Press (find them on the web) sells regional timetables for most of the western US that provide most of the milepost information and control point information that you would need to follow the conversations that you would hear on your scanner between engineer and the operating railroad (UP, BNSF, etc) dispatcher, and between the engineer and conductor. And you can also find websites that post for each Amtrak train the radio frequencies used by the dispatchers and crew and the geographical locations that those frequencies are in effect. I use an old Radio Shack scanner (20 years old?) that I purchased at a train sale at least a decade ago. Only holds 10 frequencies at a time, but works very well. I carry it, the list of frequencies, and the relevant Altamont Press timetable(s) on every one of my Amtrak LD trips, plus a GPS receiver to keep visual track of my location.

As mentioned earlier, earphones are essential for this operation, and perhaps an electricity busbar as well if you've got too many items to plug into the one or two electrical outlets you may find available at your seat.

 

[Linda T]

I really enjoy the opportunity to learn the route, and the gentleman who's been training me suggested that I might want to get a scanner (it's not required), but after listening to his, I do think it would be helpful. He said they run a range round $100 and up, and that's pretty much what I've been seeing. I just thought I might ask here if anyone had any suggestions of good but inexpensive brands, or absolutely must have accessory, or "x" is a waste of money. The earpiece goes without saying, I like piece and quiet when I'm just traveling, but for something like this I may be willing to go the extra mile. It seemed like my first training run the head end and conductor mentioned mile posts quite a bit, dunno if that's typical, but it seemed really useful.

 

[gdj]

Linda,

If you want to see a list of scanners which will work and get an idea of pricing this link will help you. Also I am sending a PM if you would like a listing of frequencies and some other things which I find helpful.

Gary

 

[Shortline]

Can also occasionally find 99 channel pre-programmed Railroad radio's for sale on Ebay. As long as you don't transmit, it's not illegal to posess one, you can buy them off the shelf, but a lot of times they end up for sale if a RR'er quits, or otherwise leaves RR service. The good thing about them, is they tend to have sometimes better reception, they're very expensive to purchase new.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I use the Uniden BC95XLT and have been more than happy with it. Runs a whisker under $100 and it took me no more than a half hour to program in the AAR Frequencies. I replaced the Duckie that came with it with a beefier one.

And yes to the Altamont Press Timetables-those will make your scanning experience so much more enjoyable. I have even had Conductors stop by and pick mine up and look through it with fascination. If he has time he may even offer to spend a few minutes teaching you Signal Aspects. If you cannot find an Altamont for your area of interest and/or prefer a more traditional map layout, look into the SPV Railroad Atlases. I recently picked up about 3/4 of the entire set in like-new condition for 25 cents each at a Garage Sale!

I find provided I can read the MP Markers I can navigate with paper faster than I can with GPS.

 

[AMTK 99]

I have used my Uniden BC95XLT for many years for railroad scanning and have had no issues. Easy to program once you get used to it and picks up the railroad frequencies quite well. One thing I would suggest is that you purchase a different antenna than the one that comes with the scanner. The out of the box one works OK but an aftermarket one picks up the radio a lot better. SmileyAntenna.com has some good ones and I've been happy with their products

Altamont Press timetables are a must if you are riding Amtrak in the Western U.S.. Unfortunately, they went out of business a couple of years ago and their products are getting harder and harder to find. Sometimes they pop up on ebay so I would snag it if you find one.

DJcooley.com has some excellent railroad maps for the Western United States and a route guide for the Empire Builder. These maps in conjunction with a timetable will give you more than enough information to find out where you are and help you understand what's ahead on the railroad and what the train crews are talking about.

Another good tool is to find old employee timetables online(such as for sale on ebay). These railroad issued documents have tons of information about railroad operations and procedures, although some of the terminology can be confusing at times.

Hope all this helps,

Nick

 

[Linda T]

Linda,
If you want to see a list of scanners which will work and get an idea of pricing this link will help you. Also I am sending a PM if you would like a listing of frequencies and some other things which I find helpful.

Gary

Thanks Gary, I got your PM and sent an email.

 

[Linda T]

Everything's been some really great advise. Thank you so much!

 

[Bronzeman]

If you are looking for a really cheap radio you might consider the Boafeng UV-5R. They are less than $50 virtually anywhere on the net and I have seen them for as low as $35.

This is actually a 2m/440 handheld ham radio HT (handi-talkie) which means it also transmits in the 2m (144-148 MHz) and 420-450MHz ham bands---legal only if you have an amateur radio license. It has broadband receive which includes 160 MHz area where all the railroad action is. Rather than simply scanning through between 160-162 MHz, before a trip I program the 5-10 frequencies in use on the route I will be traveling (see e.g. http://www.on-track-on-line.com/amtrak-freqs.shtml) into memory and slide through them as the trip progresses.

Two words of warning. The instruction manual is sketchy and was translated from the original Chinese by someone whose next posting will not be to the UN interpreter corps. All the versions of this radio that I have seen will also transmit in the RR band. This is illegal even with a ham license absent the existence of a dire emergency.

 

[Train Rider]

In either case, an earpiece to listen to it on, is a must. Nothing more annoying than scanners blaring out all day on the train, kindof a pet peeve of mine. I like the peace and quiet on the train, garbled RR radio communication and static are like nails on a chalkboard to me, too much like being at work!

Yes, please use an earpiece. I've been near a scanner guy who didn't use one and it's just as annoying and inconsiderate as any other noise-generating activity that people complain about on this forum. Just because it's train related, doesn't change how one needs to be considerate of others.

 

[battalion51]

If you're out taking pictures, or wondering why you're stop this is a helpful OTOL hint too:

Railroads also use some frequencies to transmit end of train telemetry. Some EOT devices, for example, transmit the train's brake pressure to the closest tenth of a pound and whether the EOT is moving or not every 40 seconds or whenever there is a change. AAR has allocated 457.9375 MHz and 452.9375 for EOT telemetry with the latter used at the head end to transmit control signals. Most railroads use these frequencies. Since EOT devices transmit at two watts, the transmission will travel about 3 to 5 miles. Thus, by setting your scanner to scan these EOT frequencies, you get a warning whenever a train approaches. The problem with this strategy, of course, is that as soon as your scanner picks up anything on 457.9375 or 452.9375, it will lock on that channel. Thus, this strategy works best if your scanner makes it easy to change the channels that are scanned so that you can stop scanning 457.9375/452.9375 when you know a train is close.