Scanner Recommendations

[OlympianHiawatha]

I am looking at purchasing an inexpensive scanner so I can listen in to rail chatter from time to time and noticed Radio Shack has a model PRO-84 for about $30. Is this unit any good? Also what is the typical range of rail radio traffic; I live about 1.5 miles from the BNSF mainline through Norman Oklahoma. Thanks for your input!

 

[AlanB]

I don't know about the PRO84, but I've got the PRO94 which is a more expensive model. I suspect that the biggest difference is the number of frequencies that can be pre-programmed into the scanner. I'm pretty happy with my scanner.

I live about 1.75 miles from Sunnyside yard in Queens and I can pick up Amtrak traffic from that yard on my scanner. So the odds are good that you'll be able to hear something too, unless you have an unusual amount steel in your house.

 

[Rail Freak]

I am looking at purchasing an inexpensive scanner so I can listen in to rail chatter from time to time and noticed Radio Shack has a model PRO-84 for about $30. Is this unit any good? Also what is the typical range of rail radio traffic; I live about 1.5 miles from the BNSF mainline through Norman Oklahoma. Thanks for your input!

When I heard about Radio Shack's sale I callled & was told there was'nt one left in any of thier Fla. stores?

 

[dan72]

I am looking at purchasing an inexpensive scanner so I can listen in to rail chatter from time to time and noticed Radio Shack has a model PRO-84 for about $30. Is this unit any good? Also what is the typical range of rail radio traffic; I live about 1.5 miles from the BNSF mainline through Norman Oklahoma. Thanks for your input!

When I heard about Radio Shack's sale I callled & was told there was'nt one left in any of thier Fla. stores?

I'd snoop around on ebay as well. I picked up mine on there and while is was clearly used, it's worked fine for me.

Dan

 

[Chessie Hokie]

I have the Radio Shack Pro-89, with memory for 200 frequencies, which works well for me. It is billed as a "race scanner" for putting race drivers' frequencies into the data base tied to their car number, but what I have done is input all of the AAR frequencies tied to the AAR channel number.

When I'm somewhere and having trouble finding the proper frequencies (usually due to a lack of prior planning on my part), asking a railroader or an Amtrak employee what frequency they are on has usually drawn a blank stare...they won't usually know the frequency, but they will usually know that they are on "Channel 39" for example. So I just punch in to monitor AAR Channel 39, which I already have in memory as 160.695.

 

[AlanB]

When I'm somewhere and having trouble finding the proper frequencies (usually due to a lack of prior planning on my part), asking a railroader or an Amtrak employee what frequency they are on has usually drawn a blank stare...they won't usually know the frequency, but they will usually know that they are on "Channel 39" for example. So I just punch in to monitor AAR Channel 39, which I already have in memory as 160.695.

I assume that you know, but just in case, all of the Amtrak frequencies are laid out by route on the OTOL site.

 

[Chessie Hokie]

I assume that you know, but just in case, all of the Amtrak frequencies are laid out by route on the OTOL site.

Yep, I already have printed out the appropriate pages of OTOL for my big trip in July! For anyone else not aware of it though, it is a great resource...

 

[Guest]

Is the Uniden BC95XLT good?

 

[sechs]

I have a BC72XLT, which is a lower-end model than the BC95XLT.

The only real problem that I have with it is range -- which I could probably fix by changing the antenna, if I cared enough. It has enough memory to hold all of the AAR channels, is reasonably sized, and has worked fine onboard the train.

 

[Rail Freak]

I have a BC72XLT, which is a lower-end model than the BC95XLT.
The only real problem that I have with it is range -- which I could probably fix by changing the antenna, if I cared enough. It has enough memory to hold all of the AAR channels, is reasonably sized, and has worked fine onboard the train.

Price?

 

[sechs]

Price is what you pay.

 

[Guest_ELNewBranch_*]

I'm not crazy about my 84. I rarely hear both ends of a conversation on the RR frequencies despite buying an antenna and living near NYC. The reviews I see online are much more positive, though. I'm still a scanner novice so maybe I don't know what I'm doing. The pluses are its light weight and ease to clip on my belt and tuck inside my jacket.

 

[Morris&Essex]

That's more like it.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I'm not crazy about my 84. I rarely hear both ends of a conversation on the RR frequencies despite buying an antenna and living near NYC. The reviews I see online are much more positive, though. I'm still a scanner novice so maybe I don't know what I'm doing. The pluses are its light weight and ease to clip on my belt and tuck inside my jacket.

Often times, they recieve and transmit on different channels.