AM Radio Use on Amtrak

[lthanlon]

I know that many railfans enjoy monitoring FM VHF/UHF train frequencies and are able to do so without too many problems. I'm considering bringing along a little AM radio on my Southwest Chief trip next week to try to listen to small-town radio along the way, but am wondering whether that's even a good idea. Wouldn't it be more difficult to receive standard AM broadcast bands within a rail car?

 

[Ryan]

It would, but it's worth a shot.

 

[Everydaymatters]

Please let us know how it works out. That sounds like a good idea.

 

[haolerider]

I know that many railfans enjoy monitoring FM VHF/UHF train frequencies and are able to do so without too many problems. I'm considering bringing along a little AM radio on my Southwest Chief trip next week to try to listen to small-town radio along the way, but am wondering whether that's even a good idea. Wouldn't it be more difficult to receive standard AM broadcast bands within a rail car?

You might want to bring along some headphones, since the other passengers (if you are in coach) may not want to listen to your radio. Amtrak allows radios and other devices, but indicates that headphones are necessary.

 

[MikefromCrete]

An AM radio should work. Small town stations will fade in and out, but you should be able to get a feel for their programming (although many stations today just pick up network talk shows). Earphones should be required equipment if you're in coach. If you're riding in a sleeper, then earphones aren't necessary. Same with listening to train communications. Your fellow coach passengers probably don't want to be disturbed. If you're on an excursion with fellow railfans, then let the train radio blast away.

 

[AG1]

I carry an AM-FM capable radio on all my train travel. The AM has been useless because of all the fluorescent lighting in the train cars.Just too much buzz noise to hear anything.The FM is much better but I have to tune to stronger stations about every five minutes as the train moves along.The exception would be the NEC where a few stations can be held for 15 minutes+ or so near the cities.

 

[jim55]

Pep Boys and Harbor Freight sell suction cups that have hooks on them. I hang my radio on the window. Signals will go through glass but not the metal, grounded car. Hope you find that local flavor, it is rare in this day and age. Jim

 

[cmthru]

For overnight trips I bring along a portable shortwave receiver (Sony ICF-2010). I clip an antenna wire to metal on the car and start band-scanning. Obviously shortwave isn't for the 'local flavor' but it does provide access to different sources of music and news. The fluorescent lighting doesn't seem to affect the shortwave bands very much. AM band-scanning works well at night especially for powerhouse stations. On a trip to Sanford via the Autotrain I was able to clearly hear AM740 (Toronto) for most of the night.

 

[lthanlon]

Thanks for all the tips on using an AM radio on the train. I had briefly considered bringing along my Sony ICF-2010, but I tend to baby this radio since its front end is notoriously prone to static electricity damage. The suction-cup idea for the window sounds like good solution.

 

[D T Nelson]

AM radios on trains inspires this tangential trip down memory lane:

My first long-distance train trip was a round trip, Chicago to Los Angeles, on the Super Chief in 1970, pre-Amtrak. I was just a kid then. One of my strongest memories of that trip was sitting in the dome car, heading west as the sun was setting in New Mexico, listening to an Albuquerque Dukes game on the large console AM radio that was installed in the car. It was a huge, glowing, no doubt tube-filled radio, built into a wall -- if I remember correctly, it was just to one side of the staircase down from the dome level. I stayed there as the sun set, and the signal faded out, watching the semaphores turn from green to red as we passed them.

 

[DowneasterPassenger]

I once tried taking along a portable TV on a cross country trip and the results were disappointing.

Most of the time channels would hardly come in, probably because the train was too far from any major cities (this was a Three Rivers-CZ trip IIRC). The reception got better near major towns, but it only lasted so long until we got out of range again. It meant constantly fiddling with the rabbit ears too. When there was a signal, the choices were generally limited to say the least (10 minutes of a soap opera here, 20 minutes of Spanish-language TV there).

This was all before the switchover to digital TV, so I have no idea if it would be better now.

 

[caravanman]

I was in coach about 18 months ago, and a dude had a huge 25" lcd tv on the seat back tray, all plugged into the wall socket. I guess he was watching dvds.

I would rather look out the window.

Ed

 

[alanh]

I doubt you'd have much better luck with a portable TV now. It might work in the NEC, but you'll be rapidly going in and out of range in most of the country. With just rabbit ears, you're limited to about 20-30 miles from the transmitter, and the metal train car may make it worse.

If anything, DTV will make it worse. What used to be a snowy signal will now pixelate or not be viewable at all.

TV "radios" (radios that would pick up the audio from a TV station) no longer work either. The analog TV used essentially the same audio broadcast as FM, so the radio just had to let you tune to the right frequency and use the existing FM circuitry. DTV uses digital encoding, so they would require a whole separate module to receive them, and as far as I know, nobody makes one.

 

[Shanghai]

I have tried both AM and Shortwave on the train and could not get any meaningful reception.

I now take my laptop with DVD's to watch.

 

[Big Iron]

I have tried both AM and Shortwave on the train and could not get any meaningful reception.I now take my laptop with DVD's to watch.

The last time I used an AM radio was back in the 80's listening to the Mets/Red Sox World Series while riding the LSL. I was in a slumbercoach and the reception was fine. This was perhaps the best time to ride the LSL due to its Boston and NY origins. I must have had 8-10 fans wedged in the hallway of the car listening to the broadcast. This was when smoking was allowed and cigars were in abundance, not to mention the typical loud banter between Mets and Red Sox fans. The elderly woman in the room next to mine was pinging away at the call button and casting mean looks in our direction. Shorlty thereafter the SCA came up the aisle and I thought the party was busted. He reached in his back pocket, put a Red Sox hat on, asked for a cigar and told me to turn it up. One of the best World Series game experiences I ever had.

 

[railiner]

Pep Boys and Harbor Freight sell suction cups that have hooks on them. I hang my radio on the window. Signals will go through glass but not the metal, grounded car. Hope you find that local flavor, it is rare in this day and age. Jim

This is probably the best method, but because the ferrite internal am antenna is somewhat directional, you may have to "play" with it to try to gain the best reception.

 

[domefoamer]

I've thought of doing this, AM scanning, on a train ride. I applaud your instinct here, if it's to seek out the local flavor of the towns you pass. I do this on cross-country drives, instead of relying completely on satellite radio or canned music. "Be there then," that's my advice.

I just hope you can find something more true and indigenous than Rush and his ilk. Nothing would enhance a ride of the SW Chief better than finding some Navaho radio station, speaking mysteries out of the night.

 

[Meat Puppet]

My scanner does am & fm. I have no problem with reception even with the rubber duck small antenna.

 

[TouchToneTommy]

I attempted to use XM Satellite radio in an upper level roomette on the Chief and Zepher last fall. Signal faded often, so it was less frustrating to listen to mp3 podcasts. XM was nice at our Chicago hotel, however.