Railroad Scanners

  • Thread starter Guest_Fan_Trains
  • Start date
Advertise with us
Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.
G

Guest_Fan_Trains

Guest
Anyone know where to get a scanner and how much they are?
 
Probably one of the easiest places to get a scanner is from Radio Shack. Bearcat also makes a good scanner too and a simple google search should turn up places to by one.

Scanners typically run anywheres from $100 to $400 depending on features, range, and portability. I would highly recommend getting a scanner that has removable rechargeable batteries. Some scanners don't have a removable battery, which can be an issue if you are riding in coach and can't find a place to plug in and recharge. Having removable AA rechargeables means that you can bring multiple sets of batteries, just in case.

Addtional info on how a scanner works, what to look for, along with a listing of Amtrak frequencies can be found here at On Track On Line.
 
I second all that Alan just posted. I've had the same scanner for many years. It is a Bearcat BC60XLT. I think I got it at some place like Best Buy. If I recall, it cost about $70 when I got it.

One other bit of advise would be to take along a set of headsets of somekind for the scanner. I use the same earphones with my scanner that I use for my CD player that I usually take on trips.

I also take along a small recharger for my batteries. You can always find a receptacle somewhere to plug it in if needed.
 
Thanks. well two days ago, I purchase a Radio Shack pro-83 200 Channel compact scanner. it has a signal stalker search and lighted keypad. and it has also a battery switch that you can set to alkaline or rechargeable. and also it has a battery indicator. when the battery indicator flashes and the scanner beeps every 15 seconds replace both batteries. the scanner takes two AA bateries. I will be riding on the city of New Orleans and the Empire Builder this summer so I am planning to us energizer long life Batteries, so if it takes two batteries, so how many batteries can I take for spares on the trip?
 
What is the range of the scanners? I assume they work well inside the train? The steel body oif the car doesn't interfer?
 
MrFSS said:
What is the range of the scanners? I assume they work well inside the train? The steel body oif the car doesn't interfer?
Click to expand...
It depends on the scanner and its antenna. Usually even the cheapest scanner can at least pick up the conductor and the engineer. Better ones can usually hear the defect detectors, dispatchers, and other trains within a mile or two.

Of course if one is not inside the train car, then ranges improve.
 
Guest_Fan_Trains said:
I will be riding on the city of New Orleans and the Empire Builder this summer so I am planning to us energizer long life Batteries, so if it takes two batteries, so how many batteries can I take for spares on the trip?
Click to expand...
Well you can take as many batteries as you can carry. :lol:

However, if the question was, how many should you take? That's a bit harder to answer. A lot will depend on how much you use the scanner, and if you'll use head phones all the time or if you'll be using the speaker if you have a sleeper.

Assuming headphones all the time, that you'll turn it off at night only, and that you are only going one way by train, I would suggest that you bring at least 4 sets of batteries. Obviously if you use the speaker and/or leave it on overnight and/or are returning via train, then you'll want to bring even more spares.
 
we will be going roundtrip, so in coach, I will be planning to buy headphones from radio shack, and also I will be buying the pillow speaker when I will be going in sleeper. as for returning how many spares will I need?
 
Guest_Fan_Trains said:
we will be going roundtrip, so in coach, I will be planning to buy headphones from radio shack, and also I will be buying the pillow speaker when I will be going in sleeper. as for returning how many spares will I need?
Click to expand...
Each scanner and electrical device have different battery lives, but there's an easy, albeit somewhat expensive, way of finding out how long yours will last. Put a fresh set of batteries in the scanner and leave it on until the batteries die, or at least until the low battery warning sounds. This will let you know how long a set will last. Then, look at the schedules and see how long you'll be on the train. Divide the number of hours on the train by the number of hours the batteries lasted. This will tell you the bare minimum number of sets to carry with, then add an extra set or two just in case.

I did this with my GPS. I found that the battery life on this particular GPS is a little more than 24 hours, so if I'm taking an overnight trip I'll bring at least one extra set just in case I'm on the train more than the battery life.
 
Take two sets of fully charged rechargeable batteries and a small recharger. If one set dies, use the other set while recharging the first.
 
If your scanner has a power pack plug in your scanner and run it off the trains headend power from the engines.If a power pack was not included see if radio shack sells one that will work with your scanner.I do that everytime i travel on amtrak.Be sure you are seated close to a plug in in your coach car and please wear your headphones. Not everyone likes a scanner.
 
Remember to read in your scanner's manual about scanning and the law. Although this is mainly for police, it can apply to rail. I was aboard the Cresent, and there was a medical emergency, it turned out the passenger didn't make it. Yet the crew told every body he would be fine (to respect his and his family's privacy), I had several passengers asking me for info and I to keep mum on this situation, not just for the family but to support the crew. Lets keep this in mind while on board not to reveal anything to fellow passengers to give us scanner fans a bad name.
 
All we emloyees ask is that railfans acknowledge their responsibility when it comes to their safety. Stay out out of railroad business if it doesn't apply to you! Only go on the property when and where pemitted to do so (ticketed to ride the train for example)! When on the train, stay out of the way of the operating and OBS crew! Allow us to do our jobs and not try to do it for us (yes we have people who try this) Please don't disturb the other passengers who may not be interested at all what is chattering away on the scanner. And by all means don't bring a transmittable radio capable of the using the railroad frequencies! That can get you in a trouble with the FCC should you key the mic! Amtrak and freight railroad police will act accordingly in cases of interfering with railroad operations!

The previous poster states to "not reveal anything that may give scanner fans a bad name/reputation."

Railfans, please act accordingly so as not to give us (yes myself included as I am one of us) railfans a bad reputation either! OBS...
 
Thank you for your previous post.We need to keep mum to other passengers about things said over the radio.And never bring or use a radio you can key up and talk on aboard the train.If you do and get caught i hope they remove you from the train and arrest you.This is putting too many lives in danger and a breach of FCC rules.Also if you carry employee timetables with you dont reveal any information given in them.Many railfans collect them and use them on board the trains but the info inside is confidential.I photo copied some BNSF and CP employee timetables and used them on my empire builder trip but i didnt tell no one i had them or was using them.I was also in a sleeper so i could enjoy my scanner and timetables in private.I photo copied them so i would not lose or damage my original timetables.
 
They tell the the names of all the locations you are passing by as you travel past them. Such as midland,chicopee,walters,grif allen,ect.You can find out what the speed limit the train can travel on any stretch of track.You can see where the hotbox and dragging equipment detectors are located.It has the rules of the railroad such as which crossings a train cant block over 10 minutes.It has the locations of stations and the hours they are manned.At least thats what the NS employee timetables have listed.
 
How would i get one of these time table's/map's for the NS tracks trew the Cleveland area? Thanks

John
 
One of my other hobbies is Amateur "ham" radio, and I have a UK licence to operate ham radio. I am permitted to operate also in USA. I am wondering if there is any info on what frequencies (wavelengths) Amtrak uses, and also whether there are any regulations about use of electronic/transmitting equipment aboard trains?

Ed. B)
 
caravanman said:
One of my other hobbies is Amateur "ham" radio, and I have a UK licence to operate ham radio. I am permitted to operate also in USA. I am wondering if there is any info on what frequencies (wavelengths) Amtrak uses, and also whether there are any regulations about use of electronic/transmitting equipment aboard trains?Ed. B)
Click to expand...
Ed,

I can't speak to whether your ham license would be good over here or not.

However, one can definately bring along a radio to pick up transmissions between the crew or between the crew and the dispatcher. The only thing that I believe you cannot do, even with a hack license, is to talk to the crew.

As for frequencies and other info, you can find a very comprehensive list of all AAR channels, info on scanners, and a route by route listing of the frequencies used over at On Track On Line. Just click here to go to the main page on radios. Then explore at will. I believe that there are a few links to some of the rules, although it's been a while since I went exploring there.
 
Thank you, Alan, for the link to this information, which answers my question on frequencies 100% ! (My UK "ham" licence gives me reciprocal ham priveleges in USA). Apart from the railroad frequencies, I was thinking that it might be rather cool to use my ham radio from the train to contact and talk to other hams in the areas where the train was passing through..I guess if mobile phones are permitted, I should be ok. (As for talking to train crew via radio, the ham bands are quite seperate from the railroad ones, and although I could listen in, it would be illegal for me to transmit outside ham bands!)

Thanks again,

Ed. B)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Back
Top