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reefgeek

reefgeek

Lead Service Attendant
AU Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2011
Messages
302
Location
NWK
I brought a scanner on my last LD trip but I didn't think I got as much out of it as I could. It's a Bearcat "Nascar" type scanner that has a lot of preprogrammed frequencies for police and fire etc.but not for railroads.

What's the preferred method to set one of these things up? Do I got to http://www.on-track-on-line.com/amtrak-freqs.shtml and just enter all the frequencies for all the routes I'll be riding? Or are there some overriding national frequencies I should have in there?
 
With today's scanners you usually have so many channels and frequencies available, you have lots of options. What I do is set up one bank with all the AAR channels, then set up other banks specifically for the segments of my trip by railroad. That way, it isn't scanning everything all the time, just scanning within a restricted set of frequencies. If I am lost and not getting any transmissions, I just set it to scan my AAR bank. Also, I set up with the AAR channel number as my channel within the bank. So if I hear "going to 39" I just punch up 039 (0 being my AAR bank) and I go with them, or 139 (1 being my BNSF bank). Using the AAR channel numbers makes things easy.

I also usually just set it to the road channel, and don't scan. I am not interested in listening to the yardmaster, and other traffic off the road channel.
 
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I just finished inputting AAR channels and frequencies into my scanner (with the help of 2 AU members). I am on the Empire Builder and have been listening and getting use of my scanner that I have owned for over a year, and did not know how to program or operate.
 
pennyk said:
I just finished inputting AAR channels and frequencies into my scanner (with the help of 2 AU members). I am on the Empire Builder and have been listening and getting use of my scanner that I have owned for over a year, and did not know how to program or operate.
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Don't feel bad. I work in a very obscure technical field and I find programming the scanner to be a complicated pain in the tail. Hopefully I will soon get the thing set up right.
 
I just got a Bearcat Nascar 200 channel scanner and I am looking to do the smae thing for Amtrak channels. The answers kept refering to 2 AU members. How can I get hold of them to program my bearcat?
 
It was great to listen to the road channel on the SWC. At one point I heard a long discussion concerning a plate of snickerdoodles that would be picked up and the logistics of their proposed distribution.
 
John C said:
I just got a Bearcat Nascar 200 channel scanner and I am looking to do the smae thing for Amtrak channels. The answers kept refering to 2 AU members. How can I get hold of them to program my bearcat?
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I was at the gathering and while riding light rail to and from the airport and later on the ferry to Bainbridge Island, 2 very kind and patient AU members helped me. I was at the right place at the right time - with my scanner (and without my manual). (thanks again kind AU members :D )
 
John C said:
I just got a Bearcat Nascar 200 channel scanner and I am looking to do the smae thing for Amtrak channels. The answers kept refering to 2 AU members. How can I get hold of them to program my bearcat?
Click to expand...
All the AAR frequencies area available here:

http://www.on-track-on-line.com/scanner-radio.shtml#scnradio3

The way you program your scanner depends on the scanner. On mine, which is not the same model as yours, it is hit MAN, type in the channel you want to use, hit MAN again to move to that channel, hit PGM to shift mode, type in the frequency and hit PGM again.
 
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reefgeek said:
I brought a scanner on my last LD trip but I didn't think I got as much out of it as I could. It's a Bearcat "Nascar" type scanner that has a lot of preprogrammed frequencies for police and fire etc.but not for railroads.

What's the preferred method to set one of these things up? Do I got to http://www.on-track-on-line.com/amtrak-freqs.shtml and just enter all the frequencies for all the routes I'll be riding? Or are there some overriding national frequencies I should have in there?
Click to expand...
Here's how I programmed my scanner (the freqs are correct as of today) - 10 banks each with 20 channels Banks 1 - 5 Banks 1-5.jpeg
 

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