Metro North New Haven Line Radio Changes

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Lynch_Christopher

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Came across this post on railroad.net about Metro North adding another channel to the Metro North New Haven Line.

. I the coming year, MN's New Haven Line will use two radio channels instead of one. Currently radio channel 3 frequency 160.545 (AAR channel 29) covers the entire line from CP 212 to CP 274 including the New Canaan, Danbury and Waterbury branches. In the near future the current 160.545 will only be used from CP 212 to CP 235 including the New Canaan Branch and the GCT Stationmasters Office radio channel 160.335 (AAR 15) will be used from CP 235 to CP 274 including the Danbury and Waterbury branches. On MN radios this new frequency will occupy the channel 4 space that is currently not utilized. This is being to reduce the amount of radio traffic on the New Haven Line's current one channel.
 

radioman2001

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You are looking at 6 months minimum, all the bases and duplexers need to be re-tuned, also there is going to be a separate system wide yard frequency to prevent cross line interference which has been sporadic in the past. Train power levels are also going to be lowered, and there are also other frequencies being added that I cannot talk about yet.
Chris where did you come across the info? Some of it is incorrect, GCT stationmaster uses 161.160 and tunnel E is 160.335. I wanted to keep 335 for Fire but was overruled.

Quote:"Thank god. I'm surprised there were never more to begin with."
That hasn't been on us. I have applied for frequencies from AAR every year since 2008 and this is the first allocation.
 
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N1SQB

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Suggestion!

Guys, first of all thank you for the updates. I would like to ask please if someone could explain with a little more detail, what or where CPXXX is. I'm not sure what or where CP274 or 212 are for example, in reference to this conversation. I'd like to get a clearer understanding of where 545 and 335 will be used.

Manny
 
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radioman2001

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Quoote" I'm not sure what or where CP274 or 212 are for example"
The first 2 is the line the next numbers is the distance from GCT.

The West/East dividing line is supposed to be at Stamford, that may change as the powers to be havn't made the final decision and it still has to go through committee at the AAR for approval since we have other Railroads that operate on our ROW.
The whole process is still in the implementation planning stage for the actual cut-over. I have created the code-plugs for the other shops to program the trains with, but that won't start until after the New Year. There are close to 4000 radios total (Trains,mobiles,portables and bases) that need reprogramming so it's going to take some time. I still have a lot of work in planning to do to make it smooth and safe, and there probably will be simulcasting on both New Haven frequencies for at least a year.
An idea I am going to try (If approved) is to have an automated message say you are on the wrong frequency and/or you radio needs reprogramming, but that is way off in the future.
 

Lynch_Christopher

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You are looking at 6 months minimum, all the bases and duplexers need to be re-tuned, also there is going to be a separate system wide yard frequency to prevent cross line interference which has been sporadic in the past. Train power levels are also going to be lowered, and there are also other frequencies being added that I cannot talk about yet.
Chris where did you come across the info? Some of it is incorrect, GCT stationmaster uses 161.160 and tunnel E is 160.335. I wanted to keep 335 for Fire but was overruled.

Quote:"Thank god. I'm surprised there were never more to begin with."
That hasn't been on us. I have applied for frequencies from AAR every year since 2008 and this is the first allocation.

Thanks for all the information. I l came across the original information from a post on railroad.net. Is the new frequency still going to be used in the channel 4 space?
 
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Kitn1mcc

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CP=Control Point AKA an Interlocking.

the reason they only had 4 channels is that's all could really be stuffed in the old RR Micors and RR Mitreks. the old RR control stand had 4 channels. the old way was they would have to change out the Draws as loco moved around
 

radioman2001

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The channel plan as of right now is, and it is still subject to change.

F-1 and 2 remains the same
F-3 renamed to N Haven W
F-4 N Haven E
F-5 ALL YARDS
F-6 Local Talk

The Micors are way before my time, I never seen one or even found any documentation for them. The oldest loco heads I found were horizontal Midwest in some FL-9's out back so to say that had 4 channels with a 4 zone switch (16ch). For coaches there also were Midwest vertical heads and custom corner heads with a combination of either 4,8,12 or 16 channel 4 channels by 2,3 or 4 zones.
Most older radios in the Loco's had 12 channels in them (Syntor Clean cabs), the coaches had Mitreks attached to the Midwest vertical heads (which replaced the Aerotron Mega 4 channel, but I did also find some Syntor coach models, which were nothing but a Clean Can mounted in an box with AAR cable tray plug on the end. All now are replaced with Quest Rail 12RII and 12RIIID models.

For the newer model coaches (M2,3,4,6,7,8) and the new proposed M-9 cars the transition to GE/Harris radios is in my opinion is the smartest move our Railroad made.

BTW the M-2,4,6 are at EOL., they should all be gone in a few months.
 

Lynch_Christopher

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F-1 Hudson Line RTC 160.950
F-2 Harlem Line RTC 16.2800
F-3 New Haven West RTC 160.5450
F-4 New Haven East RTC 160.335
F-5 ALL Yards 161.0400
F-6 Local Talk-Around 160.7700

Radioman2001 correct me if I'm wrong.
 

Kitn1mcc

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F-1 Hudson Line RTC 160.950
F-2 Harlem Line RTC 16.2800
F-3 New Haven West RTC 160.5450
F-4 New Haven East RTC 160.335
F-5 ALL Yards 161.0400
F-6 Local Talk-Around 160.7700

Radioman2001 correct me if I'm wrong.

F1-AAR 56
F2-AAR 78
F3-AAR 29
F4-AAR 15
F5-AAR 62
F6-AAR 44


Surprised they put East of New Haven on Channel 15 when the Naugy is on 16
 

radioman2001

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Quote"Surprised they put East of New Haven on Channel 15 when the Naugy is on 16"

If you mean AAR channels there is sufficient frequency separation, especially now with narrow band otherwise please explain. Plus AAR co-ordinated the channel, so I would think there shouldn't be a problem.
 

Lynch_Christopher

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UPDATE:

Draft bulletin released, still don't have a start date. Bulletin advises all personnel of radios that have been modified and how to tell plus what frequencies to NOT use.

Thanks for the update. I also happened to come across 161.5500 in the fcc database was curious what this channel is going to be used for.
 

PJH

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Hey radioman, can you send me an email or contact me by email/pm if you can
 

radioman2001

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As I said in an earlier post this whole transition could take up to a year or more. We are now preparing to start reprogramming on the N Haven side first since they are affected most plus they had some special programming that the other 2 lines don't have. Large numbers of spare radios stand ready with the new programming and simulcast transmitters are being set up but are not yet installed. I do know that the change over will not take place until a survey is conducted to ensure that all train radios have been reprogrammed.
 
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