NXDN

dbord · Nov 10, 2014

I want to get a radio for monitoring the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic RR as they have gone digital nxdn. The way I understand nxdn is that you have to know what code they are using, not sure if code is the correct word. If this is so how do you obtain the code for this railroad as well as others.

Thanks, Don

jonwienke · Nov 10, 2014

If it's encrypted, you won't be able to monitor it without obtaining the encryption key.

If not, you'll still have issues. NXDN is not directly supported by ANY scanner on the market. You'll need to get a scanner, add a discriminator tap (The Uniden 536 has this marked marked on its circuit board, but you'll have to solder your own connector to it), and then feed the discriminator tap output into a computer running DSD+ or some other decoding app to convert the output into analog audio.

dbord · Nov 10, 2014

Have the radio, just need the encryption key....

rhicks6000 · Nov 10, 2014

Last time I knew they were not using encryption.

mmckenna · Nov 10, 2014

Which radio do you have?

You need to set up the frequency. You need to set the RAN to 0. If you have a Kenwood, you will likely need to set the channel to "Very Narrow", rather than "Narrow".
That should do it if their signal is strong enough for you to hear. If they are encrypted, then you'll either need to get the code from them, or spend a lot of time searching. I'd find it interesting, though, that a "Scenic" railroad would have a need to use encryption.

AK9R · Nov 11, 2014

mmckenna said:
I'd find it interesting, though, that a "Scenic" railroad would have a need to use encryption.

Because they are using radio to handle customer service issues that they don't want the public to know about?

Because the operators are trying to keep their train movements as secret as possible to avoid service disruptions cause by "foamers" lining the tracks and crowding the stations?

Because the OP thinks they've gone digital and encrypted or maybe have only gone digital when they've actually only gone narrow-band?

slapshot0017 · Nov 11, 2014

No rail operation in the country has gone encrypted as to my knowledge. 1 in Michigan went trunked and some Class 1 police went encrypted, but that's a completely different story. I think he is just confused because I have found some people to confuse digital with encryption and vice versa for some reason. The OP was merely asking about the RAN Code as some railroads would use a PL tones when they used analog. The shortline I work on uses NXDN Very Narrow, but we don't have a RAN Code nor encryption because it just isn't necessary... Scenic railroads thrive off of rail fans and most don't really care about radio traffic anyway just the trains themselves...

dbord · Nov 11, 2014

Thanks for the reply, I knew there was some kind of code but didn't know the correct wording.

W3DMV · Nov 11, 2014

In late September, my brother, (truck driver) stayed over night in the area and his scanner notes
indicate they were using NFM when he was taking a snooze break. Their license indicates both
NFM and NXDN as almost all railroads do these days, but he says they were on NFM.
The current license : WQFC502
160.305 *
160.485
160.815
160.845 *
160.875
161.295
161.505
-----
* active

com501 · Nov 11, 2014

Um, I wouldn't state that there isn't a single railroad using encryption, I know of THREE using P25-AES, but they are not in areas that the general public can access the tracks, but they DO employ FRA trained and union personnel for the job, and strangely, they are regulated by the FRA......

That being said, a scenic railroad with no interchange to an outside line would be under no obligation of interoperability, and could, if they chose, operate encrypted. Indeed unlikely, but a good business practice, nonetheless.

burner50 · Nov 13, 2014

com501 said:
That being said, a scenic railroad with no interchange to an outside line would be under no obligation of interoperability, and could, if they chose, operate encrypted. Indeed unlikely, but a good business practice, nonetheless.

^^^This^^^

slapshot0017 · Nov 13, 2014

com501 said:
Um, I wouldn't state that there isn't a single railroad using encryption, I know of THREE using P25-AES, but they are not in areas that the general public can access the tracks, but they DO employ FRA trained and union personnel for the job, and strangely, they are regulated by the FRA......

Ugh what?

PJH · Nov 14, 2014

I was the one who changed the DB listing after someone visited and noted no analog traffic on the established channels. I left it in limbo for local confirmation. Local guy stated they are using NXDN now. How they are using it, no idea.

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