ATCS Monitoring

[Batt91]

Is there anyone on this forum that does ACTS monitoring? I am interested in this technology and am curious about the data recieving hardware needed.

 

[DPD1]

Your best bet would probably be the ATCS list.

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/ATCS_Monitor/

Dave
www.DPDProductions.com
Makers of the "TrainTenna" Monitoring Antenna

 

[burner50]

wtf is atcs monitoring?

 

[Batt91]

In a nutshell

Basically it is the monitoring of digital radio waves used in the control of railroad operations.

When a dispatcher lines a train through a specific track, the switches and signals are lined by these digital data bursts (packets). Some very tech savy and enthusiastic individuals figured out a way to listen to these digital packets, then route them through a computer to be decoded. With the program (which they wrote) decoding the packets, you can match the commands up with a display and be able to see essentially the same screen that the dispatcher would see in reference to where the trains are and where they are going.... in a nutshell.

 

[Allan_Love_Jr]

Basically it is the monitoring of digital radio waves used in the control of railroad operations.

When a dispatcher lines a train through a specific track, the switches and signals are lined by these digital data bursts (packets). Some very tech savy and enthusiastic individuals figured out a way to listen to these digital packets, then route them through a computer to be decoded. With the program (which they wrote) decoding the packets, you can match the commands up with a display and be able to see essentially the same screen that the dispatcher would see in reference to where the trains are and where they are going.... in a nutshell.

Now that would be cool.

 

[WisconsinRailfan]

Heck ya! There is even online streams, I will listen railroad radio, and stream the ATCS w/ the dispatchers display. Good stuff, I even had my laptop trackside running it, good way to tell where the trains are.

 

[bownasterm]

You cant do it with an online stream i believe you need to have the discriminator tap, or atleast an actual scanner to do it... I could be wrong though

 

[WisconsinRailfan]

You cant do it with an online stream i believe you need to have the discriminator tap, or atleast an actual scanner to do it... I could be wrong though

My pro97 is tapped, and I have a Verizon card for the laptop, you can on some online streams view the dispatcher display, I like the Fostoria feed, to bad that the scanner feed is gone, also some BNSF out west

 

[kd5dga]

Recently I had looked up the frequencies for my county and found some but I cant hear any activity on them. Now there is some listnings for the BNSF Temple yard but I am not close to recieve any signals. If I had a taller tower or I had lived on top of the hill I am on then I could probably get a good signal.
ATCS for trains is kinda ACARS for aircraft. Its a reporting medium.

 

[scanrrman]

I can't figure out how to make my own set up. I don't see anyone using it near my area just east of KC. I have a couple control points with data but don't know how to make a setup..... The tutorials aren't all that great.

 

[bownasterm]

What i meant was your software cannot decode off of an online stream, the software requires a tap on the scanner

now of course if they have a live feed of their own software screen then you could watch that

 

[burner50]

so its like seeing the dispatchers CAD display? How does having the packet information give you the "template" of where the plant is?

 

[WisconsinRailfan]

so its like seeing the dispatchers CAD display? How does having the packet information give you the "template" of where the plant is?

check out the screen shots http://www.atcsmon.com/screen.html

 

[hulka]

I have it and it is really cool. Especially if you are into photography. It is a lot easier to chase a train this way. If you join the yahoo group they have a list of radios that you can buy used to make your own setup.

 

[kd5dga]

I joined to learn, embrace the technology and enjoy.

 

[soundchaser]

Your best bet would probably be the ATCS list.

ATCS_Monitor : ATCSMonitor

Dave
www.DPDProductions.com
Makers of the "TrainTenna" Monitoring Antenna

I hate anything which requires jumping through unreasonable hoops:

"Upon requesting membership, a questionnaire will be sent to the email address used when applying. You must forward your answers to the email address appearing on the questionnaire, or membership will be denied."

 

[cifn2]

I hate anything which requires jumping through unreasonable hoops:

"Upon requesting membership, a questionnaire will be sent to the email address used when applying. You must forward your answers to the email address appearing on the questionnaire, or membership will be denied."

Its not really too unreasonable, the program designers just want to at least believe you are not trying to steal the program, or do something else.

Burner its not exactly like a CAD display, it won't display the actual trains, it will just show where there is something indicating occupancy in the block, and how far they are green lighted to go.

 

[K4DHR]

I hate anything which requires jumping through unreasonable hoops:

"Upon requesting membership, a questionnaire will be sent to the email address used when applying. You must forward your answers to the email address appearing on the questionnaire, or membership will be denied."

They are just some really piddly questions, mainly to prevent automated or spammer accounts from joining the group. It literally takes all of about 2-3 minutes to join.

Anyway, there are a number of servers that monitor large areas of territory, and can be connected to without any radio equipment if you want to monitor that way. All you need is a computer and the application.

If you do it RIGHT the first time, it takes maybe about $100-150 to get a mobile setup going. I'd pass on using a scanner and buy a modified Maxtrac (around $75-100) or other 800/900MHz radio from someone off the group, unless you live in ARES territory (used primarily by BNSF) that uses standard AAR channels and is easily received by almost any scanner. A USB sound card (most of us use a Griffin iMic) and antenna are all else that is needed apart from a laptop to monitor in the field. Most laptops lack a real line input and mic inputs are generally too "hot" (even with the preamp off) to be effective with the application.

I went around and around with different radios but honestly I wasn't happy with my setup until I went with a Maxtrac. Some of the Icom PCR series receivers do a very good job as well, but are vastly more expensive than a modified Maxtrac.

 

[soundchaser]

I've listened to the audio samples on the ATCS Monitor website and none of them match what I'm hearing and the freqs are lower.

I live near the UP Moffat Subdivision in Colorado, on the eastern side of the Moffat Tunnel. There are four frequencies licensed to UP at various fixed points along the track. They are 452.925, 452.950, 457.925, 457.950. These are not EOT devices (they use slightly different freqs in this area and sound like they have lower data rates). It sounds like it is some kind of ATCS data that is relayed along the track from control point to control point. Radio traffic is more frequent when there are trains or MOW people in the area. The data bursts are about 1 second in length. I've been meaning to post a recording of these data bursts, but haven't had time.

 

[K4DHR]

Those are frequencies used for DPU equipped trains. Repeaters are used along some lines where there have been frequent issues with the engines in the lead losing communications with the engines in the middle or rear of the train.