Railroad Com's & The Future

[N_Jay]

The FCC has not put a date on any 6.25 kHz (or 6.25 kHz equivalent) mandate (except at 700 MHz), but has strongly indicated that it is their intent to get there.

 

[SCPD]

I have talked with our radio guys i work for BNSF as a conductor as far as any radio systems the big talk is moving to the 800 bank.

The problem that the RR see with that is right now you might have a tower every 40+ plus miles with the 800 band you would need to double or triple the towers.

Right now there are so many dead spots in the system as is there are places where the radios do not work and where cell phones don't work you hope you never get into a problem in those areas.

 

[timkilbride]

Sooo, forgive me if I sound a little offbeat but I have been reading about the railroad upgrading their com's in the near future and one question comes to mind...what does it all mean?

I read about the NXDN/6.25 radio's and how com's may not be heard. Yes, I like listening in to crews calling out milepost #'s, etc. Seems like rail activity has picked up which makes for some good pictures, etc as well.

Anyway, I was wondering if someone could maybe highlight the top 5 answers that would help explain how listening to railoads in the future will be?

Thank you for your help and again forgive me if I sound a little offbeat. Not looking to argue or what is right or wrong, just some clear understanding on what it means. Thank you for the help and understanding.

Hire out with a railroad and get a radio issued to you! You will always be able to listen in. lol

Tim K.

 

[timkilbride]

Some of the conversations are downright embarassing:

I once heard a crew talking to mechanical about their lead unit went down. Mechanical, of course asks the engineer if there is any fuel in the tank. The engineer says the "dipstick" has "plenty of brown stuff sticking to it".

Some are personal:

Such as 2 trains passing each other, crew knows each other and starts talking about how one hasn't had relations in a few weeks and needs relief fast. I had been assigned to a local job out of York, was waiting to get into main track 1, our cab radio had a scan feature and yep, it was scanning.

Lets not forget the occasional ringtone noises, farting, belching and "Management" that make you feel stupid transmissions.

Sometimes the kids get ahold of their Daddy's radio(s) some keep spare portables around for various reasons and will play cops and robbers, Star Wars, among some things. There was an issue with that for about a week at Hobson Yard in Lincoln, Ne. until the radio techs tracked the transmissions down.

What locomotive mounted radio had a scan feature? Our new GE's have a "scan" button but its disabled.

Tim K.

 

[N_Jay]

What locomotive mounted radio had a scan feature? Our new GE's have a "scan" button but its disabled.

Tim K.

"New" GE's?

 

[timkilbride]

"New" GE's?

New General Electric locomotives I operate/run at work. Rich knew what I was talking about

Tim K.

 

[N_Jay]

New General Electric locomotives I operate/run at work. Rich knew what I was talking about

Tim K.

Ah, I was thinking that some division of GE was back in the Clean Cab radio business.

Who's radio are they using, or is it part of the control panel that remotely controls a separate radio unit?

 

[Allan_Love_Jr]

There are at times where I would hear cussing over the Radio.

 

[SCPD]

I am well known for doing that and chewing people out over the radio LOL

 

[timkilbride]

Ah, I was thinking that some division of GE was back in the Clean Cab radio business.

Who's radio are they using, or is it part of the control panel that remotely controls a separate radio unit?

Its a remote head GE radio of some sort. I don't recall the model number.

Tim K.

 

[seligman]

They are GE 12R's.

http://www.argointl.com/Ideavate/Files/12RII_hi.pdf

 

[N_Jay]

Interesting.
I wonder who builds them for GE, or who's RF deck is inside.
I would not think that GE would spin-up a radio group after selling the Lynchburg operation.

 

[INDY72]

I thought that the GE ones were refurbished Motorola ASTRO CC Spectra types? Apparantly not, and surprised GE would get back into the game after the EDACS fiasco and having to sell off that money losing venture.

 

[DPD1]

I'm not positive, but I believe they are rebuilt Harmon radios, back from when GE bought Harmon, now done under GE Harris.

 

[INDY72]

Interesting.. GE and Erricsson start LMR business... GE gets out leaving Erricsson alone, Erricsson pretty much fails, Tyco/M-A Com takes over.. also ends up in hot water, Harris takes over and seems to be doing good, now GE back in with Harris.... Full circle?

 

[seligman]

Harmon is correct. I have a bunch of PDF files for this radio, including the service manual.

One of the older files (circa 1998) shows Harmon Industries on everything, including the faceplate drawing with a Harmon logo. By the early 2000's the names and logos changed to GE Global Signalling. The service manual is from 2004 and makes no mention of Harmon. FWIW, the mailing address goes to Grain Valley, MO the same location in the Harmon drawings.

 

[N_Jay]

Interesting.. GE and Ericsson start LMR business... GE gets out leaving Ericsson alone, Ericsson pretty much fails, Tyco/M-A Com takes over.. also ends up in hot water, Harris takes over and seems to be doing good, now GE back in with Harris.... Full circle?

Not quite,

GE is in the radio business.
GE wants out because Welch says "Be number one or a strong number 2 or get out"
Ericsson is in the phone business and in the cellular business except for US handsets.
Ericsson buys GE radio group to get into US handset market, and gets the radio business along with the deal (structured as a partnership)
Ericsson does not do well in handsets, but GE-Ericsson does OK in radio and gets some big EDACS deals.
Ericsson wants out, but contracts have to be completed, so Com-net buys the radio division.
Com-net is really not big enough to properly support the radio group, and Microwave Associates Communications (M/A-COM) buys the group.
Somewhere prior to this M/A-COM had developed OpenSky for Fedex and merges the product lines.
Then AMP buys M/A-COM, then Tyco buys AMP. (I might have the order not quite right, or even missed a step)
Then Tyco breaks into three companies, and then Harris buys Tyco Electronics.

Now we have not talked about all the Harris history which includes the creation and sale of the divisions that are now Harris Stratex Microwave (sold 2008/2009) (just now with a new name), and Harris GE train control systems (Sold 1999/2000).

Then we could do a whole nother line with the various parts and pieces of microwave radio companies that have been started, sold, or part of Motorola, GE, and/or Harris over the years.

Just when you think you have it all figured out someone buys, sells, merges or divests a critical piece.

 

[DPD1]

Harmon is correct. I have a bunch of PDF files for this radio, including the service manual.

One of the older files (circa 1998) shows Harmon Industries on everything, including the faceplate drawing with a Harmon logo. By the early 2000's the names and logos changed to GE Global Signalling. The service manual is from 2004 and makes no mention of Harmon. FWIW, the mailing address goes to Grain Valley, MO the same location in the Harmon drawings.

It's hard to keep up with it all. Then you've got Wabtec doing Motorola refurbs, and JEM doing the ones with Kenwood/Icom guts.

 

[seligman]

Not quite,

GE is in the radio business.
GE wants out because Welch says "Be number one or a strong number 2 or get out"
Ericsson is in the phone business and in the cellular business except for US handsets.
Ericsson buys GE radio group to get into US handset market, and gets the radio business along with the deal (structured as a partnership)
Ericsson does not do well in handsets, but GE-Ericsson does OK in radio and gets some big EDACS deals.
Ericsson wants out, but contracts have to be completed, so Com-net buys the radio division.
Com-net is really not big enough to properly support the radio group, and Microwave Associates Communications (M/A-COM) buys the group.
Somewhere prior to this M/A-COM had developed OpenSky for Fedex and merges the product lines.
Then AMP buys M/A-COM, then Tyco buys AMP. (I might have the order not quite right, or even missed a step)
Then Tyco breaks into three companies, and then Harris buys Tyco Electronics.

Now we have not talked about all the Harris history which includes the creation and sale of the divisions that are now Harris Stratex Microwave (sold 2008/2009) (just now with a new name), and Harris GE train control systems (Sold 1999/2000).

Then we could do a whole nother line with the various parts and pieces of microwave radio companies that have been started, sold, or part of Motorola, GE, and/or Harris over the years.

Just when you think you have it all figured out someone buys, sells, merges or divests a critical piece.

I'm only speculating here, but I wonder if GE did this in response to Motorola dropping the Clean Cab Spectra radio. Seems like the 12R began showing up on GE locomotives maybe 7 years ago, even though the radio design (at least part of it) is older.

 

[seligman]

It's hard to keep up with it all. Then you've got Wabtec doing Motorola refurbs, and JEM doing the ones with Kenwood/Icom guts.

Yeah, I know the feeling.