Warbling tones on CSX dispatcher channel

[W4KRR]

Here in south Florida, I hear what I describe as short bursts of warbling tones on the CSX dispatcher frequency of 161.520. Must be some sort of digital data, but what is it for exactly?

 

[Thunderbolt]

Is this on the Road, Dispatcher, or PBX channel?

73's

Ron

 

[Josh]

It's just the new dispatcher ack tone that has gone into effect systemwide. It means as much as the old one: Nothing, just an acknowledgement that the tower heard you and has notified the dispatcher of your call.

CSX has always had a buzz type tone on their dispatch bases. Just recently they did something different to their infrastructure (possibly a step toward digital because the dispatchers sound more digitized than before) and as a result, the new sound surfaced. I've noticed two different variations although for a short while, one of the towers near here actually transmitted a tone back, rather than a buzzy noise.

-Josh

 

[W4KRR]

Is this on the Road, Dispatcher, or PBX channel?

73's

Ron

Dispatcher, 161.520. It's like a fast, warbling tone of about one second duration. Gets to be annoying after a while.

 

[BigC801]

that sounds like its the tone back when crews tone up the dispatcher, that tone back is the only way we know our tone went through and they might answer your call some time that day

 

[Thunderbolt]

that sounds like its the tone back when crews tone up the dispatcher, that tone back is the only way we know our tone went through and they might answer your call some time that day

Isn't that the truth! I can remember one time a train hit a car on the local Conrail line several years ago. The crew kept toning the dispatcher but no answer for over 20 minutes. Thankfully, someone called the police on a landline and they were able to get the appropriate public safety agencies to the scene to cut the people out of the car.

Finally the dispatcher answered up after another radio in second locomotive was used. I don't know if the lead unit's radio was defective, but it set off the tone feature when the correct sequence was used, and sounded loud and clear.

73's

Ron

 

[BigC801]

ya i am gitting ready to go to work here in a few hours, normaly the dispatchers get to u when they fell like it but i will say the few times ive had to use the emergency tone they were on in a few secs, the standerd is 9 or 911. Well anyway i am sure that is what you hearing, it sounds just like that to us normaly unless your right next to the tower u hit. There is alot of times u wont hear the trains them self tone up per say because of distance, a few miles is all u get out of the locomotive radios. Well hope this helps a little sorry for rambling.

 

[JESSERABBIT]

When a CSX train goes into emergency in the area of Brunswick, MD, (west of Washington, D.C.), all heck breaks loose with the tones, etc. It really gets everyone's attention.

 

[PHL_Approach]

Not only could it be a call tone. It could also be a crew dialing into a base station.

 

[trainman111]

The warbling tone is the tone sent by the base station to alert the crew (and everyone else that can hear it) that the base station recieved their call tones.