Show off you're railfan shack!

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slapshot0017

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Was bored today and searching around the forum and noticed we don't really have a thread for this so if you have a rail setup, work in the industry, or just plain like trains post some pics here!

I'll start off with my home shack or what was my home shack.

What you see here is a Kenwood NX 700 mainly for railroad monitoring and a Kenwood TM-V71 previously used for railroad monitoring, but now mainly used for public safety.
 

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Eng3ineer

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Here's my closet shack...lol I use three Kenwoods TM281-A one for each of the three major rail subs that pass through town two UP and the KCS. Planning to add a fourth just for the yard ops in future.
 

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Eng3ineer

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Nice setup, super clean. Sorry about the closet thing...
Married? lol


Thanks... Yep i'm married and she hate radio's...Told her the spare closet or out in open... It's a pain to stand and listen to, so I added the side speakers and turn up the volume that drives the better half nuts...
 

Violation

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Hey! Wireless headphones is a GREAT idea. That way you could listen privately, and block out any annoying backround "chatter".
 

Eng3ineer

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Does anyone use ATCS Train Monitor?


Yes.. I use ATCS to view other areas... I'm in process of making a mobile set up for KCS as it the easiest to decode here they use normal ATCS channels and I have few older scanner that would work. UP uses genesis here and little harder to decode or should say more $$$$. I looked at being host but live to far out for MCP side to work, but i'm looking into possible being a host for BCP side.

Jason
 

Priority-One

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I have a motorola MCS2000 that I am looking to get programmed for AAR RX only use for my shack. I run windows vista on my spare desktop. Can I use ATCS with that setup? I'd be monitoring Amtrak and Metro North New Haven lines
 

PACNWDude

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My Train Monitor Scanner

I use my old Bearcat 210XLT for listening to trains while at work. It is a sacrificial unit if someone makes off with it, (not likely) and the trains in my area are old school analog/un-encrypted.

The local 2 meter repeater is also in here, but it is always the same people chatting about the same thing.

Train traffic is on the rise since oil is being transported by rail in this area.

For additional listening I am using SDR# with a USB dongle. Several of my co-workers have these in use in the building. Mine has an old Motorola handheld antenna connected to the USB stick with a small pigtail cable. Others have fabricated their own setup, and we hear the local radio stations and police quite often.

For rail use, SDR# allows for better visability with its waterfall display, but I use the 210xlt scanner more to listen to its audio. A Speco Technologies CBS4 speaker hanging from a cubicle wall hanger bracket gets the audio to my left ear.
 

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Eng3ineer

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I have a motorola MCS2000 that I am looking to get programmed for AAR RX only use for my shack. I run windows vista on my spare desktop. Can I use ATCS with that setup? I'd be monitoring Amtrak and Metro North New Haven lines


On ATCS it a stand alone program. Are you member of ATCS yahoo group. If not this is the first step as you have to be approved for membeship once you gain membership you are able to download the program. Not sure on your area but if your lucky you might already have member or host that has done the decode work and has the needed files that you can download and run. If not then you'll have quite bit work to do plus needed equipment radio's, sound cards, computer, antenna, and maybe a host site for the equipment if you don't live close enough to tracks.

It's alot info so quite bit of reading is in order.. But the guys on site are great and very helpful..

If you live in uncovered busy area some may even be willing to help with needed equipment. My area host offered this, but it turned out that I live to far out for one side of needed radio info to make system work fully.

here's link to yahoo group. https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ATCS_Monitor/info
 

slapshot0017

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I have a motorola MCS2000 that I am looking to get programmed for AAR RX only use for my shack. I run windows vista on my spare desktop. Can I use ATCS with that setup? I'd be monitoring Amtrak and Metro North New Haven lines

Amtrak and Metro North no longer use atcs... Those track line views are sealed tight... Sorry.
 

Priority-One

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that sucks! I was hoping they were open. I get tons of traffic from Metro North road and Amtrak channels. Since ATCS is out, I'm thinking of hosting a feed to broadcastify with the MNRR and Amtrak road channels.
I wish we had a Rail friendly HAM site in New Haven County. I don't have a site or money to set up and license a 2M Rail Club.
I live about 3 miles from Union station in New Haven.
 

DeadMike

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Hey! Wireless headphones is a GREAT idea. That way you could listen privately, and block out any annoying backround "chatter".

I'm working on an invention that eliminates much interference and background chatter.

It fits right over her mouth.

:lol:
 

Eng3ineer

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that sucks! I was hoping they were open. I get tons of traffic from Metro North road and Amtrak channels. Since ATCS is out, I'm thinking of hosting a feed to broadcastify with the MNRR and Amtrak road channels.
I wish we had a Rail friendly HAM site in New Haven County. I don't have a site or money to set up and license a 2M Rail Club.
I live about 3 miles from Union station in New Haven.

Not sure if you use facebook but if you do might start you a group their first and see how it goes. I'd also look and see if their are already any local or regional rail group close by... I belong to few regional groups that cover just the area around me and always get lots of thanks for providing the rail feeds for my area.

It a very big help as having a base radio set-up with an outside antenna feeding my streams gives me and other user a heads up to whats coming a good 20-25+ miles out.
 

slapshot0017

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that sucks! I was hoping they were open. I get tons of traffic from Metro North road and Amtrak channels. Since ATCS is out, I'm thinking of hosting a feed to broadcastify with the MNRR and Amtrak road channels.
I wish we had a Rail friendly HAM site in New Haven County. I don't have a site or money to set up and license a 2M Rail Club.
I live about 3 miles from Union station in New Haven.

I'm at UNH. There is a few 2m repeaters in the New Haven area. I don't know of other rail buffs, but if you ask I bet you could find some people interested to talk to on there. I don't talk much school takes alot of my time...
 
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