CT search at UP Davis Yard

[NWtoSFO]

I've recently started programming CT/DC tones into my Pro-97 for frequencies around Sacramento. I was at the Roseville UP yard and had the scanner in CT search with the yard freq's. Some didn't come up at all. I'm assuming that a lot of railroad freq's don't have code tones. Some, though, displayed a tone right away; 161.34 (Car Dept) showed 91.5, and 160.35 (Car Dept) showed 118.8. But some showed different tones with each transmission; 160.62 (Roundhouse) showed 118.8/127.3/136.5/229.1, and 160.275 (Trim Yard) showed 225.7/173.8. And while listening to 161.4 (Yard channel) would change tones 2 or 3 times while a guy was talking, and by the end of a 1 minute conversation, 7 or 8 tones would be displayed. After 30 minutes 18 tones were displayed.

I'm guessing that I don't need to program in the tones for the railroad freq's unless the road channels have tones for differents segments of a subdivision. But, does this happen with other public safety frequencies? And, if it does, would any one of the tones programed work? Kinda curious.

 

[kma371]

I've recently started programming CT/DC tones into my Pro-97 for frequencies around Sacramento. I was at the Roseville UP yard and had the scanner in CT search with the yard freq's. Some didn't come up at all. I'm assuming that a lot of railroad freq's don't have code tones. Some, though, displayed a tone right away; 161.34 (Car Dept) showed 91.5, and 160.35 (Car Dept) showed 118.8. But some showed different tones with each transmission; 160.62 (Roundhouse) showed 118.8/127.3/136.5/229.1, and 160.275 (Trim Yard) showed 225.7/173.8. And while listening to 161.4 (Yard channel) would change tones 2 or 3 times while a guy was talking, and by the end of a 1 minute conversation, 7 or 8 tones would be displayed. After 30 minutes 18 tones were displayed.

I'm guessing that I don't need to program in the tones for the railroad freq's unless the road channels have tones for differents segments of a subdivision. But, does this happen with other public safety frequencies? And, if it does, would any one of the tones programed work? Kinda curious.

I think those were just errors generated by the scanner. I've experienced that before (on other frequenies)

I only know of one railroad freq in the area that uses tones and it's napa valley wine train. There may be one more but it's not any of the ones you mentioned.

Multiple pl's are not common on public safety freqs either. Only scenario I've experienced is the removing of a PL for car to car transmissions which isn't all that much common either.

Hope that helped.

 

[Sac916]

I think those were just errors generated by the scanner. I've experienced that before (on other frequenies)

I only know of one railroad freq in the area that uses tones and it's napa valley wine train. There may be one more but it's not any of the ones you mentioned.

Multiple pl's are not common on public safety freqs either. Only scenario I've experienced is the removing of a PL for car to car transmissions which isn't all that much common either.

Hope that helped.

I have heard non-railroad transmissions on "railroad" frequencies, and those generated tones. I don't specifically listen to railroad freqs, but have caught a few using close call/signal stalker near AmTrack downtown. Just throwing out the idea and possibility that some of the railroad transmissions with tones just might be non-railroad transmissions.

Good luck!

 

[NWtoSFO]

Thanks guys. That did clear some of it up. I know that one of the railroad freq's was used by All American Speedway (don't remember which one) that came in clear at the yard. Only thing about what you guys stated is that every transmission that generated a tone was railroad traffic. Oh, well. It's not something I'm going to worry about, since I've not seen that happen on any public safety freq. Then again, I've only just started paying attention to the CTCSS tones.

Matthew