NXDN Use in Denver Or Cheyenne

[Mojaveflyer]

Last week while chasing the UP 4014 north from Denver to Cheyenne I heard what sounded like digital modulation on 160.515 MHz near Cheyenne. Unfortunately I didn't have a radio with me capable of receiving NXDN modulation. I'm going to head back up to Cheyenne soon with a radio that will receive NXDN traffic. I'll post what I find.

Also recently I saw a report of digital radio traffic south of Denver on the Joint Line. UP uses 160.54 MHz and BNSF uses 160.36.

The photo is of UP 4014 at Speer, WY, as it returned to Cheyenne.

Any reports would be appreciated.

 

[Mojaveflyer]

Last week while chasing the UP 4014 north from Denver to Cheyenne I heard what sounded like digital modulation on 160.515 MHz near Cheyenne. Unfortunately I didn't have a radio with me capable of receiving NXDN modulation. I'm going to head back up to Cheyenne soon with a radio that will receive NXDN traffic. I'll post what I find.

Also recently I saw a report of digital radio traffic south of Denver on the Joint Line. UP uses 160.54 MHz and BNSF uses 160.36.

The photo is of UP 4014 at Speer, WY, as it returned to Cheyenne.

Any reports would be appreciated.View attachment 125655

 

[chief21]

I've been following this subject for some time now. Thus far, I've only heard reports of NXDN being used in yards or on certain short lines. I haven't yet seen any reports of NXDN signals on road channels/main lines.

 

[Mojaveflyer]

Thanks! That's been my experience too. It does seem to be spreading, though.

 

[natedawg1604]

Last week while chasing the UP 4014 north from Denver to Cheyenne I heard what sounded like digital modulation on 160.515 MHz near Cheyenne. Unfortunately I didn't have a radio with me capable of receiving NXDN modulation. I'm going to head back up to Cheyenne soon with a radio that will receive NXDN traffic. I'll post what I find.

Also recently I saw a report of digital radio traffic south of Denver on the Joint Line. UP uses 160.54 MHz and BNSF uses 160.36.

The photo is of UP 4014 at Speer, WY, as it returned to Cheyenne.

Any reports would be appreciated.View attachment 125655

What radio or scanner were you using? I only ask because the Denver area has an insane amount of RF, it you were using a regular scanner you could have been hearing intermod.

 

[Mojaveflyer]

I use a Whistler WS-1065. I monitor both railroads and aircraft. The digital traffic I heard was in the neighborhood of Cheyenne, WY, while chasing UP 4014. I have very good success with that radio in Denver. I agree that RF is a constant problem with monitoring here in Denver. I'm going up to Cheyenne as soon as my social calendar permits to see what I can hear. I'll post the results here....

 

[Mojaveflyer]

Another visit to Cheyenne last week made me think what I was thinking NXDN modulation may actually be intermod from the military comm towers at the south end of town. This area is opposite the Wyoming Welcome station and rest stop just north of the state line. It was another good day photographing trains. The photo of UP4806 coming from the Denver Pacific Main to eastbound Track #4 heading down to the Cheyenne yard. The train on the right is westbound towards Rawlins on Track #3.

 

[03msc]

Off topic from the point of the thread but great shots. Nice location there.

I know when Big Boy came through Arkansas last year, they certainly didn't have a radio capable of NXDN. It was a Kenwood but an older model. It seemed it couldn't even tone up the dispatcher; as they were leaving one location, 4014 said "4015* go ahead and dial up the dispatcher, over".
I know you weren't necessarily saying it was 4014 on NXDN, I was just sharing an observation. I remember seeing an 'on board Big Boy' video on YouTube and caught a glimpse of the radio in it then; it looked like a Kenwood TK-790 with remote head mounted above the engineer's head at that time. Should have been able to tone out so maybe it was the conductor on the trailing locomotive who handled the movement authorization and that's what 4014's engineer was meaning when he said that since the cab of Big Boy is less conducive to taking down the orders.

*or whatever locomotive it was they had behind them; I think it was a different one than in this shot.