what railroad and how many channels are you looking to do. The railroad i do radio service for we went back to analog found a faded analog signal can be better than chopped digital. also we run MDC-1200 that helps. the XPR series works great. i have XPR4350 in the steam locomotives simple big knob easy to use, the diesels have kenwoods. the track equipment is going with cm300/cm200 series
Receiver Choices
- Thread starter radio3353
- Start date
- Status
You've got me curious: how're they powering a radio in a steam loco? (If they use a Steampunk approach, that'd be awesome!)
32volts off the dynamo to a inverter that floats across the car battery.
Actually a few short line railroads and some industrial railroads are using DMR, but they're few and far between.
Not necessarily "Few and far between" I know of several shortlines (Some classify as "Regionals") using DMR in about every state South of the Mississippi, and several of them are Mototrbo IP connect systems.
(Past the Mississippi, I don't have "hands-on" knowledge of, but many licenses do appear to have added DMR.)
Last edited:
ai8o
Brachiating Tetrapod
There are two major reasons why NXDN/DMR/TETRA is NOT used by the majority of American RRs.
NXDN/DMR/TETRA, etc are still niche radio modulation types in American railroading.
1) is the sheer size of the installed base of American railroads radio equipment.
There are literally 100s of thousands of RF devices used by American railroads.
Locomotive radios, crew HTs, defect detectors, turn out controllers, EOTs, and who knows what elsethat is radio controlled.
It would take a lot of time ,effort, and MONEY, to repalce all this already installed equipment.
2) AAR is the standards setting agency for American Railroads,
When they set a standard; the FRA listens.
AAR is the frequency coordinator for Class 1 RRs.
<In effect they are the the licensing/standards setting agency for railroads>
The FCC in reality is just the radio frequency record keeper when it comes to RRs.
AAR still mandates ANALOG, Narrowband, 160 MHz, radios for locomotives and HTs for crews that operate interchange off their home railroad ( i.e. locos and crew that go onto, and operate on another RRs tracks).
Class 1 RRs interchange equipment a lot.
(It is not unusual to see a UP loco on the NS mainline in North Carolina, or an NS unit in New Mexico).
IF you want to go onto another RR's track to interchange carsor locos; you have to be able to talk to theother RR's dispatch on a 160 MHz AAR approved channel.
Consequently, Class 1s adhere to the AAR rules for mandated equipment.
This means that Class 1 RRs are not going to use any other modulation type, until AAR mandates some other standard.
NXDN , DMR, Tetra radios are not going to be a major factor until AAR finally mandates a new standard for radios used in in interchange operations.
(Places like the Tweetsie RR, the HOOT TOOT and SCOOT RR, etc.)
Because NXDN , DMR, Tetra radios are cheaper, shortline RRs that don't interchange a lot, or at all, will use them.
ANALOG, Narrowband, 160 MHz, radios will rule until the AAR changes the standard,
<<Then Class 1 RRs will change over >>
There has been much discussion over the years since before narrowbanding was mandated by the FCC.
The only real goal being discussed for the next series ( the 300 series radio channels) of the AAR radio standards is a 6.25 KHz bandwidth.
This bandwidth is too narrow for analog, consequently some sort of digital modulation will be neccessary, and NOT any sort of analog. modulation.
NXDN seems to be the leading candidate.
When this will happen is anybody's guess.
NO new standard or changeover date has been set.
remember, wideband to narrowband took over ten years.
ALL RIGHT! Lets flip the lever to FORWARD, put this in RUN 8, and get out of here.
NXDN/DMR/TETRA, etc are still niche radio modulation types in American railroading.
1) is the sheer size of the installed base of American railroads radio equipment.
There are literally 100s of thousands of RF devices used by American railroads.
Locomotive radios, crew HTs, defect detectors, turn out controllers, EOTs, and who knows what elsethat is radio controlled.
It would take a lot of time ,effort, and MONEY, to repalce all this already installed equipment.
2) AAR is the standards setting agency for American Railroads,
When they set a standard; the FRA listens.
AAR is the frequency coordinator for Class 1 RRs.
<In effect they are the the licensing/standards setting agency for railroads>
The FCC in reality is just the radio frequency record keeper when it comes to RRs.
AAR still mandates ANALOG, Narrowband, 160 MHz, radios for locomotives and HTs for crews that operate interchange off their home railroad ( i.e. locos and crew that go onto, and operate on another RRs tracks).
Class 1 RRs interchange equipment a lot.
(It is not unusual to see a UP loco on the NS mainline in North Carolina, or an NS unit in New Mexico).
IF you want to go onto another RR's track to interchange carsor locos; you have to be able to talk to theother RR's dispatch on a 160 MHz AAR approved channel.
Consequently, Class 1s adhere to the AAR rules for mandated equipment.
This means that Class 1 RRs are not going to use any other modulation type, until AAR mandates some other standard.
NXDN , DMR, Tetra radios are not going to be a major factor until AAR finally mandates a new standard for radios used in in interchange operations.
(Places like the Tweetsie RR, the HOOT TOOT and SCOOT RR, etc.)
Because NXDN , DMR, Tetra radios are cheaper, shortline RRs that don't interchange a lot, or at all, will use them.
ANALOG, Narrowband, 160 MHz, radios will rule until the AAR changes the standard,
<<Then Class 1 RRs will change over >>
There has been much discussion over the years since before narrowbanding was mandated by the FCC.
The only real goal being discussed for the next series ( the 300 series radio channels) of the AAR radio standards is a 6.25 KHz bandwidth.
This bandwidth is too narrow for analog, consequently some sort of digital modulation will be neccessary, and NOT any sort of analog. modulation.
NXDN seems to be the leading candidate.
When this will happen is anybody's guess.
NO new standard or changeover date has been set.
remember, wideband to narrowband took over ten years.
ALL RIGHT! Lets flip the lever to FORWARD, put this in RUN 8, and get out of here.
I see your post, -but-
NS has upgraded, or is in the process of upgrading practically every base station with Kenwood or Icom equipment, capable of NXDN.
NS has upgraded pretty much every locomotive radio to NXDN capable Kenwood (I haven't seen Icom mobiles yet).
NS has, and is, upgrading every company vehicle with NXDN capable radios.
NS is phasing out "other than Kenwood / Icom" portables, with Kenwood and Icom.
NS has updated (and is still updating what is left) NS radio licenses for NXDN emissions. - Most of this is after narrowbanding.
NS has NB analog, and also NXDN banks of frequencies in the current radio programming.
There is usage of NXDN on NS. Starting small - scale, with yards, MOW / Signals, and Police.
NXDN is "Forward" as that's what is going in.
NS has upgraded, or is in the process of upgrading practically every base station with Kenwood or Icom equipment, capable of NXDN.
NS has upgraded pretty much every locomotive radio to NXDN capable Kenwood (I haven't seen Icom mobiles yet).
NS has, and is, upgrading every company vehicle with NXDN capable radios.
NS is phasing out "other than Kenwood / Icom" portables, with Kenwood and Icom.
NS has updated (and is still updating what is left) NS radio licenses for NXDN emissions. - Most of this is after narrowbanding.
NS has NB analog, and also NXDN banks of frequencies in the current radio programming.
There is usage of NXDN on NS. Starting small - scale, with yards, MOW / Signals, and Police.
NXDN is "Forward" as that's what is going in.
ai8o
Brachiating Tetrapod
RRR I see what U are saying.
What NS is doing is just like they did for the Wide to Narrow band switch over.
NS will be ready to go when the AAR says switch over to NXDN nationwide.
The problem is not every RR is so proactive.
Nationwide, there is still a lot of installed analog infrastructure that needs to be replaced.
So, installing radio infrastucture getting ready to switch nationwide, will take a long time.
The whole purpose of RRs is to move freight, and to do that cars have to be interchanged.
So everybody that inter changes has to be interoperable.
Local units that don't have to deal with foreign RR units can be NXDN now, but the class 1s will have to wait until everybody is ready to switch, and then BAM! the actual switch over time will be very short.
What NS is doing is just like they did for the Wide to Narrow band switch over.
NS will be ready to go when the AAR says switch over to NXDN nationwide.
The problem is not every RR is so proactive.
Nationwide, there is still a lot of installed analog infrastructure that needs to be replaced.
So, installing radio infrastucture getting ready to switch nationwide, will take a long time.
The whole purpose of RRs is to move freight, and to do that cars have to be interchanged.
So everybody that inter changes has to be interoperable.
Local units that don't have to deal with foreign RR units can be NXDN now, but the class 1s will have to wait until everybody is ready to switch, and then BAM! the actual switch over time will be very short.
- Status
