Reception

jbhunt04

Member
Joined
May 12, 2019
Messages
48
Location
Robards, KY
To hear the train talking to the dispatcher, you need to be so close to the train to pick up the crew. At least on the CSX here in Kentucky. They use base stations that are placed so many miles apart to call/communicate with the crews. The base stations generally put out more power the the locomotive radios, and they will have the antenna higher up. So usually you’ll end up hearing the dispatcher, but not the crew(on the dispatcher channel). On the CSX, you should hear the train crews calling their signal indications over the road channel, unless it’s on a line that’s not signalled. I live in Robards, KY, and there you can also pick up two different defect detectors. If there’s nothing going on in a particular day, then my scanner stays quiet, but once’s there’s train or equipment movement, that’s when the radio traffic picks up.
 

wtp

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Joined
Apr 3, 2008
Messages
5,914
Location
Port Charlotte FL
and many things on a train are just voice comms.
even if a guy uses a handheld on the train, he is almost in a faraday cage.
and even on the outside they could be using hand signals.
also just because they have a radio, does not mean they use it.
for 20 years i lived 1/8 mile from charlotte harbor in Florida. i heard very little on the marine band.
 

chrismol1

P25 TruCking!
Joined
Mar 15, 2008
Messages
1,148
Thinking out loud..We know the EOTD and head end communicate, and DPU regularly...How often does 200mhz PTC transmissions communicate with the trains computers and tower?
 

sprman1955

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Joined
May 26, 2011
Messages
360
Location
Lavergne ,TN
I heard the dispatcher here very well and hear the train crews here too.Reception is about 2 miles.Some time the dispatcher will change towers and then i hear him very loud.CSX Nashville sub.
 

jbhunt04

Member
Joined
May 12, 2019
Messages
48
Location
Robards, KY
I heard the dispatcher here very well and hear the train crews here too.Reception is about 2 miles.Some time the dispatcher will change towers and then i hear him very loud.CSX Nashville sub.
I live next to the Henderson Sub(South Howell, IN-Amqui, TN.). The dispatcher for that sub was the SA desk in Nashville, until they moved it all back to Florida.
 

AK9R

Lead Wiki Manager and almost an Awesome Moderator
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Jul 18, 2004
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Location
Central Indiana
The dispatcher for that sub was the SA desk in Nashville...
Even though the dispatchers have been moved to Jacksonville, the Henderson Sub is still in the Nashville Division and is still dispatched by the SA or SB dispatcher.
 

jbhunt04

Member
Joined
May 12, 2019
Messages
48
Location
Robards, KY
Yes, I am aware of this. I still listen to CSX on my BC15x scanner. Sometimes I can pick up Howell tower in Evansville, IN, depending on propagation. Usually about 4 or 6 miles either way (including 2 DDs) is what’s received on the road channel. One of these days I would like to put up an outdoor antenna to boost reception. Can also pick up P&L and EVW dispatcher, but not the trains.
 

cr8054

Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2022
Messages
59
Every railroad I monitor in the midwest is using analog. No NXDN, no P25, no DMR. They may have updated their licenses to include NXDN, but they aren't using it except in specific situations.
As far as I know, CSX only uses NXDN in Oak Point Yard in my area. Everything else is analog.
 
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