VHF Antennas on Locomotives

[icom1020]

As I understand it, their data system is on 72 MHz. They decided to use this band because it allows a less intensive supporting infrastructure than a 900 MHz system would have. Ie, less tower sites.

73s

Ron

no.. those are definitely low band 'ice skates' on the locomotives

http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-675824/BNSF-s-use-of-low.html

 

[emt8105]

A little off topic but mentioned about the low band version when I was in the fire department we had one of these on out Heavy Rescue it received pretty good not really sure on the transmit since it was not our primary radio.

 

[radio50]

I'm not a serious railfan or even much of a railroad radio listener, but I spotted your thread about antennas and I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents worth. On a trip "out west" I took a fair number of train pix and the two attachments show the antennas. The orange loco is a BNSF -- looks like a black cylindrical antenna on a short "stalk". The yellow one is a track "grinder" -- I see a vertical wire whip antenna and that white "paddle" thing -- possibly an antenna.

My apologies if I'm restating the obvious (or misusing the terminology).

 

[DPD1]

The white one is a high band directional. It most likely sends and or receives some sort of data from the other equipment back in the consist.

Dave
www.DPDProductions.com
Makers of the "TrainTenna" Monitoring Antenna

 

[radio50]

The white one is a high band directional. It most likely sends and or receives some sort of data from the other equipment back in the consist.

That makes sense. I just checked other photos from that day. There are two white antennas at the front of the train aiming rearward, and two white antennas at the back of the train aimed toward the front. Thanks!

 

[Scott_PHX_APP]

The small wip in your second picture is the FRED comms antenna. That is a UHF link to the rear of the train fromthe head end to control/receive the EOT Device. Lets put it this way, that's what it looks like to me and I've seen them on locals up close and personal...
Later...

 

[Allan_Love_Jr]

On the BNSF 6817 those Antennas are called "Firecrackers". At least that's what I understand.

 

[Scott_PHX_APP]

On the BNSF 6817 those Antennas are called "Firecrackers". At least that's what I understand.

If you're refering to the one in the first shot, it's called a "Firestick". I think you can do a search on the forum here for that term, there was a link to the antenna manufacture that makes them. They kind of look like a whistle without the notch cutout.

 

[DPD1]

The one above the #6817 is the firecracker style. Basically, it's just an adjustable ground-plane that's beefed up. You can see the set screws, which allow it to adjust up and down, which can raise or lower the resonance point.

Dave
www.DPDProductions.com
Makers of the "TrainTenna" Monitoring Antenna

 

[SCPD]

Top of the engine.

The small wip in your second picture is the FRED comms antenna. That is a UHF link to the rear of the train fromthe head end to control/receive the EOT Device. Lets put it this way, that's what it looks like to me and I've seen them on locals up close and personal...
Later...

You may be right, but looking at the length of that antenna, in respect to what I'm assuming is a standard NMO mount at the base, I think that's a VHF vertical.

 

[Scott_PHX_APP]

You may be right, but looking at the length of that antenna, in respect to what I'm assuming is a standard NMO mount at the base, I think that's a VHF vertical.

I was always wondering about that too, but I've seen the antenna and on the local switchers I've been in, the antenna was a Mag mount and the cable goes right to the HED. It looks long for UHF, but... The local guys have them plastered to the sun shade on the outside of the engineers window and sometimes on the roof, the coax runs in the window/door and across the top of the windshield to the HED. Since they get units switched out often, they don't see much need to make it look pretty... :lol:
Later...

 

[icom1020]

I was always wondering about that too, but I've seen the antenna and on the local switchers I've been in, the antenna was a Mag mount and the cable goes right to the HED. It looks long for UHF, but... The local guys have them plastered to the sun shade on the outside of the engineers window and sometimes on the roof, the coax runs in the window/door and across the top of the windshield to the HED. Since they get units switched out often, they don't see much need to make it look pretty... :lol:
Later...

I've seen cell phone antennas on the short line engines. Railamerica does a lot of remote dispatching.

 

[SCPD]

They could be USING the wrong antenna.

I was always wondering about that too, but I've seen the antenna and on the local switchers I've been in, the antenna was a Mag mount and the cable goes right to the HED. It looks long for UHF, but... The local guys have them plastered to the sun shade on the outside of the engineers window and sometimes on the roof, the coax runs in the window/door and across the top of the windshield to the HED. Since they get units switched out often, they don't see much need to make it look pretty... :lol:
Later...

I once got a call from an un-named, but well known railroad that their radio quit working. I was working for a company that ran remote control switcher engines across someone else's railroad drawbridge.
So we get there, and someone had the VHF radio hooked up to a CB mag-mount antenna, just sitting on top of the wooden shack, not even stuck to anything metal. The final in the radio was toast. They needed an antenna, and thought all antennas were the same, so grabbed the first thing they could find.

 

[Allan_Love_Jr]

I once got a call from an un-named, but well known railroad that their radio quit working. I was working for a company that ran remote control switcher engines across someone else's railroad drawbridge.
So we get there, and someone had the VHF radio hooked up to a CB mag-mount antenna, just sitting on top of the wooden shack, not even stuck to anything metal. The final in the radio was toast. They needed an antenna, and thought all antennas were the same, so grabbed the first thing they could find.

Oh how stupid can they be LOL.

 

[BigC801]

I once got a call from an un-named, but well known railroad that their radio quit working. I was working for a company that ran remote control switcher engines across someone else's railroad drawbridge.
So we get there, and someone had the VHF radio hooked up to a CB mag-mount antenna, just sitting on top of the wooden shack, not even stuck to anything metal. The final in the radio was toast. They needed an antenna, and thought all antennas were the same, so grabbed the first thing they could find.

They do this to us all the time, if the wire to the stock antenna breaks or somthing they will just stick any one they can find out the window, dont matter if its for 160's or 400's or a cell phone its all the same to them, then they wonder why when we get out on the sub and cant hear anything.:roll: :roll: :roll:

 

[Allan_Love_Jr]

That is funny as hell. LOL