WTD: San Fernando Valley Freqs

I have the UP road channel for my area, but only hear the dispatcher (160.545). I want to hear the trains too. I am getting tired of hearing one way conversations.

Thanks,
Robert F.

 

Are you in an area that uses PBX channels this where the dispatcher transmits on one frequency and the train tranmits on another?This may be a cause for it.


I sometime get this in Galesburg. Usually the train is out of my range. How I pick up the dispatcher only is beyond me. Maybe someone can help us out By giving us instructions in to tuning our antenna's to pick up a little more range. I can pick up things up to 5 miles on my portable scanner. And up to 15 miles on my home scanner.

------------------
Keep on railroad'n

[This message has been edited by Jack Doran (edited 27 September 2000).]

 

I'll try to explain a little about radios without confusing everyone. I don't know if it's the same everywhere, but here in the great state of Oregon, UP trains use the same frequency as the dispatcher. Along the track every so often are repeaters that send out the signal anytime the dispatcher keys his mike. The signal from each repeater doesn't have much of a range (because it only has to be heard up and down the track halfway to the next repeater), but since there are several repeaters going off at the same time saying the same thing, you're likely to hear the dispatcher on your scanner. The train's broadcast power is about the same as the repeaters, because it only has to hit the closest repeater. But since there is only one train, you're less likely to hear it. If you happen to close enough to the train, you can hear them talking on the same frequency as dispatch.

I'll try and make a diagram here:

1----2----3----4--(T)-5----6----7----8

Each number is a reapeater, and the "T" is a train. Each repeater and the train have a range of two dashes. Anybody with a scanner that's within two dashes of any of these repeaters can hear dispatch, but only scanners withing two dashes of the T will hear the engineer.

There is a place in the Cascades (from about Heather to Fields for those that know the line) that the track doubles back on itself in a narrow valley. I've been there when there were three trains all in the same area, I could hear all three engineers, dispatch, three EOT "beeps," and several detectors all coming over the scanner. But that's a rare situation.

------------------
Mike Smith lcso_927@hotmail.com
Eugene, Oregon

LCSO's RailPics ~ License and registration please...
"She's not really gone if her memory lives on in our hearts."
Southern Pacific 1865-1996

 

Thanks, that helps a lot. I figured that I was just out of range.

-Robert F.

 

chatsworth----thats my stompin grounds--unfortunately most freights go thru after dark