Radio Scanners

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Approach_Medium

Approach_Medium

New Member
Since I haven't been able to find a better place for this thread on this forum (ie, "real railroading", "off topic", etc), I'll be asking this question here. Hopefully it doesn't upset the admins....:o

I'm in the market for some kind of radio scanner for rail fan trips with my buddy. Neither of us know anything about these things, so I'm hoping someone here can point me to some resources or recommend a product.

Being a photographer in Brooklyn NY, I'm looking for a scanner that will not only allow me to listen to railroad related radio chatter on trips but also be able to listen to local fire departments and police channels (this is also for documentary photography). Ideally the scanner I'm looking for would be compact enough to travel with as well as have some kind of headphone jack so I can listen while riding Amtrak if I desire.

I also know nothing about what channels are used for railroad chatter or any other type of radio chatter, so a related article would be greatly appreciated.

-Joe
 


Hi Wigwag,

Now this is more of what I was looking for. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I'll let you know if I have any other questions. Thanks!

-Joe
 
I am not sure on this, but I think it is illegal to have a police scanner in a vehicle. You may want to check on that.
 
i had been using a radioshack pro97 for about 5 years. I had been using it with a window mount when I had my old f150. Then i decided to upgrade to the traintenna which is alot bigger and has a magmount for the roof. It's a bit pricey but i said what the hell. Huge improvement in what I was able to pick up. BUt I still felt like i wasn't getting everything i should be. So I started researching more and towards then end of 2013 decided to pull the trigger and get a new radio. I decided on a yaesu ft-270r, its a 2 way transceiver that is so much more powerfull then my scanner. The transmit portion is disabled so ican't talk to people by accident. But man the stuff I pick up now is incredible. For instance i live near the csx riverline here in nj by mp13. I normally would hear them calling the signals from auto 15 if going south and if im lucky cp10 going north with my old setup(window mount and scanner), then with the traintenna on a good day i'de hear them calling as far north as auto 17 and cp7 to the south, again on a good day. Now with this transceiver and traintenna im picking up trains as far north as MP38 and all the way down to CP1 on the riverline. Its incredible the difference the radio makes.
 
Ghost59, I'll have to research that. The only rule I'm familiar with is if you're on a passenger train you're required to use headphones if you're using the scanner.

NYSWF45, That sounds pretty incredible!! It also sounds a little big for what I'd need. I'm looking for something akin to a walkie talkie, maybe a little larger if that doesn't exist. I've been too busy lately to shop around or really research that forum WigWag suggested. But once I do I'll be sure to be back with more questions. Also, that's pretty great you're on the River Line, NYSW. I grew up in Kingston, and my grandfather worked the river line for many, many years, so I'm all to familiar with it. Still working on getting him to donate his old paperwork and books to me though...

-Joe
 
Approach_Medium said:
Ghost59, I'll have to research that. The only rule I'm familiar with is if you're on a passenger train you're required to use headphones if you're using the scanner.

NYSWF45, That sounds pretty incredible!! It also sounds a little big for what I'd need. I'm looking for something akin to a walkie talkie, maybe a little larger if that doesn't exist. I've been too busy lately to shop around or really research that forum WigWag suggested. But once I do I'll be sure to be back with more questions. Also, that's pretty great you're on the River Line, NYSW. I grew up in Kingston, and my grandfather worked the river line for many, many years, so I'm all to familiar with it. Still working on getting him to donate his old paperwork and books to me though...

-Joe
Click to expand...

Big as in its actual size? If thats what you mean then its no way big, its alot smaller then what I thought it would be. Its probably as tall as an Iphone 5 without antenna. It fits perfectly in a vehicle cupholder. I'de say its just a tad and I mean tad bigger then a typical walkie talkie.

And thats cool your dad worked on the riverline? Which railroad did he work with, NYC? NYO&W, PC, CR, CSX? I'de love to get ahold of any pics/slides/negatives he may have if you dont want them.
 
WHAT GHOST59 SAID! Here in NH, ever since 9-11 highjacks, all the deaths; police, fire depts., railroad security, are no longer sympathetic toward photographers. Read many stories in mrr mags, about treatment of model railroaders in their own articles, anywhere on property where terrorists could do their dirty work. New England areas open to yours truly are definitely taboo now, unless you KNOW someone with real connections! TTFN....papasmurf in NH
 
In NY state its illegal to have one with police frequencies being actively scanned if with a police officer seeing it. I've been in NY state with a scanner and my 2 way and never been harrassed or bothered. There are websites that will answer your questions about legality in certain states.

papasmurf, wtf are you talking about?
 


I know some folks (including me) who are using these little handheld radios to monitor railroad frequencies. Their greatest virtue is that they are CHEAP -- about $40.

Baofeng UV-5R

A few caveats:

1. These are transceivers, which means they can transmit as well as receive. So you must be absolutely sure NOT to transmit on any frequency unless you are properly licensed. But you are free to listen, at least in the U.S. They can be programmed not to transmit.

2. The scanning is relatively slow compared to a dedicated scanner, but in any given area you will be monitoring only a few railroad channels, so scanning speed is not a major issue.

3. Programming these radios is a bit complicated, but there are step-by-step guides on the web. The instructions provided with the radios are awful, so the online guides are essential.

4. Programming can be performed either with the built-in keypad or by connecting the radios to a computer and running special software.

5. Range is fairly limited but can be improved with an aftermarket antenna.

I own two of these radios, which I use for ham radio purposes and for scanning. Using the built-in antenna, local railroad activity about 3 blocks away is easy to hear. I have not tried more distant railroad monitoring.

Although the price is right, I do not recommend buying these radios unless you are prepared to do some learning in order to use them. If you want a scanner that is ready to use right out of the box, buy a brand name radio or a purpose-built scanner. If you don't mind a fairly steep learning curve, these little radios are a bargain.

- Jeff
 
Within the last year, I purchased a Uniden BC125AT scanner to use while railfanning. It has 10 channel storage banks and you can store 50 frequencies in each bank. A nice feature is you can tag a frequency. For instance, you can label channel 160.800 as Norfolk Southern. It will also allow you to scan fire, police, avaiation, etc. Another nice feature is "close call". Any transmission very close will be picked up and locked on. There are lots of other features, but you can do some research on the internet if you are interested. There are around 100 channels designated for use by railroads, and they too can be found on the internet. As mentioned above, Radioreference.com is an excellent resource. I could be wrong, but I think laws pertaining to scanning police & fire vary from state to state. I've never had a problem while railfanning, but you do need to use some common sense as to location, etc. Good luck and have fun.
Tom, Pittsburgh, PA
 
I've heard the horror stories of railroad photographers being harassed in all kinds of locations. The world we live in has become more paranoid then rationality can afford. Being a regular photographer myself I've heard of many of the legal issues surrounding photographing buildings, bridges, etc. It all just boils down to knowing your rights and being smart with what you're doing.

Back on topic regarding the scanners...

NYSW, yes what you initially described sounded to me like it was a console mounted scanner. But you second post cleared that up. Definitely looking for a handheld size to carry around in my backpack and what you described fits the bill.

It was my Grandfather who worked on the River Line. He hired out with New York Central in the late 50's and worked through all iterations until he retired in '93. NYC, PC, Conrail and finally CSX. When I was a kid I lived on the tracks next to the yard in Kingston NY, and ever once in a while my dad would take me outside to watch a train go by, and there'd be my Grandfather, hanging out the window of a Conrail unit waving to us. Some times he'd be riding the caboose (this was the late 80's). Were some great memories.

And if you're familiar with the Catskill Mountain Railroad, he was a conductor on the last train on the line from Stamford to Kingston. http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.town...fa-001a4bcf887a/50c9e09b97b00.preview-300.jpg

-Joe
 
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