scanners amtrak do you have to have a digital one?

[TishaNola]

has amtrak gone digital? or can i use a non digital scanner ? and anyone know the frequency codes amtrak uses?

 

[TishaNola]

has amtrak gone digital? or can i use a non digital scanner ? and anyone know the frequency codes amtrak uses?

im trying to find a cheap scaner on ebay that will work for picking up the train

 

[ColdRain&Snow]

Go with an analog scanner and use this site to get your freqs for the route(s).

 

[TishaNola]

im extremely excited about trying this on the crescent. My grandfather has an analog one already he said I could take with me , since he had to buy a digital one because PA police and fire went to digi and thats what he loves is listening to all the police calls

 

[TishaNola]

im extremely excited about trying this on the crescent. My grandfather has an analog one already he said I could take with me , since he had to buy a digital one because PA police and fire went to digi and thats what he loves is listening to all the police calls

this is the one i was kinda looking at on ebay scanner link

 

[gswager]

I'm a volunteer firefighter and TishaNora is right about the digital scanner. Officially term we called "narrow-band". We are required to go to digital by Aug 2012 but not all of them are. The rules are pretty complicated.

 

[AlanB]

I'm a volunteer firefighter and TishaNora is right about the digital scanner. Officially term we called "narrow-band". We are required to go to digital by Aug 2012 but not all of them are. The rules are pretty complicated.

Well to be clear, for right now a simple analog scanner that can pick up the frequencies listed in the charts on the OTOL site will work.

But the railroads are working towards "narrow-band" but to my knowledge haven't converted over yet. I think that CSX is slated to do so sometime this year IIRC. Not sure about the other RR's. So while analog still works right now, anyone considering buying a scanner should be certain that it can handle narrow-band or they'll find their scanner quickly outdated and useless for Amtrak travel.

 

[printman2000]

Don't forget the headphones!

 

[Donald M]

I have the list of freq used along the routes, but do the Amtrak crew on the train use a seperate low freq channel to talk to each other?

 

[AlanB]

I have the list of freq used along the routes, but do the Amtrak crew on the train use a seperate low freq channel to talk to each other?

Only the operating crew, conductors and engineers have radios. The service crew, car attendants, dining car, sleeper attendants have no radios. They use the train's intercom system if they need to communicate. You'll hear them page so & so to the IC, which is their way of communicating.

 

[RRrich]

Would this guy be suitable as a narrowband scanner?

 

[nybatt]

just reached the half-way point of my trip... cap limited, zephyr, coast starlight... sat in my sleeper roomette and scanned the whole way!! that one linked website previously mentioned is the best!!

 

[Train2104]

Even with narrowbanding, that's just more advanced analog. I have a $200+ scanner that can do narrowbanding and trunking, but not digital. Too bad I barely get anything from inside an LIRR M7.

 

[leemell]

I'm a volunteer firefighter and TishaNora is right about the digital scanner. Officially term we called "narrow-band". We are required to go to digital by Aug 2012 but not all of them are. The rules are pretty complicated.

Actually narrow band and digital are two separate issues. The FCC has been narrowing the channel assignments for most services for decades. Most recent and even earlier scanners should handle the reduction from 12.5 kHz to 6.25kHz that occurring now. I have a 10 year old Pro-83 scanner and it is set up for 6.25 kHz channels. Some emergency services, in fact a lot of the major city services have converted to digital transmissions, but it is not required by the FCC.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

So if one was to get a scanner what do I need to look for in requirements.

 

[leemell]

So if one was to get a scanner what do I need to look for in requirements.

I do not know if rail is going digital or not so cannot say on that issue. As for narrowband, look at the scanner specifications for channel bandwidth in VHF bands. if it says narrow or 6.25 kHz, that will work.