Using Scanner Along Route

[ColdRain&Snow]

I've been following the scanner posts with much interest, so I brought one home this weekend and have ordered a 160-tuned antenna from Smiley. I apologize in advance if this seems like a silly question, but I just want to make sure I understand how things will work.

Once I have punched in all of the AAR channel frequencies from OTOL into the banks, and when I board the train, is it just a matter of hitting the Scan button (on Bearcat 95XLT) to catch the crew conversations? Since it is only scanning about 100 channels, will it pretty much always catch the transmissions of the crew without me doing anything further? Or should I limit the channels it scans to only those for the particular route?

I will be riding the EB in a few weeks and hope to have things figured out by then. Thanks for your expertise.

 

[AG1]

I've been following the scanner posts with much interest, so I brought one home this weekend and have ordered a 160-tuned antenna from Smiley. I apologize in advance if this seems like a silly question, but I just want to make sure I understand how things will work.
Once I have punched in all of the AAR channel frequencies from OTOL into the banks, and when I board the train, is it just a matter of hitting the Scan button (on Bearcat 95XLT) to catch the crew conversations? Since it is only scanning about 100 channels, will it pretty much always catch the transmissions of the crew without me doing anything further? Or should I limit the channels it scans to only those for the particular route?

I will be riding the EB in a few weeks and hope to have things figured out by then. Thanks for your expertise.

I limit the number of channels for the trip.This cuts down on interference from non- train channels assigned in the band.You can set up the channels in different banks for each route.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I carry along a frequency guide that shows where the frequencies change along the route and adjust accordingly. If you "lose track" such as during the night, a friendly Conductor or AC can usually get you back on the right frequency. Just ask politely. I cannot recall right off hand but somewhere in one of the ongoing scanner posts is a link to Amtrak route freqs.

 

[Jim G.]

I carry along a frequency guide that shows where the frequencies change along the route and adjust accordingly. If you "lose track" such as during the night, a friendly Conductor or AC can usually get you back on the right frequency. Just ask politely. I cannot recall right off hand but somewhere in one of the ongoing scanner posts is a link to Amtrak route freqs.

Maybe someone could post the frequencies or the place to find them for EB, CS, and CZ. Many thanks.

 

[roomette]

http://www.trainweb.com/radio/freq.htm

 

[ColdRain&Snow]

And the OTOL site lists them by route here.

 

[AlanB]

I always lock in the one frequency in use for that part of the run, as if you are scanning all 96 AAR freqs, you can easily miss half the broadcast by the time your scanner runs through all the freqs. Additionally in many places you will pick up other non-train things that can cause your scanner to halt on something that you don't want to hear.