Hot New Scanner!

For $45, Uniden will preload all the public service bands for my county in Tennessee and also the aircraft and railroad freqs. The main railroad is CSX and the Nashville and Eastern is an important carrier for freight and passenger excursions. The local commuter train, the Music City Star, also operates on the N&E rails.

@Tinplate Art posted:

Just got a new Uniden SDS200 top of the line base/mobile scanner. This baby has all the proverbial "bells and whistles" with great reception on both the 800 bands and the railroad and aircraft VHF freqs. Large speaker and color screen make this a nice unit. It should arrive Wednesday second day UPS Air.

Art, do you think it's worth the $700+ price tag??

Considering all the features and after watching a u tube video from a beta tester, YES! :-)

Always wanted a "super" scanner, so I treated myself to a birthday gift - tomorrow, I turn 78! :-)

Although it is capable of mobile use, it will reside in my train cave!

@Tinplate Art posted:

Always wanted a "super" scanner, so I treated myself to a birthday gift - tomorrow, I turn 78! :-)

Happy Birthday!!

THANK YOU! :-)

Yeah, happy birthday Art!...enjoy your new treat!...

Pat

If you are into trunking, it would be something to look at.  But for railroads and air, only, maybe overkill.  Depends on what you want to listen to.  Actually, many times the antenna will make or break your success in snaring traffic.  Have fun with your new rig.

@Woodson posted:

Art, do you think it's worth the $700+ price tag??

No, not really. The few freqs that I would listen to can be handled by my current scanner.

@PRRMP54 posted:

No, not really. The few freqs that I would listen to can be handled by my current scanner.

Which is??

I also enjoy monitoring the trunked bands of the public safety agencies in my county, such as the highway patrol, sheriff, fire/ems and police. This scanner has a sophisticated control system of the loaded database.

Sounds like a fine scanner.  Probably overkill for many but it sounds like you are listening for a lot more.  Enjoy it.  Happy Birthday!

@Tinplate Art posted:

I also enjoy monitoring the trunked bands of the public safety agencies in my county, such as the highway patrol, sheriff, fire/ems and police. This scanner has a sophisticated control system of the loaded database.

OK.  That does make sense.  Enjoy!

RE: Antennas. Having been a short wave listener in my youth, who could only dream of the much venerated and longed for Hallicrafters receivers,  I quickly learned even my modest Philco required a more than decent antenna to receive worldwide broadcasts. And so it is with modern scanners. I will start with my supplied telescopic BNC and go from there.

And you may need multiple antennas for the best reception.   VHF is a different animal than the higher freqs for trunking.  But you are just listening, so an exact match is not as critical as if you would be transmitting.  But the rig had a BNC which makes changing antennas and coax to them.a lot easier.  And you have SLW experience, so that helps.

Dominic: Were you (are you?) a ham operator? You sound very radio savvy.

I studied the ARRL handbook for the Novice test back in the 1950's, but could not master the code. Even had a nice practice key. Another dream unfulfilled! :-(

The CSX and the Nashville and Eastern stay pretty busy in Nashville and the Music City Star commuter train runs a daily schedule, so hopefully there should be better VHF reception with this unit. The Nashville Western also has a lot of interchange traffic for the oil storage tanks in North Nashville and there are also a number of warehouse shipments on that side of town.

Art - for those of us that might be interested in getting started in scanning, is there an entry-level home base scanner that you could recommend that would be appropriate for train, plane, marine, local police and fire scanning at a reasonable price ?

Google Uniden for their large range of both base and handheld units at more reasonable prices than my high-end unit! The more expensive units are the 800Mz digital trunk tracking units, which monitor the Motorola systems many police departments and municipal agencies have switched over to in the last thirty-years. The railroads pretty much use the VHF bands for their radio systems and can be monitored with a basic, non-trunking scanner.

@Tinplate Art posted:

Dominic: Were you (are you?) a ham operator? You sound very radio savvy.

N5TCB.  Yes.  In fact I got into ham via RR scanning.  Had a RS scanner for trains, and the instructions said 144-148 2m Ham band.  What?  I thought all ham stuff was shortwave.  Ran the radio through those limits.  At the time I was near Corpus Christi TX.  147.080 was a very active 2m repeater.  Put it into memory.  A few months later, the no code Tech licence came about.  I was in the first group in CC to be tested.  Because the NC was so new, we had to take the Novice and Tech written.  Got in the 90's on both.

Maybe you should think about getting a ham ticket.  The info you learn for the test can make you a better scanner listener.  And a pool of people to help.

Maybe there should be a rail scanner group here....

BTW, you may want to put the freqs of repeaters that ham and GMRS use.  Interesting listening, especially in those situations where the defication hits the ventilation.  In the Houston area, that is hurricanes and floods.

Now back to trains.  Having the freq. for end of train devices is also handy.  Not the strongest, and they are digital,  it can indicate a presence of a train if it is close.

Years ago, while scanning along the Norfolk Southern in North Carolina, I picked up some of those EOT device transmissions. Been scanning about thirty years now and even had the first digital Bearcat handheld when it was released. I remember when some of the base units even picked up cell phone calls and those were a hoot to monitor before it became illegal. No malicious intent, just entertainment!

Richie C,

For under $200, there are places that will sell you the high rated scanner Uniden SR30C ALREADY PROGRAMMED for what you want to hear in your area.

Programming, while not hard, is the top reason for scanners being returned.

Paul

There are some excellent digital trunk tracking scanners in all price ranges. The high end ones have both better reception and digital decoding. My choice of the Uniden SDS200, was in part, to challenge myself with a more complex unit, which also requires a steeper learning curve. Having just set it up today, I am making progress after a few gaffs! This baby has a micro processor that is NO joke!

So far, better reception on the local railroad VHF bands. Also get the aircraft and tower VHF traffic and I am at least 6-8 miles from the Nashville airport (BNA). Still much to learn about this feature-loaded and sophisticated radio!

At this point, the back-of-set telescoping antenna has shown its limitations for this otherwise fine receiver especially in the VHF bands. The aircraft (AM) reception is actually better than the railroads! :-(

Does the radio have a connection for another antenna?

Dominic: It does have a BNC connector which is apparently more universal than an SMA. Is there a telescoping antenna with a "loading coil" that would be more effective than the stock antenna for the railroad freqs? The CSX road freq is 161.370. The aircraft bands read out on my display as AM. Is the CSX freq AM also?

Or an antenna booster or amplifier?

Art,

All railroad frequencies are FM and are between 160.215 and 161.565. This is the frequency range for trains and dispatchers plus hotbox detectors since they transmit on the road channels. There are several frequencies assigned to Radnor Yard there in Nashville and all are in that range. The end of train devices are in the 452.325 to 452.950 (FM) but you have to be real close to the train (usually less than mile) to received them and they only beep every few seconds, no talking.

Art, If you need a little help check out ... radioreference.com.  A wealth of information in a friendly environment.

Steve

@Tinplate Art posted:

The CSX road freq is 137.000. The aircraft bands read out on my display as AM. Is the CSX freq AM also?

Only the aircraft bands use AM (Amplitude Modulation.) All railroad communication lies between 159.570 Mhz and 161.55750 Mhz and it is all FM.  And the railroad band does not lie in the 137 Mhz area.

• Verbal Radio Communication is between 159.570 and 161.5575 Mhz
• PTC communication is in the 220-221 Mhz area.
• ATCS is in the 896 - 936 Mhz area
• EOT devices are in the 452 Mhz area

I'm not sure what you would hear on 137 Mhz, but that is not a railroad frequency.

The Nashville area CSX Frequencies are:

Rich: MY BAD! I meant to type 161.370! SORRY about my lapse! I am able to receive the Radnor Yard and the dispatcher but the signals could be clearer more like those AM aircraft transmissions. Going to try a better quality telescopic antenna which I purchased for a previous scanner with an SMA antenna connection. Just ordered a BNC/SMA adaptor from Mouser. I realize that even my top of the line Uniden SDS200 will not have its full potential utilized with a back of the set telescopic antenna, but that is the best I can do at present. My laptop is next to my scanner and I have a USB connection capability for updates and will also check out Radio Reference for downloads. THANKS, ALL!

161.370 and 161.520 are long time L&N frequencies which carried over to CSX and are still frequently used in Kentucky and Tennessee. Dispatchers talk on 161.370 to the trains, and the trains respond on 161.520. Many railroads such as Norfolk Southern are eliminating the two frequency setup and are going to a single frequency, where the train sends a “tone” sequence to alert the dispatcher and both talk on same frequency. Not sure when CSX might switch.

Dudley: THANK YOU! I had MANY scanners over the years starting in 1974 when I rode many of the Southern and later NS steam excursions. Most were Radio Shack or Bearcat handhelds with replaceable crystals. I had the first digital handheld Bearcat when it was released. There were a succession of both mobile and base mobile units over those twenty-years of riding steam excursions including one memorable trip behind Rich's 765, where the train collided with a loaded tri-axle dump truck! The driver survived and, of course, sued the railroad! His loaded sand truck had bottomed out on the crossbuck-marked crossing. I love this new SDS200 and it has great reception even with the stock antenna. I am still on a learning curve with this unit, but making progress. One quick question: is it possible to download an uncrypted trunked 800 police dept. (Vanderbilt University) via my USB connection with my HP laptop? My previous Uniden HomePatrol 2 scanner would pick up their channels, but my new pre-loaded Uniden unit does not. ????

THANKS Rich, Steve and Dudley for your informed responses! :-)

@Railrunnin posted:

Richie C,

For under $200, there are places that will sell you the high rated scanner Uniden SR30C ALREADY PROGRAMMED for what you want to hear in your area.

Programming, while not hard, is the top reason for scanners being returned.

Paul

Thanks, Paul. I'm looking more for a base/home scanner than a portable one. I have a 25 year old Uniden model that I used for years at Nascar races, so programming isn't an issue, but I wanted something a little more upgraded/modern with a little more punch. The BC355N, BC365CRS and BCT15x  look like viable candidates.

Art,

The Vanderbilt police are under the "School" service type which by default is turned OFF. In fact, only a few of the service types are turned on by default in the SDS200 scanner.

I assume you are using Uniden's Sentinel Software to setup the scanner. You have to go into that software and do the following...

- Edit the profile (that is under the EDIT command along the top)

- Click on the "Service Types" tab

- Check Schools (plus any other you might want to listen to)

- Also make sure you CHECK the "Monitor Full Database" which shows when the profile is open

- SAVE the profile

- Then send the "new" profile to the scanner.

Any by the way, I have a similar scanner career like you beginning with crystals except I started in 1969 when I was a very young dispatcher for the local police department and want here what was happening when I was home.

@Tinplate Art posted:

...but the signals could be clearer more like those AM aircraft transmissions.

Those aircraft are at high altitude...nothing gets in the way of their signals. That's why they are clearer.

Going to try a better quality telescopic antenna which I purchased for a previous scanner with an SMA antenna connection.

To take full advantage of this expensive scanner, you need an OUTDOOR antenna mounted on your roof or chimney, like this one. It mounts to a piece of pipe. All VHF signals are "line of sight" meaning they don't bend around the surface of the earth the way low frequency AM broadcast band radio signals do. The AM broadcast band is in the frequency range of .550 Mhz to 1.790 Mhz, a much lower frequency band than the 160+ Mhz VHF (Very High Frequency) signals you want to receive.

VHF signals propagate in a straight line from the sending antenna. Anything between you and the sending antenna (buildings, hills, the walls of your house, etc.) weaken the signal. The higher your receiving antenna is, the fewer obstacles there are between you and the sending antenna, and the clearer the signals will be for you.

Rich:

Discones receive over a lot of frequencies, but they have no gain.  Depending on his location gain could help pull in signals.

But an antenna for Railroads could hurt his receiving the trunked public service services.  With digital, you get the transmission, or you do not...

This seems to be one of those times the antenna choice is like Goldilocks:  Just right!

But one outside with good coax would help greatly.

GOT IT and THANKS! :-)

Here is a list I saved a while ago of railroad frequencies....

I have all of these programmed in a portable scanner I take with me when I'm out railfanning.

@Tinplate Art posted:

I studied the ARRL handbook for the Novice test back in the 1950's, but could not master the code. Even had a nice practice key. Another dream unfulfilled! :-(

Code is a valid ham communications mode.  However, it is no longer required to pass any US ham exam.

I do remember later hearing about the Technical Class license category for the 2 and 6 meter bands which did not require the code, but by then had moved on to other interests, the US Army, college and girls, not necessarily in that order! LOL!