amateur radio railfans

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

Hi all,

Anyone here use amateur radio while out chasing trains? My 2 meter rig has 146.490 simplex programmed, but rarely have heard any fans using it.

73,
Mike Yuhas
KC9GDV

2

I just carry the old Motorola the railroad issued me…lets me listen in good enough…but I was wondering if there was a group of shortwave railfans out there…

Ed

3

I carry a Kenwood THF6A triband handheld with BNSF frequencies plugged into the memories. My call sign is KB0XR-Bob in Minnesota

4

…I have never taken the plunge to 2-meter ham and others but sure have done a bunch of listening on my portable scanner’s and other receivers, etc…We have a bunch of 2-meter fellows {and ladies}, on that band around Muncie…Repeater and all on top of a tall University building here, so the signal gets out pretty good. I personally have not heard any railfaning on 2-meter in this area. Don’t know why I’ve not entered into it since it’s so easy now and with such compact equipment {portable hand held}, available, etc…Wish I could convince myself to do it some day.

5

Maybe that should be a “Letter to the Editor,” or even a short article in TRAINS. Even though there are a lot of us the forums, it’s not all the readers, and there may be a very active cell of ham railfans out there someplace.

6

I have not considered it. Are you thinking of using it to announce to others in the area an interesting consist going through, when the cinder dicks are out and about and other, fan-specific information?

7

I have heard on rare occasion, there are crew members who sometimes bring an HT to talk to people while they work. I’ve seen some simplex freqs thrown out, that are supposedly the ones heard being used, but I’ve never confirmed it myself.

Dave
-Rail Radio Online-Home of the “TrainTenna” RR Monitoring Antenna-
http://eje.railfan.net/railradioonline

8

I wi***hat could but he FCC Ham Radio Field TESTS is what turns me away.
It’s the Fee’s & the Tests.

9

I am in the amatuer radio club at my school, but i am not licensed yet. I am going to take the test for a technician license her in a few weeks [:D]