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amateur radio railfans

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  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Wisconsin, land o' cows
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amateur radio railfans
Posted by mikeyuhas on Tuesday, November 2, 2004 7:58 AM
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
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Posted by edblysard on Tuesday, November 2, 2004 8:35 AM
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

23 17 46 11

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Posted by redflasher1 on Tuesday, November 2, 2004 9:22 AM
I carry a Kenwood THF6A triband handheld with BNSF frequencies plugged into the memories. My call sign is KB0XR-Bob in Minnesota
  • Member since
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  • From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania
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Posted by Modelcar on Tuesday, November 2, 2004 9:29 AM
....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.

Quentin

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  • From: Northern New York
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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, November 2, 2004 11:08 AM
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.

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date
Come ride the rails with me!
There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

  • Member since
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  • From: MP CF161.6 NS's New Castle District in NE Indiana
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Posted by rrnut282 on Tuesday, November 2, 2004 11:12 AM
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?
Mike (2-8-2)
  • Member since
    August 2004
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Posted by DPD1 on Tuesday, November 2, 2004 1:10 PM
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
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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 2, 2004 4:28 PM
I wi***hat could but he FCC Ham Radio Field TESTS is what turns me away.
It's the Fee's & the Tests.
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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 2, 2004 4:49 PM
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]

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