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Solving RR radio frequency congestion

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Solving RR radio frequency congestion
Posted by blue streak 1 on Friday, January 11, 2019 3:28 PM

This is definitely for Tree.  Tex rail has installed their RR antennas for directional out put.   The only question is are any other RRs already doing this in many urbanareas ?  The tech is not exceptionally hard.

https://www.railwayage.com/cs/ptc/good-antennas-make-good-neighbors/?RAchannel=news 

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Posted by samfp1943 on Friday, January 11, 2019 6:03 PM

blue streak 1

This is definitely for Tree.  Tex rail has installed their RR antennas for directional out put.   The only question is are any other RRs already doing this in many urbanareas ?  The tech is not exceptionally hard.

https://www.railwayage.com/cs/ptc/good-antennas-make-good-neighbors/?RAchannel=news 

         The antennas and 'improved shacks' appeared around here [ South of Wichita, and down towards Wellington,Ks- Eastern part of what could be the BNSF's Southern T-con.] about Summer before last.]  This area woulld pretty much be considered urban, and  maybe, a little rural?   This part of the line, it has been mentioned by some of the local railroader's, hosts numbers around 60 trains a day(?).

 

 

 


 

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Posted by Erik_Mag on Friday, January 11, 2019 11:09 PM

Directional antennas make a lot of sense when you have a reasonably straight right of way. The article was correct in stating the transmit coverage improved along the ROW, but left out that the directional antennas also reduce interference to the base stations' receiver.

FM does have a "capture effect" in that a signal a few dB stronger will comletely block a weaker signal.

 - Erik  (formerly user "erikem")

 

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Posted by tree68 on Saturday, January 12, 2019 6:46 AM

Already a common practice, actually.  Never mind the congestion factor (there are about 200 railroad frequencies available, although crosstalk can be an issue if you get them too close together), it makes sense to focus the signal so base stations can be further apart and/or use less power.

As noted in the article, railroads are linear, so why waste energy sending signals to places they don't need to go?

 

LarryWhistling
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Posted by mudchicken on Saturday, January 12, 2019 1:05 PM

tree68

Already a common practice, actually.  Never mind the congestion factor (there are about 200 railroad frequencies available, although crosstalk can be an issue if you get them too close together), it makes sense to focus the signal so base stations can be further apart and/or use less power.

As noted in the article, railroads are linear, so why waste energy sending signals to places they don't need to go?

 

 

Fine for trains, lousy for M/W and signal.

Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by tree68 on Saturday, January 12, 2019 9:43 PM

mudchicken
Fine for trains, lousy for M/W and signal.

True, that.

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...

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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Sunday, January 13, 2019 12:07 AM

mudchicken
Fine for trains, lousy for M/W and signal.

Sounds like folks aren't doing a good job of assessing end user needs, then.  Or maybe folks aren't including all of the end users in that assessment.

That has all the earmarks of a classic system engineering fail.  Not the first time that has happened, nor will it be the last.

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