Max range of scanners

[Anonymous]

As mentioned above, range depends on the power of the transmitter. I live about 5 miles from the BNSF yard in Great falls, Montana. When the weather conditions are right, I can hear the switcher engineer,yardmaster & roundhouse clearly, but can't hear the switchman on his handheld. When I'm railfanning in the area of the yards, I can hear both sides of the conversation. On my truck which has a "permanently" mounted scanner, I use a converter cable which fits onto the truck antenna cable and splits the signal and plugs into both the truck radio and the scanner. I know this setup cuts my range compared to using a separate scanner antenna, but it avoids calling attention that I have a scanner in the vehicle. When I am at home I have a handheld scanner with the rubber ducky antena that seems to work just as well and carry it when railfanning for use when I'm out of hearing range for the scanner in the truck. Ron

[Anonymous]

For me around where I live I'm monitoring both NS and CSX. For NS I can usually pick up a crew calling their signals about one block from where I am at which is enough time to get the camera ready. Their road freq. usually has a lot of breakup in it. On the other hand when the dispatcher calls out they come in real clear on the Dispatch-Train freq. I suspect that it is because they are useing a fixed base transmitter as opposed to the cab radios.
CSX now usually comes in real good road freq. and all. Problem there is that they don't talk much other than calling signals.
Another thing that will affect reception is terrain. I was out train watching last Sunday and where I was was down inbetween two ridges with the tracks at the bottom. I didn't here a peep out of my scanner until the train was crossing the road I was setup at. The only warning I got was when the crossing bells started ringing. To top it all off I never heard anything from the other train that went up the second track while the first was still passing.

[trainsrus1]

Robert,
Remember scanners are receivers and the range that you are asking about is more dependent on the transmitter you are wanting to receive, transmit power, antenna, and it's distance from you. All scanners have a receive level very close to the same. By that I mean under the same conditions, no one scanner would be better than another. I prefer Uniden. I have 1 base and 2 handhelds. Handhelds with there own antennas would receive the poorest. With outside antennas used as a base or mobile, they would work better. Again the only thing different is antennas and it makes a bigger difference than the scanner would. My base scanner works better on and outside antenna. DUH.
If you are talking only about RR freq. the power of their radio transmitters is low compared to fire or police transmitters. That means that the same scanner might hear fire or police signals from much greater distances than RR. Some railroads also use repeaters to extend the range of their signals.
I can only give you some of the distances that my scanners can pickup a signal. My base is picking up a BNSF xmitter about 20 miles away. The handhelds on mobile antenna the same station.
My base will normally here trains from 5 to 10 miles away. The handhelds on mobile close to the same. The handhelds on their own antennas, about half as far. I know this was a lot of info, but the question is not so simple to answer. Hope this helps.
SD40-2

[Anonymous]

I am unable to find any info from manufactures on probable range for their scanners. Is there anyone out there who could give me an estimate of reception range(s) for handheld, base and mobile scanners under typical conditions?

Thanks,
Robert