Railroad Forums 

  • Timetable for CSX switch to narrowband radios released.

  • Discussion related to railroad radio frequencies, railroad communication practices, equipment, and more.
Discussion related to railroad radio frequencies, railroad communication practices, equipment, and more.

Moderator: Aa3rt

 #855617  by MNCRR9000
 
Found this on the Trains.com website which has to do with CSX's transition from wideband to narrowband frequencies.
CSX wideband-to-narrowband radio changeover schedule released
Published: September 21, 2010
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX has announced its timetable for transitioning from wideband (25 KHz) to narrowband (12.5 KHz) railroad radio operation, the American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association reported. It is the first Class I railroad to furnish this information for dissemination. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has mandated the end of wideband two-way radio transmission for non-military purposes in the U.S. after Jan. 1, 2013. [See Technology, October 2010 TRAINS] The CSX timetable presently calls for the changeover to be completed entirely in 2011.

CSX will transition by operating division, as follows:

April 2011: Atlanta, Florence, Jacksonville, and Nashville Divisions

June 2011: Great Lakes, Huntington, and Louisville Divisions

September 2011: Albany, Baltimore, and Chicago Divisions

The action will have a cascading effect on other railroads. For example, a short line or regional railroad connecting with CSX will need to match the changeover schedule if it interchanges cars or uses CSX trackage rights. While connecting railroads may want to transition their entire railroad at that time, they may have to temporarily maintain two radio systems if they connect with another Class I that has not yet changed from wide to narrowband.
http://trn.trains.com/Railroad%20News/N ... eased.aspx
 #877640  by Grump
 
Thats what I heard too. Its not officially confirmed, but it looks like NXDN will be the digital system especially due to the fact that the railroads are grabbing up Kenwoods and Icoms...
 #877647  by DutchRailnut
 
again if CSX is going digital how do they guarantee interchange ready locomotives ??????
The railroad band is not supose to go digital, unless the Federal government mandates it and then they will hang on replacing 16000 radio's nation wide.
 #877822  by Ken W2KB
 
DutchRailnut wrote:again if CSX is going digital how do they guarantee interchange ready locomotives ??????
The railroad band is not supose to go digital, unless the Federal government mandates it and then they will hang on replacing 16000 radio's nation wide.
Many of the technical specification I have seen for newer radios state they operate in both conventional FM mode (wide and narrow) and digital. So interchange would not be an issue, as they are multi-mode capable.
 #877940  by kitn1mcc
 
i am friends with one of the techs out of harmon shops the AAR frequency corrordinator is not accepting any non NXDN aplications. and MN does not plan on going to NXDN and that mn has a bunch of non railraod frequencies now
 #877947  by MNCRR9000
 
Thats interesting that MNRR does not plain on going to NXDN. I noticed in a bunch of their FCC licenses that they have added some emission desginators which include 20K0F3E, 11K2F3E,4K00F1E. I found it interesting that 4K00F1E is the designator for NXDN. Did they just add this so that down the road in the future they are ready for the switchover.

On a different note what is MNRR using the non-railroad frequencies for??
 #881508  by Ken W2KB
 
kitn1mcc wrote:i am friends with one of the techs out of harmon shops the AAR frequency corrordinator is not accepting any non NXDN aplications. and MN does not plan on going to NXDN and that mn has a bunch of non railraod frequencies now
Does the AAR freq coordinator handle all requests, from all shortlines, etc.?

Some good info from the coordinator here: http://www.ttci.aar.com/migration.php
 #881666  by kitn1mcc
 
thats the part i dont know info i am getting is from 2 sets of freinds one works for MBCR the other MNCR the MBCR are big fans of NXDN so who know motorola as of now does not make any NXDN stuff
 #884198  by Grump
 
kitn1mcc wrote:thats the part i dont know info i am getting is from 2 sets of freinds one works for MBCR the other MNCR the MBCR are big fans of NXDN so who know motorola as of now does not make any NXDN stuff
Motorola has their own system, MOTOTRBO.
 #884297  by Ken W2KB
 
Grump wrote:
kitn1mcc wrote:thats the part i dont know info i am getting is from 2 sets of freinds one works for MBCR the other MNCR the MBCR are big fans of NXDN so who know motorola as of now does not make any NXDN stuff
Motorola has their own system, MOTOTRBO.
And Motorola admits that it is an interim solution, good for 5 to 7 year, it does not appear to be very narrow band (6.25kHz) capable. http://mototrbo.motorola.com/frequently ... questions/ It does not appear to be compatible with NXDN which is offered by several other manufacturers. Question, is MotoTRBO the Betamax and NXDN the VHS of technologies?