tones on the radio.

im hearing a new tone on the radio now adays. its almost like a vibrating tone, its the best description i can give. it only lasts a second. im hearing it in the rochester area on one of the CSX channels. does anyone know what this is for? i dont think its the tones used to get the attention of the dispatcher.

The Tones or Beeping you hear is the "Call" Button on the cab's radio it is used to get the attention of the NF Dispatcher, Some call the dispatcher but not ever attempt is successful so to get his/her attention the "Call" button is the best way to grab thier attention. Most the time you'll hear the Beep and then hear "CSX NF Dispatcher who's calling, over." then the train that pressed the button would say for example "Q109" or "Q287" and then proceed with the radio chatter. That is the only tone I have heard, so it must be to get the dispatcher. That is my guess

Perhaps your cell phone is set to vibrate

Not sure what it could be. It wouldnt be train crews trying to tone in the dispatcher, as that will only work on the special dispater channel. Unless that is the channel you are hearing it on. When the dispatchers change over there is a special sound that is made, but I'm sure you are familiar with it.

If you are hearing it on the new Dispatcher channels, it is the tone from the radio site control equipment indicating that the dispatcher has been alerted to a call. It is similar to a phone ringing signal but higher in pitch.

The mobile unit sends a 2 DTMF (touch-tone) call code specified for the radio base they want to activate. The ringing tone or a single tone beep indicates that the dispatcher has been signaled that someone is calling. It seems like the new site control equipment for the 2 channel system is giving the ringing tone instead of the single beep at some of the sites now.

Operating procedures say that the mobile is to send the specified tones, wait for the tone that indicates the dispatcher has been alerted, and then transmit their train or unit number and who they are calling.

Different brands of radio control equipment and different railroads use a variety of tones to indicate the dispatcher is being alerted. Some give a typical repeated telephone ringing signal. The system used on the Southern Tier line sometimes activates the transmitter and you hear a rapid series of brief tones that are the signaling between the radio site and the dispatcher console.

I beleive it is now supposed to be mandatory on CSX for a mobile initiating a call on the dispatcher channel to send the call tones and wait for the acknowledgment tone since the dispatcher will not routinely be listening for voice calls on that channel.

You may have noticed, as has been reported for other areas, that the dispatchers are continuing to monitor and carry on brief discussions on the Road channel while directing units to switch to the Dispatcher channel for longer messages.

it wasnt the touch-tone ive been hearing for years. its a new sound, that im sure of. i havent really paid much attention to what channel its on but i think its the new channel CSX is using around the rochester area. (161.400). i do know its a CSX frequency though.

If you have been listening now, there have been 2 trains calling the NF dispatcher on the Rochester Base in the last several minutes.

In each case, you would have heard the 2 tone DTMF signal from the train followed by the "ringing" or warbling tone acknowledgement from the base a few seconds later.

i wasnt listening, i was working instead. so i missed out.. i just wondered what the tone was for is all.

When they were working on the base, they switched the tone over to the new "ringing" tone. I'm pretty sure it's the Rochester base, as I can hear the crews punching in the numbers, but it could be the Batavia base. The first day they had it going got pretty annoying...crews kept toning up the NF dispatcher just to hear the new tone...go figure.

yea, that must have been it. i dont hear it alot anymore. one afternoon it was every minute or so. its sounds almost like a cell phone ring.

there is a differance of coarse between the dual "touch tone" and the "pl" tone. The "touch tone" is a two tone signal generated by the "toucch tone" pad on yer telephone. "pl" is a single almost sub audible tone used for opening up squelch which will vary by user on the same frequency, to keep the radio more or less silent.. My two pence..