Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Other hobbies and interesting video

As most of you readers of this blog know I am also an amateur radio operator. I ran across a web site this evening that I think you will find interesting. This may entice you to cross over from rail fan to ham radio. Check it out and enjoy.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Pittsburgh Rail Fan net


I haven't posted this information for a while so I thought I would repeat it in case there any new comers to the blog.

Most of the rail fans I acquainted with have a scanner to listen in on the railroad frequencies. If you don't you are missing out on a fascinating aspect of the hobby. I know people who are not amateur radio operators that buy VHF 2-meter equipment just to listen in on the rail channels because they are much more sensitive and selective than consumer grade scanners.

I listen to 160.800 MHz on a regular basis which is the road frequency for Norfolk Southern and quite active just across the river from me. But I digress.

If you have a scanner you have the capability to listen in on the two meter amateur radio band where a number of operators, also called "Hams", get together and talk about a wide number of topics. One such group are avid rail fans and meet once a week to talk about just about anything that has steel wheels and rides on steel rails.

If you are a rail fan I think you would find the net interesting to listen in on and you can participate by sending email to the person who normally conducts the net. Here is how you can get involved.

Program your scanner to 146.880 and listen in at 09:30 PM on Thursday evenings. The net usually lasts about half an hour although I have known it to go on for an hour or longer if enough people check in and the topics discussed draw enough interest.

You can email Dennis, amateur call sign KB3HPC, by clicking on this link EMAIL DENNIS if you have questions or comments on the net. If you do mention that you heard about the net from the rail fan blog.

Labels: