Setting Up Your Scanner for the Railroads | Uniden Bearcat BCD160DN & BCD260DN

[@rockymountainjazzfan1822]

One note about the programming software of the BCD160DN that is different and may be in error when compared with commercial NXDN radio usage: when setting up NXDN channels in Icom and Kenwood commercial radio software, RAN code RAN0 generally means that the radio squelch will open if it receives any RAN code. In the BCD160DN software RAN0 is treated like a discrete RAN code that will only open the squelch if the transmitting radio is sending RAN0.

[@the-terrible63]

Thank you for the information, @TrainAficionado.

[@atticafireman]

will a trunk tracker 2 work?

[@ScanFan_Ed]

Thank you for the great info, Jonathan. You mentioned that it takes 33:38 the 160/260 a few minutes (assume you meant a few seconds) to switch from analog to NXDN. Does that mean that the radio cannot 34:03 scan analog and NXDN channels together very well? We have a local large medical service that uses NXDN, but at time I may want you to scan some analog fire channels as well. Would that work well? Thanks again!

[@trainaficionado]

Yes, I meant seconds, and yes it will scan both analog and digital together with no problem.

[@ScanFan_Ed]

@@trainaficionado thank you!

[@rickmontanez6053]

Recently got a Uniden SDS200 and noticed my county (and two surrounding) show a number of train frequencies. I was wondering what the easiest way to determine WHICH ones actually traverse my area. I am in Santa Rosa county FL (with Okaloosa and Escambia on the two sides). Where could I find what lines go by OR which of the entries in the 200 database should I select for this area? I am using the 200 as a base station, not mobile.

[@stevencrawford7409]

Johnathon, I thoroughly enjoy both of your channels. I do have a question about programming a BCDx36HP upgraded to NXDN for AAR channels 307 to 488. When the channels are imported into a Favorites List the Modulation is set to “Auto” and Audio Option is set to “Digital Code Search”. Are there better settings? Should Modulation be tweaked to “NFM”? Is there a better setting for Audio Option, such as “NXDN Area 1 or Area 0” or “NXDN RAN 0 or RAN?”. Thanks again for your channels a KZbin Premium subscriber and I subscribe to both. Have a great weekend.😅

[@michaelbosick9326]

Can AAR channels list can it printed from your web page.

[@rockymountainjazzfan1822]

The Class 1 railroads began acquiring NXDN-capable equipment over a decade ago. There are very few analog-only radios left on the Class 1 railroads and many shortlines. The Class 1 railroads also have upgraded their FCC licensing almost completely to include NXDN channels. So, the "cutover" could literally happen at most any time that the railroads might decide to do it. They haven't because the adoption of PTC has significantly reduced railroad radio voice traffic such that NXDN conversion is not currently considered a priority. It is incorrect, though, to say the cutover to NXDN would "take years"--it could occur in days once the railroads decide to do it--most all of the equipment is already deployed. For the record, I've been around NXDN for a decade and managed an NXDN radio system for several years. To clear up confusion, NXDN is a proprietary digital platform jointly developed by Kenwood and Icom (Icom calls it "IDAS"). Kenwood and Icom have licensed certain companies to use NXDN--Uniden being one.

[@CPlusPlusDev]

Avoid this radio for airband. It gets easily overloaded.