Western Railroad Discussion > Interesting Antenna array on CEFX9486

Shot this engine many times during its tenure in Texas on the DGNO. Maybe they had a CB radio installed to talk to the truckers. Breaker 19, Breaker 19, do you got your ears on? Can you clear that crossing before I ram you.

1) slide scan in June 2002 at Plano TX

2) same power in Sept 2006 at Plano TX

3) Denison TX in May 2006



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/16/14 10:30 by KB5WK.

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The antenna on the left appears to be an exposed folded dipole fixed base antenna such as:

http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/laird-tech-yda1504-6974.html

It is not mounted to the unit as the lighting fixture obscures part of it.

The one in the middle appears to be a fiberglas radome collinear also for fixed service.

I suspect it is the photo angle that makes this antenna appear to be roof-mounted.

On the right hand side and apparently mounted on the cab roof is what appears to be a "gain"
antenna for the UHF (EOT) band.

Be Well,

Tim Colbert K3HX


50 years in amateur radio.

30+ years in the two-way radio industry.

EDIT: After another look, the antenna on the right hand side could very well be a CB antenna.

Albeit one of astonishingly low efficiency. My experience with CB was limited. Mostly it
was to encourage the dispatchers NOT to listen to it so as to retain what tenuous grip they
maintained on sanity. This matter was made easier when the I and the supervisor of the twit
who had advocated for the CB radio in the dispatch center heard the following crackle through
the CH-19 monitor: (the aforementioned twit convinced the powers that be the dispatcher for
the traffic department could get crash info from the truckers.)(long before the cellphone era)

"RAY-DEE-OH CHECK!!! E-NEE....ME-NEE...MINEY...MOE......HOW DO YOU LIKE MY RAY-DEE-OH?"

Then there were the chorus of barnyard animal sounds, lame attempts at sounding like a howling
coyote, turkey and various other wildlife. Took about a month for the thing to be put on permanent
mute and another 2 or 3 months before it was disconnected.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/16/14 16:34 by K3HX.

Which means they ain't callin' no truckers, most likely ???

K3HX Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> "RAY-DEE-OH CHECK!!!
> E-NEE....ME-NEE...MINEY...MOE......HOW DO YOU LIKE
> MY RAY-DEE-OH?"
>
>

And the proper reply would have been, "FEE FI FO FUM, LOUD AND CLEAR WITH A LITTLE HUM."

John

Could have been used to contact shippers.

Eng.Shadetree

A lot of Shippers use CB radios to talk to truckers for the purpose of scaling in and out and door assignments. Could be they were using it to contact security to open the gate and etc. Dan

"Come in mud duck"