Railroad & Emergency Services: Hidden Radio Gems

Hey there!

We've covered a lot of ground together – from basics to advanced techniques. Today, I want to share some of my favorite "hidden gem" frequencies that many scanner enthusiasts overlook.

Railroad Communications – Surprisingly Active!

If you live near railroad tracks, you're sitting on constant radio activity. Railroads use VHF frequencies in the 160-161 MHz range.

Common Railroad Frequencies:

• 160.215 MHz – AAR (Association of American Railroads) channel 3 – Road operations • 160.320 MHz – AAR channel 10 – Yard operations • 160.830 MHz – AAR channel 36 – End-of-train telemetry • 161.295 MHz – AAR channel 71 – Dispatch

These are analog FM, so program them in FM mode on your SDS100.

What You'll Hear: • Engineers communicating with dispatchers • Track maintenance crews • "Highball" and "Red board" terminology (green/red signals) • Speed restrictions and track conditions

Check RadioReference.com under your county for specific railroad frequencies used in your area.

Marine Frequencies (If Near Water):

• 156.800 MHz – Channel 16, international distress/calling • 156.650 MHz – Channel 13, bridge-to-bridge navigation • Coast Guard operations on VHF marine band

Program as FM (narrowband NFM).

Weather Radio (NOAA):

Your SDS100 receives all 7 NOAA Weather Radio channels (162.400 - 162.550 MHz). During severe weather, these channels broadcast: • Watches and warnings • Severe thunderstorm alerts • Tornado warnings • Emergency Alert System (EAS) activations

Set as FM, and enable weather scan mode.

Amateur Radio (HAM) Repeaters:

HAM operators often provide emergency communications during disasters: • 2-meter band: 144-148 MHz • 70cm band: 420-450 MHz

Find local repeaters at RepeaterBook.com and add them to a HAM Favorites List.

Hospital/Medical Helicopters:

Most medical helicopters use VHF or UHF. Check RadioReference for MedEvac frequencies in your area. These are often analog FM.

Pro Tip: Create a "Miscellaneous" Favorites List for all these specialty frequencies. You'll be amazed at what you discover!

Keep Learning:

The beauty of scanner radio is there's ALWAYS something new to find. Keep exploring, keep programming, and most importantly – keep listening.

Thanks for sticking with me through this series. Happy scanning!

cheers, boy and a scanner