Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.csd.uwm.edu!bionet!ames!sun-barr!newstop!texsun!texbell!vector!telecom-gateway From: ehr@uncecs.edu (Ernest H. Robl) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Radio Call-signs In Airplanes Message-ID: Date: 7 Sep 89 20:56:57 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service Lines: 35 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 358, message 6 of 7 In article , HAMER@ruby.vcu.edu (ROBERT M. HAMER) writes: [ ... part of previous discussion on call signs deleted ...] > (Oh, I just lied a bit; Airlines get to identify themselves to > ATC via radio using their flight numbers, regardless of their > aircraft ID number, e.g., "Richmond Approach, this is US Air 1462, > 32 miles southwest, ...." The rest of us would say, "Richmond > Approach, this is November 1 5 4 9-er Quebec, 32 miles southwest..." Somewhat the same applies for railroads, too. They are allowed to select their own means of identifying transmitting units. This can include train numbers, engine numbers, base station location, etc. The identification can be something like this: "CSX operator Apex, N.C., calling engineer on train 420 for location. Over." Most railroads in North America use frequencies around 160-161 -- VHF high band, and can be picked up on scanner receivers, if you know the right frequencies. Out west some railroads also use UHF frequencies. The business class radio regs specifically mention that railroads are allowed to use their own method of identifying transmitting units. -- Ernest -- My opinions are my own and probably not IBM-compatible.--ehr Ernest H. Robl (ehr@ecsvax) (919) 684-6269 w; (919) 286-3845 h Systems Specialist (Tandem System Manager), Library Systems, 027 Perkins Library, Duke University, Durham, NC 27706 U.S.A.