Input needed on new Loco radio

I am working with a communications company in possible developing a new locomotive cab radio.

I am just curious on what new/current radios that you are seeing in the cabs, and what you like/do not like, and what you would like to see added/improved/etc.

I am also interested if any of your terminals or branches have been using digital (P25) radio as well.

We are well versed on the Motorola Railroad Spectra and ASTRO Spectra Radio.

If you have any pictures of current equipment, I'd be interested in seeing them as well if you have them.

If there are any worries, 95% of their current two-way products are well battle proven, so I don't forsee railroaders being any more creative and/or destructive than the other users.

Personally, I like the Spectra's, but as Motorola hasn't released their XTL based railroad radio yet, I can't hold my breath on that.

PJ - We've communicated elsewhere outside of here. You probably don't recognize this name, but we've discussed various things (radios, emergency equipment, firefighting, railroads in VT, etc) on Batlabs, ELB, AOL, etc.

Ideally, keep the interface simple. DTMF pad, channel button to allow entry of a TX or RX channel, volume control, transmit button, and that's it. Perhaps a button (or a pair of buttons) to allow pre-programmed DTMF sequences.

The ability to plug in headsets similar to a David Clark system would be nice. We can wear noise-canceling ear-muffs, so having a DC headset shouldn't be an issue when within the cab. Having the radio include a built in intercom for the cab would be a good feature between headset users.

Multiple handsets and speakers. I hate not hearing what's coming over the radio when in the sixth notch because the speaker faces the engineer.

The ability to have multiple control heads. Mother-M has done it with MCS2000s, Spectras, XTL's, etc. Why not bring that to the railroad market? One head for the conductor, and one for the Engineer.

A "voted receive" option similar to what's available in the XTS portable line. Configurable on the fly for say, two channels. Ability to enable and disable much like the channel scanning options in current Railroad Spectras.

Buttons that aren't so damn small might be nice. I just use a pen to push em. Fat fingers and all....

OneForTheKick wrote: The ability to plug in headsets similar to a David Clark system would be nice. We can wear noise-canceling ear-muffs, so having a DC headset shouldn't be an issue when within the cab. Having the radio include a built in intercom for the cab would be a good feature between headset users.

I have an adaptor from David Clark that allows me to use my headset it with any Locomotive radio through the standard handset connector. It has an expandable cord (Long enough to go anywhere in the cab, inclduing the toilet room!) with a PTT switch on a clip. It does not however have any intercom feature of course. I also can plug my headset into any loco with the DC intercom system (BNSF, WC, P&W)

OneForTheKick wrote:Multiple handsets and speakers. I hate not hearing what's coming over the radio when in the sixth notch because the speaker faces the engineer.

All of our newer loco's have seperate speakers and handsets on both sides of the cab with independant volume control. I know CP has had this feature for decades on their SD40's as well. Virtually all Motorola and Harmon radios can accomodate this.

Pj wrote:I am working with a communications company in possible developing a new locomotive cab radio.

I am just curious on what new/current radios that you are seeing in the cabs, and what you like/do not like, and what you would like to see added/improved/etc.

I am also interested if any of your terminals or branches have been using digital (P25) radio as well.

We are well versed on the Motorola Railroad Spectra and ASTRO Spectra Radio.

If you have any pictures of current equipment, I'd be interested in seeing them as well if you have them.

If there are any worries, 95% of their current two-way products are well battle proven, so I don't forsee railroaders being any more creative and/or destructive than the other users.

Personally, I like the Spectra's, but as Motorola hasn't released their XTL based railroad radio yet, I can't hold my breath on that.

I wish you luck, but your talking about going up against some major competition with a proven background. GE owns the rights to Harmon radios and are now producing them. All our new power is coming with them. UP is making there own radios through their own company and i know of two other outfits making Motorla clones. I think Ritron is now making one as well. Bascially your venturing into a small market with alot of competition. And most radio's are simply repaired and used for many, many years. As locomotive orders slow, so will the need for new radios.

And while it's great you want input from railroaders about what features they like and what would make them user freindly, understand that when it comes to buying things like loco radios, the desicion is made by a some person who sits at a desk and is more concerned with price and reliablity abover everything else. If all these great features make the radio cost even a dollar more then a competitor chances are, the railroad will not buy it.

More features generally equal two things in a railroad purchasing agents eyes, higher price and more things to break.

Naw, its something that they and I are not too worried about. Its actually an easy adaptation from a new product line which will be out shortly in the public safety market. This same company radios are well known thoughout the world, and enjoy salt water and desert sand in its native envrioments. They have also been known to stop rounds from an AK47.

What is nice about the new line, is that they have an extremely low failure rate along with being a simple design. In fact, everytime I have been down in the factory, the repair depot has been idle. There are so few that actually come in for repair, its not really a full time job...compared to some of the other LMR's who have entire facilities dedicated to repair. Not tooting any horns, I was just amazed when I walked into that place.

One of the customers that will be looked at will be the RR police departments. The land mobile radios are able to do VHF, UHF, 700, 800 freqs, along with analog and digital operation...all in the same footprint as a single band radio. Its pretty cool stuff.

The adaptation from the mobile radio, into a loco radio will be similar to what Motorola did with the Spectra/ASTRO Spectra, but much easier and cleaner (and less expensive).