This is one wicked looking Spectra. What is it from?

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 8:09 pm

Check this out guys.

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dl ... 1313324277

I have never seen one like this. I'm not planning on buying, but I'm very curious about this radio. Anyone know where it may have come from? Is it military or something?

Jack

Wes · Post by **Wes** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 8:14 pm

Sure looks like a RailRoad model to me.....

Post by Pj » Fri Dec 21, 2001 10:41 pm

That is a Spectra Railroad radio. For 99% of us, its usesless. No scan, and not the best for mounting in a vehicle. 12v/72v DC operation.

Most likely is a stolen radio, as they are still current and has the CSX Transportation number still on it. It looks beat, so I would even guess that it may not work, if not stolen. It also requires different RSS then the other spectras, and thats even harder to find then the radio itself.

Go under the SPECTRA section of the Model information screen, it will tell you a little more.

Post by **/\/\y 2 cents** » Sat Dec 22, 2001 1:27 am

ones thing for sure....it looks tougher than hell. anybody seen a railroad STX or something like that? ive never seen one but heard they do exist in VHF...holla at me if you've seen one or got a picture to show me...i like rare radios..that way i can Identify them and stay on top of my game.

SD70MAC · Post by **SD70MAC** » Sun Dec 23, 2001 5:57 am

Yes Pj is right,this is a very beat up SPECTRA RAILROAD.Also does My 2 cents worth mean a MCX100? I have never heard of a STX railroad.I have some pics that someone sent me of a MCX100 RAILROAD!

streaker · Post by **streaker** » Sun Dec 23, 2001 7:02 am

The only benefit that the RR Spectra has is that you can individually select one channel for TX and another for RX. Pick either one of them from the 99 channels. Otherwise as stated before, for most of us it is useless. I work as a Conductor on the CN so I have use for them frequently, but really don't care for them. Sometimes I wish they put out more than 45 watts, or maybe I wish our communication dept put in more radio towers.

SD70MAC · Post by **SD70MAC** » Sun Dec 23, 2001 2:51 pm

Hey streaker,what type of hand held radios does CN use?

streaker · Post by **streaker** » Sun Dec 23, 2001 7:13 pm

I can't speak for the rest of the company. We were just acquired in October, the former Wisconsin Central Division. Of course you got the Railroad Spectra which is standard or the MCX100. We have got quite the melting pot that we have used. P200, HT600, GP300, GP350, HT750, HT1250 for mobiles we have GM300, Maxtrac, a very few Dash Mount Spectra's, and all seem to slowly be replaced by the CDM1250. If I see something else on the CN's other territories I'll let you know, I couldn't answer that question as of yet otherwise.

Post by **/\/\y 2 cents** » Mon Dec 24, 2001 1:53 am

I saw a railraod STX on ebay or somewhere one time....Ive heard of em' before that, but that was the first time I'd seen one...I was just wondering if it was for real cause they are real rare and I was kinda surprised when I saw it ...anybody know what i'm talking about?

Post by **/\/\y 2 cents** » Mon Dec 24, 2001 1:59 am

I know they make it....its some crazy color....I remember seeing it on ebay now....I couldnt place where i had heard about it but im starting to remember, i just wasnt really sure....I think it was green with a MT1000/HT600/P200 molded neoprene VHF whip...the kind i like to put on HT1250's...I would like to see a picture to refresh my memory a little...I't really didnt hit me until I saw this spectra that these are a totally differnt model type, and thats what made me think of it.....Geez, that spectra sure does look wierd.

SD70MAC · Post by **SD70MAC** » Mon Dec 24, 2001 4:49 am

Thanks for the reply STREAKER.Wow you guy do have about anything.I read somwhere that WC uses head sets in the loco's an some on the ground,did this work out or was this fling that past?
All you see as far as Hand helds on NS are good ol HT1000'S.

Bugs Bunny · Post by **Bugs Bunny** » Mon Dec 24, 2001 6:18 am

Most CN freight crews up in Canada use MT2000's. Makes it easier to use the MOW towers for interconnects, turn on switch heaters, etc. VIA Rail crews get the GP300 to communicate with the CN crews on the front end, if they are the head of crew service, if they are not, they get Mintor IIIs.

Bugs

streaker · Post by **streaker** » Mon Dec 24, 2001 9:05 am

They used the headsets on the ground before my time, must not have worked all that great. As for the loud old engines we use the David Clark head set with individual stations. They work great, and of course help preserve some of our Hearing, what was that? Just Kidding.

Glen W Christen · Post by **Glen W Christen** » Wed Dec 26, 2001 9:05 am

Railroads have had some real SP's (special purpose) from Motorola. The Chicago Northwestern used to have some bright ORANGE HT220's for supervisors. Guess some employees were prone to 'borrowing' radios for their own use.

SD70MAC · Post by **SD70MAC** » Fri Dec 28, 2001 5:43 am

The SOUTHERN railroad had MT500's that were red!The yard master at ASHEVILLE,NC still has one.

streaker · Post by **streaker** » Sat Dec 29, 2001 8:05 pm

You're right, we do get some unusual stuff. As is also going on in another discussion, we, at least the WC, are a self-servicing customer. We do ALL our own radio work. I don't actually do Communications, but, have only seen a M rep once, and he sure wasn't local either. Then again our little company owns somewhere around 10,000 radios, or until the CN gobbled us up.

Post by Pj » Sat Dec 29, 2001 9:52 pm

I seem to remember that the Chessie System had YELLOW one's too. I guess when you buy quite a bit of radios, you can get anything!