Atcs Monitor For Windows
Hey guys, Here's part I of a video I shot today giving example to how I monitor one of my favorite railfan hotspots from over 1500 miles away. I'm sharing this to spread the word of how much ATCS Monitor can enhance your railfanning experience. If you monitor more than one railroad you should create one Windows short-cut for each system you monitor. First load ATCS Monitor and configure the settings for one of the systems, then save these settings to a profile using the 'Save Profile As.' Menu item under the File menu. Repeat this for each railroad you monitor.
NRHS - Harrisburg ChapterATCS Monitoring - maintained by theNational Railway Historical Society (NRHS) - HarrisburgChapterThe Harrisburg Chapter of the NRHS maintains anetwork of ATCS receivers and internet servers covering much of the NSHarrisburg Division. This system allows railroad enthusiasts to viewtrain locations, switch and signal settings and train routing on agraphical display in much the same way as a railroad dispatcher. Using afreeware (no cost) program called “ATCS Monitor” users log into the HarrisburgNRHS’s router to receive the data in much the same way as one wouldreceive railroad radio transmissions via an Internet scanner feed.What is ATCS?ATCS is the Advanced Train Control System and is a form of'radio code line' now being used by the railroads. Previously, signal,switch and track indications and controls were done by way of thewayside copper wires. Later, railroads began using fiber optic cablesfor this purpose. However, there have been on-going reliability issues. Copper and fiber on poles is subject to wind, ice, lightning and otherweather effects.
Underground it’s subject to lightning, washouts andback hoes. (Yes, lightning is still a problem underground)! One failurein one location could affect a dozen or more interlockings. To deal withthis, ATCS radio code line was developed. By using digital UHF radio,ATCS eliminates the physical connectivity that hampered the signalingsystems in the past.How is ATCS Useful to Railroad Enthusiasts?ATCS radio signals are NOT encrypted which makes them fair game foranyone with the right equipment to receive. Everyone asks the question,“Is this legal?” The answer is a definite YES! Just as there is noprohibition against receiving railroad voice communications, there isalso no prohibition against receiving railroad ATCS signals.
As aresult, technically oriented railroad buffs formed yet another off-shootof our hobby: ATCS monitoring. If you have the right type of receiverand freeware software (written by Dave Houy), you can receive the ATCSradio signals and display the information on a computer screen in muchthe same way as it would appear on a railroad dispatcher's display.The biggest limitation to receiving ATCS radiosignals is that they are in the 900 MHz region. This makes them nearlyline-of-sight. The signals are easily blocked by hills, buildings andeven heavy vegetation.
The railroads solve this problem by placing theirequipment on high mountains and/or tall towers. Their high locationsgive them a clear, line-of-sight 'view' in all directions for many, manymiles. Most railfans don't have that advantage. As a result, the typicalrailfan only has ATCS radio reception for a few miles of railroad in anydirection.Railfans work around this problem by pooling theirresources and tying their receivers together by way of the internet. Therailroads have one site that covers many, many interlockings. Railroadbuffs have many sites, each of which only covers only a fewinterlockings. However, when you combine the reception of a bunch ofrailfan sites together, you can begin to cover an entire rail linealmost as effectively as the railroad's mountain-top location.Why the Harrisburg NRHS Became InvolvedAt Harris Tower, we wanted an exhibit that would replicate what thedispatchers see on their computer screens.
The display would allowvisitors at Harris to contrast how the railroad was controlled by HarrisTower in 1943 vs. How the railroad is controlled today. To make thisdisplay work we use ATCS signals to display a facsimile of the NSHarrisburg Terminal Dispatcher’s computer console. The exhibit containstwo, wide screen monitors that display the entire territory of the NSHarrisburg Terminal Dispatcher (the territory that includes HarrisTower).
Along with the computer displays is a radio receiver tuned tothe Harrisburg Terminal Dispatcher's voice radio. The image below showsa screen capture of the computer display.In order to receive data for this display, we sought out volunteers tohost servers in order to receive signals from as much of the areasurrounding Harrisburg as possible. Over time we continued addingservers to the mix to solidify coverage of the Harrisburg Terminal andHarrisburg East territories (with some incidental coverage of the PortRoad thrown in for good measure).A Service to the Railfan CommunityAs a service to railroad enthusiasts, the Harrisburg Chapter of the NRHSmakes this data feed available to the railfan community at large, makingit possible to view this display in your home. All you need to dois install the ATCSMon freeware and log in. If you are reasonablycomputer savvy and are interested in viewing this display on yourcomputer, check out for all the basic information. Thissite also has a link to thewhich serves an online User’s Manual for the program and a link to thewhich is the repository for the softwareand hosts the ATCSMon discussion group.
Atcs Monitor Online
Be sure to read the“Beginners” section of the Wiki before you begin.Instructions on how to install and use theATCSMon program are beyond the scope of this page. Please DO NOT contactthe Harrisburg NRHS with questions on using the program!After searching the ATCS Wiki for information, direct all such inquiriesto the.We're working to make railfanning in Central Pennsylvania moreenjoyable!We hope you will enjoy using this service. If you would like tosupport this and other activities of the Harrisburg Chapter of the NRHS,please consider joining or making a donation. You can join ourgroup or you can make a donation.Thank you for your support!
Atcs Monitor For Windows Download
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