Re: More Mile End Control - What about Austrac and the original NE radio channels?

[mauried@commslab.gov.au (Maurie Daly)]

In article <37b52ea4@nap-ns1> "Grahame Ferguson" <grahamef@users.mcmedia.com.au> writes:
>From: "Grahame Ferguson" <grahamef@users.mcmedia.com.au>
>Subject: Re: More Mile End Control -  What about Austrac and the original NE radio channels?
>Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999 18:14:22 +1000


>>
>>Major probs with NE radio System!
>>First Adelaide were off line, but that is fixed now, 96xx calls
>>automatically route to Adelaide, others all to Collins St.
>>The 'Fix" stuffed BG control so now we are using the Emergency Services
>>Radio.
>>Someone finally spat the dummy, and we hear a Satellite Radio System will
>>soon be in place for all ARTC tracks..so I guess that will be fine for NRC,
>>and it will mean a 4th radio will need to be installed in G Class loco's
>>Rod
>>
>>
>If satellite radio will be in place for all ARTC tracks, does this mean the
>end of the Austrac Radio system over the Nullabor?

>Why couldn't the ARTC channel 6 on the north east sg, and V/line/ Freight
>Victoria use channel 5 for the North East bg as it was originally.  Why this
>crazy split system???



Unfortunately theres more to it than just the channels in use.
The Victrak Radio system is based on Motorola Micor Base Stations and Motorola
Syntrex radios.
Its a proprietary system and is incompatible with the radio systems used by 
all the other systems , most of which are Philips or Siemens.
Its also a very old system and likely to become obsolete anytime.
ARTC really needs to try and pick some sort of Radio system which is as 
compatible as possible with all the other systems currently in use on its 
lines  and for which radio gear is readily available at reasonable cost.
Whilst NRC have radios that can operate just about everywhere,no-one else does
and its simply not practical to expect that other operators should have to fit 
AWARE radios to their locos.
The only thing going for Mobilesat is that it works everywhere in Australia 
and if the other systems could be talked into using it , then we would finally 
have a single radiocomm systems that all Australia Railways could use.
I dont really know what the answer is , but what we currently have , ie a 
differant radio system in every state,and in some states like NSW multiple 
radio systems just isnt the answer.

MD