That would be much easier, simply sweep a modulated oscillator across the
band. With a couple of adjustments it would be easy to emulate a train
whistle, a somewhat universal warning.

wrote in message
...
On Mon, 3 Oct 2005 17:19:42 -0400, Ari Silversteinn
wrote:

DHS has proposed a change in scenario. They want an on locomotive
alerting
system that could be commandeered and driven at, near or about a disaster
site. Everything else stays more or less the same, overbroadcasting on
local AM/FM, power off the locomotive, selective or full frequency
broadcasting, train (s) to be in motion at all times. 20-30 second
messages
that would also combine a message to be aware that a locomotive (at
speed)
will be flying by the at grade crossings.

Comments?

Tracks across Lake Ponchartrain fell in.

Granted they were put back in service faster than anything the
government had connection to.

"Richard Clark" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 3 Oct 2005 17:19:42 -0400, Ari Silversteinn
wrote:
Comments?
What a troll.

But Wait,
There's more!
Emergency Messaging, over broadcasting on
AM/FM/SCA/IBOC/Satellite/TV/HDTV/Mobile Phone/
On Ships to sail to the road accidents,
on Submarines, Aircraft & Satellites.
;-)

On Tue, 4 Oct 2005 12:29:52 +1300, "Ken Taylor"
wrote:

wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 3 Oct 2005 17:19:42 -0400, Ari Silversteinn
wrote:

DHS has proposed a change in scenario. They want an on locomotive alerting
system that could be commandeered and driven at, near or about a disaster
site. Everything else stays more or less the same, overbroadcasting on
local AM/FM, power off the locomotive, selective or full frequency
broadcasting, train (s) to be in motion at all times. 20-30 second
messages
that would also combine a message to be aware that a locomotive (at speed)
will be flying by the at grade crossings.

Comments?

Tracks across Lake Ponchartrain fell in.

Granted they were put back in service faster than anything the
government had connection to.

Why a loco anyway? It would appear to be the mistaken assumption that
anything that big must have power to burn on anything plugged in by a user.
Not the case - the power from a loco is, not surprisingly, applied to the
tracks.

Actually, it's not.

What made you bring up tracks anyway -- my reference to the
tracks on the lake falling in? My point was that the locomotive is
going nowhere there aren't usable tracks.

On a diesel-electric locomotive, the generator's output is
applied, not to the tracks as you seem to think, but rather through
control circuitry to the stator around the axle. It's rather amusing
to see a repair yard worker with a set of wheels-and-axle (they're all
one single piece, in case you didn't know) clamp a stator around the
axle, connect a battery with a pair of short jumper cables and walk
the whole arrangement across a concrete floor as though he were
walking the family dog.

BTW, at 4,000+ horsepower, you could plug in nearly anything a
user might want, given proper appliances and the right plug. :-)



The electric generators used for powering gear other than the
train's vitals are not high power.

Ken

On Mon, 3 Oct 2005 17:19:42 -0400, Ari Silversteinn wrote:
DHS has proposed a change in scenario. They want an on locomotive alerting
system that could be commandeered and driven at, near or about a disaster
site. Everything else stays more or less the same, overbroadcasting on
local AM/FM, power off the locomotive, selective or full frequency
broadcasting, train (s) to be in motion at all times. 20-30 second messages
that would also combine a message to be aware that a locomotive (at speed)
will be flying by the at grade crossings.

Comments?

And what are these messages suppose to convey?

The target audience already knows it's screwed.

We all (outside the screwed zone) saw the blizzard of useless
"messages" the government(s) issued during and after Katrina.

Just what I need to hear from a locomotive blowing by at 50 mph:

"Hi! We're the government and we are here to help you."

The best that came out of post-Katrina was from self-help and
assistance from non-government organizations. And, the
government even thwarted some of that.

The inmates are running the asylum:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/02/news/storm.php

Ninety-one thousand tons of ice melting in idling 14-wheelers.

73
Jonesy
--
Marvin L Jones | jonz | W3DHJ | linux
Pueblo, Colorado | @ | Jonesy | OS/2 __
38.24N 104.55W | config.com | DM78rf | SK

Like I said in another thread, "Emergency" implies IMMEDIATE (not planned)
danger to life, limb, or property. It seems that, in your proposal, you are
PLANNING to use these frequencies instead of more appropriate ones. I would
think that you need to create (and supply) a system that is isolated from
broadcast frequencies.

Wayne-
(KC8UIO)
"Ari Silversteinn" wrote in message
...
DHS has proposed a change in scenario. They want an on locomotive alerting
system that could be commandeered and driven at, near or about a disaster
site. Everything else stays more or less the same, overbroadcasting on
local AM/FM, power off the locomotive, selective or full frequency
broadcasting, train (s) to be in motion at all times. 20-30 second
messages
that would also combine a message to be aware that a locomotive (at speed)
will be flying by the at grade crossings.

Comments?
--
Drop the alphabet for email

Durrrrrr,
Can anyone spell EAS
http://www.fcc.gov/eb/eas/

"John Doe" wrote in message
u...
"Richard Clark" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 3 Oct 2005 17:19:42 -0400, Ari Silversteinn
wrote:
Comments?
What a troll.

But Wait,
There's more!
Emergency Messaging, over broadcasting on
AM/FM/SCA/IBOC/Satellite/TV/HDTV/Mobile Phone/
On Ships to sail to the road accidents,
on Submarines, Aircraft & Satellites.
;-)

On Mon, 3 Oct 2005 21:41:43 -0000, Dave wrote:

seems strange, and not very practical.

There is an element of both I agree and the locomotive environment, except
in the newer ones, can be a bit hairy. Whether or not the concept is valid,
that's for DHS to decide and they already have.

The driving force behind this, imo, is that during NOLA no effort was made
to use the RR as a means of evac. Several of the lines offered but FEMA
refused. Instead, Carnival made off like a bandit with 1/3 full ships but
3/3 full government pay.

In order to evac, the RR would need to run flat out and with an evac
traffic surge, crossings become more critical.
--
Drop the alphabet for email

"Ari Silversteinn" wrote in message
...
DHS has proposed a change in scenario. They want an on locomotive alerting
system that could be commandeered and driven at, near or about a disaster
site. Everything else stays more or less the same, overbroadcasting on
local AM/FM, power off the locomotive, selective or full frequency
broadcasting, train (s) to be in motion at all times. 20-30 second
messages
that would also combine a message to be aware that a locomotive (at speed)
will be flying by the at grade crossings.

Comments?

On Tue, 4 Oct 2005 11:15:23 +1300, Ken Taylor wrote:

Impractical, for the same reasons cited earlier. What's wrong with
electronic message boards on trailers fitted with sirens and, if deemed
necessarily, a very large guy with a gun to maintain interest.

Nothing but why not broadcast an alert that a locomotive, especially at
unmarked crossings, is approaching and too supplement other warning
systems?

You may find that sci.electronic.misc or sci.electronic.design may be more
relevant, since it's commercial/military and not amateur. Mind you, they may
also be less polite.....

Ken

Thanks, Ken.

Should I be scared?
--
Drop the alphabet for email

On Mon, 03 Oct 2005 23:16:33 GMT, wrote:

On Mon, 3 Oct 2005 17:19:42 -0400, Ari Silversteinn
wrote:

DHS has proposed a change in scenario. They want an on locomotive alerting
system that could be commandeered and driven at, near or about a disaster
site. Everything else stays more or less the same, overbroadcasting on
local AM/FM, power off the locomotive, selective or full frequency
broadcasting, train (s) to be in motion at all times. 20-30 second messages
that would also combine a message to be aware that a locomotive (at speed)
will be flying by the at grade crossings.

Comments?

Tracks across Lake Ponchartrain fell in.

After Katrine/Rita, yes, not before.

Granted they were put back in service faster than anything the
government had connection to.

I was there for a few days, didn't keep up with that.
--
Drop the alphabet for email

On Tue, 4 Oct 2005 12:29:52 +1300, Ken Taylor wrote:

Why a loco anyway? It would appear to be the mistaken assumption that
anything that big must have power to burn on anything plugged in by a user.
Not the case - the power from a loco is, not surprisingly, applied to the
tracks. The electric generators used for powering gear other than the
train's vitals are not high power.

Locomotive because of the need for a manual override by the Head Engineer.
CSX claims they can provide access to 1,000 watts.
--
Drop the alphabet for email