Scanners and Computers.. signals ?

[Mackinac Mac]

What is that program where you can plug your scanner into a PC and see the signals or something?

Is it legal?

How does it work and does anyone have information on it, if it is allowed?

Thanks

Mike

[lemscate]

http://www.atcsmon.com/

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/ATCS_Monitor/

It's a little more than just plugging in your scanner, though. The FAQ answers the rest of your questions.

[Scooterb]

Neat programe have seen it used in Fostoria also Deshler.

Have also used it at home viewing ATC and listening to Fostoria Live.

I believe Deshler has Wi-Fi at the park now so if you have a lap top and can get the signal I dont believe you need the radio part you can just use the internet

[Aleks]

A friend I know from the Kitchener area has a laptop hooked up to his scanner with this program.
It's great as all the CN signals are on microwave and you can see a few interlockings and block signals in either direction to let you know what signals have been lined and you can see them knocked down as they pass them. There is also an alarm setting he uses in case he wants to snooze between trains. As a train knocks down a signal the alarm goes off to wake him up in plenty of time to set-up for the shot.
I'm going to try and set this program up on my older spare CPU to my 1/4 wave base antenna which considering I only live about 5 minutes from the station I should be able to see from at least the Hardy crossovers to the Massey crossovers and hopefully farther. That way when I'm at home I can see when stuff is lined up from home.

[SousaKerry]

I Used to run the Tiffin ATCS Server a couple af years back, and it takes a little special hardware. If you have the money you can buy some high dollor scanners with the necesary hookup, or you can do what I did and modify your own scanner. It can be a little touchy very delicate work but not too dificult. The ATCS websites listed are the best places to get info and help. Legality has always been a concern with the group that is why it is a word of mouth kind of thing, I personally have never had a problem but the developer of the program was approached by the fcc after 9/11 and asked to shut things down temporarly, since then I think there are so many people involved that the railroads can't do much about it and there is no danger that the program could be used maliciously to rerout trains. Basicly you could do the same thing with 20 people and cell phones or the internet if you were real determined to know where trains were.

If you live within an ATCS controlled teritory it can be a rewarding and fun hobby but it does take a bit of research decoding and field work unless someone has already decoded your area and is willing to share their work. You can tell if your favorite mainline is on ATCS by going to an interlocking plant (crossover, diamond...) and look arround for a radio antenna mounted on a pole nearby, If there is still codeline wire, the classic telegrapph type wires running everywhere, then you are out of luck. Conrail was famous for burring their codeline and replacing it with fiber optic cable such as here in Jackson on the michigan line so I'm out of luck too.

Hope this helps
Sousa

[~Z~]

ATCS is great. Just downloaded it tonight. Listening in on fostorialive.com to the scanner info, plus watching on a map where all the green signals, reds, along with where trains are...very active and interesting!