On our phila to flagstaff travel, my son would like to take along with game boy, cd player, deck of cards, books, etc, his hand-held portable tv.
Will this work on a train?
Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on 05-28-2001 12:40 AM:
Radios and cel phones will work, if you are in range of a signal. I've never seen anyone with a TV on a train, but TV signals don't carry very far, usually about 50 miles or so from a transmitter. That means that, even if it works, you'll may not be within range of a given station long enough to watch a program all the way through. In rural areas away from major cities there probably won't be anything to pick up. The TV will probably just be excess weight to carry and stow.
To be frank, there are so many people to talk to, and things to see out the windows, that you probably won't even miss the TV. Cards are a great way to socialize with your fellow travelers, and a book is a great thing to read before bed. A Game boy is also a good toy to pass the time.
Be sure to bring headphones with the CD player so you don't bother others. ------------------ Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth. -Mr. Toy
[This message has been edited by Mr. Toy (edited 05-28-2001).]
Posted by LouisaM (Member # 844) on 05-31-2001 09:56 AM:
I agree with the idea of leaving the TV at home, the less "stuff" to keep track of the better. I recommend bringing those things that encourage interraction with other passengers. The folks we met and chatted with were the BEST part of our trip.
Posted by MLC (Member # 58) on 05-31-2001 11:05 AM:
On one trip I took, someone had set up a small TV in the lounge car to watch the NCAA basketball finals. The picture faded in and out as the trains sped south to Florida. Not tremendously good reception.
Posted by yummykaz (Member # 475) on 06-11-2001 07:29 AM:
We have two boys ages 8 and 10 and a teen girl 16.
The boys always bring their gameboys.
We also brought my laptop pc so we could download our pics I took with our digital camera. So we listened to music I had downloaded from Napster, played some CD rom games etc.
I have been tempted to get a sony watchman. But I think one of the joys of trains is that "you get away" from all that. My family watches too much TV anyway. We can use the break to talk, and just be together.
If I was alone though, I would bring a mini TV or radio. The train we took Cresent, had a tv in the sleeper and they ran a loop tape of some pretty good movies.
Becki
Posted by powers118 (Member # 813) on 06-11-2001 09:09 AM:
We will be leaving Phila tomorrow the 12th for Flagstaff, arriving on the 14th. My son is a 6ers fan! They are playing on the 13th! As fans are, he'd really like to see the game.
Posted by graynt (Member # 17) on 06-11-2001 05:03 PM:
A hand held TV is nice to have on a long trip. If you are stopped at or near a city for any length of time, TV can pass the time and the reception isn t bad. At night in a sleeper I ts kinda neat.
I was on the Cardinal a couple of weeks ago and that CBS show "Sunday Morning"made for pleasent viewing. I use the TV as an alternative if there is no one to talk too and the scenery gets a little bland.