EOT monitoring Uniden BCD436HP

[cr8054]

I am a rail enthusiast living in NJ. I am having a problem monitoring EOT devices on my Uniden BCD436HP. I have programmed the audio type to All. I receive the signal, but there is no audio, the distinctive "chirp" when the signal is received. None of my other radios; a Uniden BC125AT, A Whistler TRX-1 and a Uniden BC345CRS have this problem. I do use the EOT's as a heads up when I am out on the road away from the yards. Especially since NS got rid of all the intermediates on the former PRR Middle Division. Can anyone give me an answer? Thanks in advance for any information.

 

[wa8pyr]

I am a rail enthusiast living in NJ. I am having a problem monitoring EOT devices on my Uniden BCD436HP. I have programmed the audio type to All. I receive the signal, but there is no audio, the distinctive "chirp" when the signal is received. None of my other radios; a Uniden BC125AT, A Whistler TRX-1 and a Uniden BC345CRS have this problem. I do use the EOT's as a heads up when I am out on the road away from the yards. Especially since NS got rid of all the intermediates on the former PRR Middle Division. Can anyone give me an answer? Thanks in advance for any information.

If you're scanning, it's probable that the scanner isn't stopping in time to catch the audio. Do you hear the audio when the radio is locked on the EOT channel?

 

[AK9R]

Is it possible that the scanner interprets the burst as data so mutes it?

 

[cr8054]

If you're scanning, it's probable that the scanner isn't stopping in time to catch the audio. Do you hear the audio when the radio is locked on the EOT channel?

I don’t have it locked on the EOT channel. I will try that.

 

[cr8054]

Is it possible that the scanner interprets the burst as data so mutes it?

Hmmmm. Makes me wonder. My TRX -1 doesn’t seem to do that, but they are two very different radios.

 

[kruser]

Set the Audio Type to Analog Only on your EOT channel and leave the tone setting on Search. An Analog Only setting bypasses the Digital Waiting Time setting which is set at 400 milliseconds by default. The digital waiting time causes channels set to the All audio types to wait 400 milliseconds looking for a digital signal to decode. If digital is not detected in that time setting on an analog signal, then the squelch opens but this results in missing the first 400 milliseconds of analog transmissions. The EOT signal is treated as an analog signal to scanners as they can't decode the small amount of digital data contained in the data chirps you hear.
Being as the data chirp is such a short duration, the 436 will not open the squelch until the digital waiting time has expired causing you to not hear the chirp of data.

The mention of holding on your EOT or HOT channel is also very good advice if your using the EOT/HOT signals to detect nearby trains reliably.

 

[Tim-B]

Try setting the digital waiting for that system to zero. The default time is 400 milliseconds. What happens is when the scanner receives a signal it samples during that digital waiting time to see if the signal is analog or digital and if digital it tries to determine if it is one of the digital signals it is able to decode like P25 or NXDN or DMR or Provoice. If the signal does not match one of these then the scanner will send the signal to the speaker in analog mode. That waiting time is there so you don't hear a harsh digital tone in analog mode for an instant before the scanner properly decodes a P25 or DMR, etc. signal. If you set that waiting time to zero and set the audio type to analog only then it will pass the signal to the speaker in analog mode no matter what type the signal actually is.
So go here:
menu / manage favorites / scroll to the proper favorites list and press yes or press the volume button down / select review edit system / scroll to and select the proper system / scroll to and select edit system option / scroll to and select digital waiting time / set the time to zero.
Then back out a couple of menu levels by pressing the menu key and go to edit department and select it / select the proper department / select edit channel / within that channel's settings set the audio type to analog only.
Now the scanner should pass the chirp to the speaker immediately without muting for the digital hold time.

 

[kruser]

Try setting the digital waiting for that system to zero.

Did you read my post from yesterday? Setting the Audio Type to Analog Only bypasses the digital wait time. No need to change that setting.
EOT, HOT and DPU frequencies should be set to Analog Only as the scanner cannot decode the data anyway. This allows the digital wait setting to still apply to other channels in the favorite list so will still use the digital wait time if needed. If the OP has AAR frequencies in the same favorite list and NXDN starts being used on some channels mixed with analog on others, you may want a digital wait time. I myself do lower that timer to 100ms when I know digital may be used on some of the conventional frequencies in my favorite lists. The default of 400ms is too long for analog signals. You miss nearly a half second of analog audio.

 

[cr8054]

I don’t have it locked on the EOT channel. I will try that.

Ok, tested leaving the scanner locked on the EOT channel, no dice.

 

[cr8054]

Did you read my post from yesterday? Setting the Audio Type to Analog Only bypasses the digital wait time. No need to change that setting.
EOT, HOT and DPU frequencies should be set to Analog Only as the scanner cannot decode the data anyway. This allows the digital wait setting to still apply to other channels in the favorite list so will still use the digital wait time if needed. If the OP has AAR frequencies in the same favorite list and NXDN starts being used on some channels mixed with analog on others, you may want a digital wait time. I myself do lower that timer to 100ms when I know digital may be used on some of the conventional frequencies in my favorite lists. The default of 400ms is too long for analog signals. You miss nearly a half second of analog audio.

Sorry, I was out all day yesterday and was asleep most of the day today so I am just seeing this. I will give your suggestion a try. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and I can go out tomorrow. I hope CSX will cooperate and run trains. There is a rule book slowdown right now and traffic is all messed up. I010, a priority intermodal train that was TV10 on Conrail had to hold at the CC boards in Bogota because both tracks were tied up from CP7 south. Here are the trains I bought yesterday at Ridgefield Park, NJ....I-156 and its DPU, Friday nights I-159 and B728.

 

[cr8054]

Set the Audio Type to Analog Only on your EOT channel and leave the tone setting on Search. An Analog Only setting bypasses the Digital Waiting Time setting which is set at 400 milliseconds by default. The digital waiting time causes channels set to the All audio types to wait 400 milliseconds looking for a digital signal to decode. If digital is not detected in that time setting on an analog signal, then the squelch opens but this results in missing the first 400 milliseconds of analog transmissions. The EOT signal is treated as an analog signal to scanners as they can't decode the small amount of digital data contained in the data chirps you hear.
Being as the data chirp is such a short duration, the 436 will not open the squelch until the digital waiting time has expired causing you to not hear the chirp of data.

The mention of holding on your EOT or HOT channel is also very good advice if your using the EOT/HOT signals to detect nearby trains reliably.

Ok, I will try this. I dont know if anything will run on the NYSW tonight or tomorrow. I may not go out if the weather is crappy. I hope to go out some time this week as I am having surgery on 9/21 and will be laid up for awhile. Thanks for your help.

 

[cr8054]

Try setting the digital waiting for that system to zero. The default time is 400 milliseconds. What happens is when the scanner receives a signal it samples during that digital waiting time to see if the signal is analog or digital and if digital it tries to determine if it is one of the digital signals it is able to decode like P25 or NXDN or DMR or Provoice. If the signal does not match one of these then the scanner will send the signal to the speaker in analog mode. That waiting time is there so you don't hear a harsh digital tone in analog mode for an instant before the scanner properly decodes a P25 or DMR, etc. signal. If you set that waiting time to zero and set the audio type to analog only then it will pass the signal to the speaker in analog mode no matter what type the signal actually is.
So go here:
menu / manage favorites / scroll to the proper favorites list and press yes or press the volume button down / select review edit system / scroll to and select the proper system / scroll to and select edit system option / scroll to and select digital waiting time / set the time to zero.
Then back out a couple of menu levels by pressing the menu key and go to edit department and select it / select the proper department / select edit channel / within that channel's settings set the audio type to analog only.
Now the scanner should pass the chirp to the speaker immediately without muting for the digital hold time.

Ok, I will try this as well. I may need to monitor the NYSW and the EOT on another system when I am home. I may go out tomorrow if the weather cooperates. If its crappy out, i wont go out. I dont know if the NYSW will run anything tonight or tomorrow due to the holiday so I may not have results for a couple of days. I DO want to go out sometime this week as I am having surgery on 9/21 and will be laid up for awhile after that. Thanks for your help. Here are the trains I photographed yesterday, I-156 and its DPU, The previous days I-159, and B-728 at Ridgefield Park, NJ

 

[cr8054]

Ok, finally got results. Setting audio to analog only and search solved the problem. Setting the digital waiting time also solved the problem as well. Had to kill some time at Waldwick on NJT Transit, here is what I caught, The prize for train of the day goes to NS 5665 on the H-55 heading back to Suffern, NY after switching Bay State Milling. Thanks a lot for all your help!

 

[Falcon1969]

Set the Audio Type to Analog Only on your EOT channel and leave the tone setting on Search. An Analog Only setting bypasses the Digital Waiting Time setting which is set at 400 milliseconds by default. The digital waiting time causes channels set to the All audio types to wait 400 milliseconds looking for a digital signal to decode. If digital is not detected in that time setting on an analog signal, then the squelch opens but this results in missing the first 400 milliseconds of analog transmissions. The EOT signal is treated as an analog signal to scanners as they can't decode the small amount of digital data contained in the data chirps you hear.
Being as the data chirp is such a short duration, the 436 will not open the squelch until the digital waiting time has expired causing you to not hear the chirp of data.

The mention of holding on your EOT or HOT channel is also very good advice if your using the EOT/HOT signals to detect nearby trains reliably.

Thanks for the info I'm going to give this a try.

 

[IC-R20]

It's well known that digital radios like this also don't have as fast of a squelch attack on analog signals especially lower power simplex. You'll notice a small amount of the beginning of the transmission cut off or sometimes not even heard at all if it's really quick. For these types of use I'll often grab a radio with analog squelch circuit like my BC92XLT. It opens nearly instantly on detection of a carrier so I'll use it often for railfanning or itinerant business monitoring when I don't need the record functionality.

 

[Falcon1969]

Works like a charm now .

Thanks