Frequency vs CT Frequency

[Lyman]

I apologize if this is not in the correct Forum but I did not see a 'General Questions' area. Thanks.

When a frequency is listed on my scanner (such as '131.8') what is the 'CT 470.31250' indicating?

An enthralling Hobby for sure, just taking a bit more time to get used than, say, 20 years ago!

Many thanks,

Lyman

 

[SAR923]

I think you've got it backwards. 470.31250 should be the radio frequency and 131.8 should be the Continuous Tone (CT) that's been programmed to work with that agency on that frequency. I don't know what scanner you have but, assuming it's a Radio Shack, it will show the CT designation for frequencies when one exists. You can push "Enter" or "Trunk" to store the CT code with that frequency. The advantage of a CT tone is that only a radio transmitting with that tone will unsquelch another radio assigned the same CT tone. This cuts down on having to listen to other agencies that may be on the same frequency but use a different or even no tone. As hobbyists, using CT's when available also helps cut down on interference from things like computer equipment

 

[Lyman]

I think you've got it backwards. 470.31250 should be the radio frequency and 131.8 should be the Continuous Tone (CT) that's been programmed to work with that agency on that frequency. I don't know what scanner you have but, assuming it's a Radio Shack, it will show the CT designation for frequencies when one exists. You can push "Enter" or "Trunk" to store the CT code with that frequency. The advantage of a CT tone is that only a radio transmitting with that tone will unsquelch another radio assigned the same CT tone. This cuts down on having to listen to other agencies that may be on the same frequency but use a different or even no tone. As hobbyists, using CT's when available also helps cut down on interference from things like computer equipment

Yes, I did have that backwards and thank you for clarifying that - much appreciated as I am new to this. Well, I owned a Scanner some twenty years ago but to say that these have made quantum leaps in technology is an understatement. Thanks also for the detailed explanation. The Scanner is in fact a Radio Shack, Pro-96. - Lyman