536HP CTCSS decode issue

[KB2VJK]

Hi everyone. Please help! I'm new to the RR forum and I just bought a Uniden 536HP and have a question: The analog CTCSS decode is terrible on this thing! The DCS decodes ok but on analog FM or FMN CTCSS decode there is a kachuck or squelch tail at the end of almost transmission on any frequency (on un key) that's driving me crazy! Are other owners of 536HP's getting this too or is my unit defective? Turning the squelch up or down doesn't stop it. The CTCSS tones are enabled and are displayed but always a kachuck! It should be muting upon un key. The firmware is current as of today. Am I missing something? Anybody in the Monmouth County NJ area who has one that would be willing to assist me with this thing? If so please email me at email @ johnstonesf@gmail.com Thanks in advanced!!!

Scott aka KB2VJK

 

[buddrousa]

Welcome to the RR. It all depends on how the repeater system is setup. You can set up the repeater to transmit the tone all the time or only as long as the receiver is receiving the system.

 

[MStep]

Hi everyone. Please help! I'm new to the RR forum and I just bought a Uniden 536HP and have a question: The analog CTCSS decode is terrible on this thing! The DCS decodes ok but on analog FM or FMN CTCSS decode there is a kachuck or squelch tail at the end of almost transmission on any frequency (on un key) that's driving me crazy! Are other owners of 536HP's getting this too or is my unit defective? Turning the squelch up or down doesn't stop it. The CTCSS tones are enabled and are displayed but always a kachuck! It should be muting upon un key. The firmware is current as of today. Am I missing something? Anybody in the Monmouth County NJ area who has one that would be willing to assist me with this thing? If so please email me at email @ johnstonesf@gmail.com Thanks in advanced!!!

Scott aka KB2VJK

I have a 536 (and a 436) and have had other Uniden units as well. I would guess that your radio is operating normally. For whatever reason, it appears that Uniden has never really got the CTCSS muting to work properly at the end of transmissions. Therefore, you will almost always hear the "squelch-tail" at the end of each transmission, even with CTCSS turned on. This has been discussed before, and it's a fairly well known and accepted anomaly with Uniden units.

On the other hand, the 536 is the best, most feature and function rich scanner that I have ever owned.

 

[KB2VJK]

536HP CTCSS decode Issue

Wow I'm shocked to hear this is just the way these 536HP's are! What a disappointment Uniden! kachuck kachuck! I may be returning this thing. I had a TRX2 that decoded great but had a bad hiss in analog and seemed to be deaf beyond 25 miles (maybe defective) and was returned so I bought the 536HP. Now I do not know what to do since i listen to more VHF/UHF analog than anything else. Anybody know if there is another scanner model out there that does CTCSS decode properly? lol Thx

 

[alphaacres]

Are you using software to log tones? if so try Proscan it does a better job than Arc software the ARC software is so bad it makes the scanner look bad at decoding tones

 

[buddrousa]

The OP question was about the noise made when the tone drops on a repeater before the carrier drops. This is caused by setting the CTCSS tone drop before the carrier. All the repeaters in my area TX CTCSS tone until the carrier drops stopping the noise on the signal.

 

[pro92b]

More detail on CTCSS and phase shift at end of transmission: Motorola® Reverse Burst & And Squelch

 

[DaveNF2G]

Wow I'm shocked to hear this is just the way these 536HP's are! What a disappointment Uniden! kachuck kachuck! I may be returning this thing.

I think you missed the point.

It all depends on how the repeater system is setup. You can set up the repeater to transmit the tone all the time or only as long as the receiver is receiving the system.

It is not your scanner. The scanner is responding correctly to the way the systems you are monitoring are configured. The only way to get rid of the kerchunk is for the transmitter (not your scanner) to drop CTCSS before it drops carrier. That is not something Uniden can control.

 

[JamesO]

How does if behave monitoring the same system without the CCTSS enabled?

 

[KB2VJK]

536HP CTCSS decode Issue

Ok so far i've only used the zip code process via the front key pad to listen to my local frequencies to see if I even like the scanner and then found the darn kachunk issue. I just today downloaded the Sentinel software on my PC. Guess I will try manually entering the CTCSS tone via the software and or even turning off the PL. It decodes DCS fine it's just the CTCSS that sucks. The TRX2 seems to be much better with CTCSS decode since on the same systems it does not kachunk. So it looks like my 536hp unit is working correctly (not defective) based on the responses here. I really appreciate everyones help! Thx all

 

[Ubbe]

Generelly the TRX-2, and other whistler scanners, have a very short carrier squelch tail and sometimes none at all. Can't say anything about CTCSS as I hardly use it.

/Ubbe

 

[Sccafire]

...

 

[jonwienke]

Wow I'm shocked to hear this is just the way these 536HP's are! What a disappointment Uniden! kachuck kachuck! I may be returning this thing. I had a TRX2 that decoded great but had a bad hiss in analog and seemed to be deaf beyond 25 miles (maybe defective) and was returned so I bought the 536HP. Now I do not know what to do since i listen to more VHF/UHF analog than anything else. Anybody know if there is another scanner model out there that does CTCSS decode properly?

It's not the scanner, it's the repeater. If the repeater isn't configured properly, it will continue to broadcast the tone and static after the incoming signal has dropped. The scanner is simply playing the noise the repeater is broadcasting. As others have suggested, the repeater needs to be configured to drop the output tone when the input signal drops, or this will happen with any scanner or radio listening to the repeater.

 

[KB2VJK]

Ok thanks everyone for the input. Btw anyone in the Monmouth County NJ (OceanTwp) area who has a 536HP and knows the Sentinel software very well who can spare an hour to stop by and help me setup/program the scanner correctly? If so, please email me at johnstonesf@gmail.com Thx in advance