Analog vs. digital battery consumption

[NWI_Scanner_Guy]

Just sitting here wondering if a scanner draws more power from the batteries when it is receiving a digital signal versus when it is receiving analog signals.

I'm wondering this because I've been at my desk for a few hours, listening to my PSR-800. The one scanlist I was listening to for a couple of hours was made up of all analog frequencies. The battery meter didn't seem to diminish all that much, but then I switched over to the Starcom21 scanlist, and it seems that the battery meter is diminishing much more quickly. In an hour it's gone from probably 75% to somewhere (i'd guess) around 25%.

 

[K9WG]

In theory digital would consume more energy due to the processors having to work decoding the digital signal. How much depends on the way the decoding hardware was designed.

 

[SquierStrat]

Yes .

 

[NWI_Scanner_Guy]

In theory digital would consume more energy due to the processors having to work decoding the digital signal. How much depends on the way the decoding hardware was designed.

Yes .

That's what I kind of figured. Thanks for the confirming information. I appreciate it.

 

[lchspanther2006]

That's what I kind of figured. Thanks for the confirming information. I appreciate it.

I have a PRO-106 Digital Handheld and before my county switched to digital, the batteries would last between 7-9 hours receiving analog only while scanning 4 banks of 20-30 channels each with a rate of 75% listening to active audio and 25% scan.
When my county switched to digital, reprogrammed the scanner for the new system and while scanning only the new system which consists of 1 control channel and about 8 talkgroups (that's all I have programmed anyway, there are many more on the system), my batteries only last between 4-5 hours and that is with a 50/50 split of listening to audio and scanning.

I was a little amazing that the battery would be used that much more quickly. I have a stock pile of Alkaline since I never have good luck with rechargables. When I am at home, it is always plugged in.

So I have to agree with the other posters, yes, digital does use more battery. I think it may have to do with the scanner constantly processing the control channel information let alone processing the signal when there is traffic to decode.