BC125AT: BC125AT Modulation Auto... Good or bad?

[brendan3]

Hey all new BC125AT owner and scanner beginner here,

Programming my BC125AT for a variety of functions but primarily to monitor wildland firefighting, railroads, and VHF/UHF airband.

When setting the modulation I have been using Auto, despite knowing that firefighting and railroads are using NFM and airband is AM, I was wondering if this is going to result in any clipped transmissions or any other issues I have yet to see? Seems to me that it works well and doesn't hurt to have it use this automatic detection. Thoughts?

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Setting the mode to "Auto" only means that the scanner will detect the proper modulation when it detects a transmission & this is described on page 41 of the user manual. It shouldn't make a difference if you leave it at default (Auto) with analog if said frequency doesn't incorporate mixed-mode AM/FM. Where this really plays a critical role is mixed-mode analog/digital (NFM/P25 for example. Not applicable with the 125AT since it doesn't handle P25). You'd want to set one mode versus the other & set applicable PL/DPL tone to keep transmissions of a different mode from coming through. Hope this helps

 

[serial14]

I use auto on all my scanners, BC125AT included, and have never had a problem.

This isn't applicable to the 125, but on a 996p2 I have, I was listening to a system that changed from NFM to DMR and the scanner just rolled with it, no updated programing needed. I attribute this ability to leaving it as Auto.

 

[wtp]

i hate to disagree with whiskey, but it is just a small point.
from the manual, "Auto - the scanner selects the modulation automatically based on the frequency’s band."
which just means the radio uses a band default and does not detect the modulation.
page 13 has the default MODE listed.

 

[brendan3]

Thanks!

 

[737mech]

If you are monitoring military fighters in the 138-150 band you need to set the 125at to AM. The scanner default in that band is NFM however the communications from the aircraft are AM. I have tried the Auto mode in this band but the AM setting seems to work better.

 

[lamarrsy]

i hate to disagree with whiskey, but it is just a small point.
from the manual, "Auto - the scanner selects the modulation automatically based on the frequency’s band."
which just means the radio uses a band default and does not detect the modulation.
page 13 has the default MODE listed.

Yes WTP exactly,
and the bands default modes can be modified by the scanner user, so as an example us here in Canada don’t have the same narrowband (NFM) than our USA, so, one of the first things I did was to indeed change the default modes on the scanner (to avoid having NFM auto-selected where there are FM radio users).

 

[brendan3]

Thanks for the replys.

I've got another question. If I have programmed the scanner to search for tones does it change the performance of the scanner as in how quickly it can move to the next channel in the search bank?