Digital scanners for analog?

[tss1355]

I listen to all analog railroad and marine transmissions, so my base scanner is a Uniden BC355N. In theory, that’s all I need. But the one think I don’t like about them is they make a crack sound when someone stops talking and it’s hard in the ears. I think it’s actually a burst of static that comes through for a split second before the radio realizes the transmission has stopped. I’ve owned several so I know it’s common to the model.

Would a digital scanner help? I assume they have better, higher tech audio handling and might close the channel faster or more quietly. However, I don’t really know how they work in terms of receiving analog. My biggest fear would be that they have a separate analog receiver and I would be wasting my money as I don’t have any intention of scanning trunked systems.

 

[kc2asb]

I have several analog scanners, BC-780XLT, BCT-15X, etc and have no issues with the "cracking" sound you describe at the end of transmissions. It sounds like the issue could be your squelch setting. I found that a using a slighly higher sqelch setting can eliminate bursts of static at the end of transmissions.

 

[PACNWDude]

+1 on what kc2asb has said. I run several BC355N scanners (as they were cheap, packaged with a terrible speaker from Walmart for ~$95 on sale)......I keep one at my desk at work to monitor ships on a nearby river, and another in the car, as they are a great size for vehicle use (as long as you do not need digital mode, or trucking).

While my county has gone digital and encrypted, they actually also transmit a backup (and little known to the public), VHF analog backup, hence me being able to monitor via a cheaper Uniden BC355N receiver. Being a cheaper model, Uniden did make them fairly well.....and the audio is pretty good for the speaker and receiver built to a very low price point.

The only audio "tail" I ever hear is from those that have roger beep and MDC1200 at the tail end of a transmission (still some analog trunked systems, and "sad" hams that think that sounds cool in my area).

I also put a better antenna with scanners, as the ones that came with the BC355N, the small telescoping metal whip (works well for my office one), and the suction cup wire one, only work well in a strong signal environment. I also wanted a mobile antenna that was more concealed, so I purchased one that looked more like a factory vehicle AM/FM antenna.

 

[dave3825]

I listen to all analog railroad and marine transmissions, so my base scanner is a Uniden BC355N. In theory, that’s all I need. But the one think I don’t like about them is they make a crack sound when someone stops talking and it’s hard in the ears.

Would a digital scanner help?

If it's not your squelch setting being to low, and rather something the tx'ing radios do, then no, a digital scanner wont change that. Is there anyone in your area with a scanner that listens to the same stuff as you? If so ask them if their scanner do the same thing. Then you know its the radios tx'ing.

As @PACNWDude posted, it could be mdc1200 data bursts or similar.

 

[W9WSS]

Motorola radios used to transmit a "reverse burst" to prevent a squelch tail from other Motorola radios.
Reverse burst is a Motorola feature that eliminates the loud "squelch tail" noise heard at the end of a radio transmission by temporarily shifting the phase of the private line (PL) tone just as the user releases the push-to-talk (PTT) button. This phase shift signals the receiving radio to quickly close the squelch, preventing the noise burst and resulting in a cleaner audio experience for both sides.

How it works:

• Squelch tail: When a radio transmission ends, there's a brief moment before the receiver can detect the loss of the signal. During this time, the speaker can emit a burst of static or noise, known as a "squelch tail".
• Reverse Burst:
  • When the PTT button is released, the transmitting radio continues to send a signal for a short period (e.g., 180 milliseconds).
  • During this time, the sub-audible PL tone's phase is intentionally shifted by a specific amount (e.g., 120 degrees for Motorola).
  • This phase shift causes the receiving radio's squelch circuit to recognize the end of the transmission and shut off the audio before the main signal disappears, thus eliminating the noise.

Key differences

• Reverse Frequency: This feature swaps the transmit and receive frequencies on a channel. It's used to talk to someone trying to access a repeater with a weak signal, not to eliminate squelch tail noise. You can learn more on the YouTube video.
• Other manufacturers: While Motorola uses "reverse burst," other manufacturers may call this "Squelch Tail Elimination" (STE) and use different phase shift amounts (e.g., 180 degrees). This means Motorola radios may not be compatible with radios from other brands unless settings are adjusted appropriately.

Sadly, that really doesn't affect scanners, especially the cheaper ones, but it did sound cool back in the day when Motorola (and some other manufacturers) deployed that technology.

 

[mark40]

I have two of the BC355N models, one in my car the other in my basement shop. They are used to monitor a handful of local analog Fire and EMS frequencies. The audio is undesirable to my ears and remedied it by using external speakers with both. While the squelch tail will always be present, audio is greatly improved and the squelch tail is not as harsh to my ear.

 

[aidanglover33]

I’ve been in your exact spot, using a Uniden BC355N for analog railroad and marine monitoring, and that sharp squelch “crack” at the end of transmissions gets old fast during long sessions. It’s a common trait of the model’s basic analog squelch circuit.
A good digital scanner will fix it.


I upgraded from a BC355N to an SDS100 mainly for analog listening (I don’t do trunking either), and the improvement in listening comfort was huge. Even a used BCD436HP or TRX1 would solve the issue without spending a fortune. You won’t regret it

 

[Ubbe]

Most scanners that use a DSP have the audio go thru a DSP processor that handles the information and that takes time that will introduce a delay to the audio but the squelch still acts on the signal before the DSP handled the signal. The scanner will then open up the audio before the processed audio have been done and in some cases there could even be a noise burst before the audio are heard when the squelch open.

When the squelch mute the audio there are still audio processed in the DSP so the last syllable will be cut short and no squelch tail will be heard. This happens with Whistler TRX and Uniden SDS scanners but I havent't heard it from Unidens 436/536 scanners.

So if you want to get rid of squelch tails, and even a bit more than that, the TRX and SDS scanners will do it.

/Ubbe