Pro-96, Alpha Tags & CTCSS/DCS

[rescue161]

Just got my Pro-96 in the mail yesterday.

So far so good, but there is already on thing that irritates me. It's the fact that if you have a bank named something via the bank alpha tag menu and you use CTCSS or DCS, the alpha tag disappears... :twisted:

Is there a way around this? I know what the CTCSS/DCS codes are, so I don't need to look at them all the time. I want to see what bank I'm in.

As far as reverse burst (turn off codes), when in CTCSS/DCS mode, it turns off just like my Motorola radios.

Another nuisance is the MDC sound. Couldn't they add an MDC muting feature so ytou don't have to hear that God-Awfull squawk all day?

Scott

 

[Voyager]

Just got my Pro-96 in the mail yesterday.

So far so good, but there is already on thing that irritates me. It's the fact that if you have a bank named something via the bank alpha tag menu and you use CTCSS or DCS, the alpha tag disappears... :twisted:

Is there a way around this? I know what the CTCSS/DCS codes are, so I don't need to look at them all the time. I want to see what bank I'm in.

As far as reverse burst (turn off codes), when in CTCSS/DCS mode, it turns off just like my Motorola radios.

Another nuisance is the MDC sound. Couldn't they add an MDC muting feature so ytou don't have to hear that God-Awfull squawk all day?

Scott

No way around it.

Yes, the '96 supports STE (Squelch Tail Elimination).

Not if the CTCSS is transmitted with it. Again, that should be just like your Motorola radio.

Joe M.

 

[rescue161]

The Motorola radios have a setting that mutes the MDC that has nothing to do with CTCSS. That's what the scanner manufacturers need to follow.

Oh well, maybe next time.

 

[Voyager]

The Motorola radios have a setting that mutes the MDC that has nothing to do with CTCSS. That's what the scanner manufacturers need to follow.

Oh well, maybe next time.

Which models? I've been programming them, well, since they HAD programming to program, and I've never seen such an option. Please tell me exactly what screen(s) the options are on.

As for what the scanner manufacturers need to follow, you mentioned the support of STE. That's been in the Land Mobile industry since at least the 60s. It's taken only 4 decades to add that. :roll: For that matter, we just got CTCSS about 10 years ago (again, 4 decades after the Land Mobile industry). It's amazing it took only 1 1/2 decades to add trunking!

I know on anything made through the mid-90s didn't have an MDC mute. With all that's in the latest programs, it's very easy to miss something that is burried several layers deep in the menus. (which is why I'm asking you on which models and where in the programming)

And if you mean they TX the MDC without CTCSS/CDCSS, yes, that is an option and the PRO-(20)96 will respond the same way by muting the audio.

Joe M.

 

[rescue161]

It's called DOS (Data Operated Squelch).

On CPS it's under MDC\MDC Systems.

Options are to mute 1800/1200 Hz or 1800 Hz only. You set the coast time to what the system is set up for and it will mute the MDC. Users won't even know that MDC exists except for that a small beep is heard before every transmission, not the annoying squawk.

The models that I have include, but are not limited to:

MTS2000
XTS3000
XT5000
Systems Saber
Astro Saber
Spectra

I have more, but I don't want to add them because I don't have a need to use MDC on them and therefore don't actually know if the feature is available on them or not.

DOS is what needs to be added to scanners, not a hope that the CTCSS will cover up the MDC burst.

 

[Voyager]

It's called DOS (Data Operated Squelch).

On CPS it's under MDC\MDC Systems.

Options are to mute 1800/1200 Hz or 1800 Hz only. You set the coast time to what the system is set up for and it will mute the MDC. Users won't even know that MDC exists except for that a small beep is heard before every transmission, not the annoying squawk.

DOS is what needs to be added to scanners, not a hope that the CTCSS will cover up the MDC burst.

OK. I always thought that was meant to use MDC to OPEN the squelch, not the mute it. In the PRO series CPS, the choices are (1200 & 1800), or (1200 OR 1800).

There are a few things that are confusing about it. One is the setting that determines 'the amount of time the radio is muted once carrier squelch is detected' (bold is mine)

That seems to imply that the MDC is sent without CTCSS/CDCSS.

Am I reading that wrong? I'll have to play with those settings to see if it really does mute the MDC. That WOULD be nice.

Joe M.

 

[rescue161]

It does mute the incoming (received) MDC.

If you're using a Motorola radio to receive only, Don't mess with the coast time until after you've tried just using/checking the DOS block. I'd try using 1800 AND 1200 first. If that doesn't work, try the other option (1800/1200 only).

You should only mess with the coast time if you know what the system is set up for. You can clip the conversations if its coast time is set up wrong.

Try this out for 5 minutes and you'll agree with me that THIS is what the scanner manufacturuers need to start doing.

What DOS does is strip the 1800/1200 Hz frequency of the MDC from being heard over the receiving radios speaker. Nothing to do with CTCSS. I would think that if the radio was told to refuse a signal if it were the wrong CTCSS and if the MDC was sent without CTCSS, then the MDC feature would not work on that particular radio.

Check it out and you'll see how nice it is to not hear that "squawk".