Seeking a recommendation on a air/milair scanner with squelch knob

[PrivatelyJeff]

The tittle pretty much describes it.

I’m looking to a simple handheld scanner that can receive air band and mil air band and also has a easy to use squelch knob. I’m currently using a uniden bc125at but every time it picks up an itinerant random signal, I either have to reach over and force to to move on, lock it out or mess with the squelch (which requires punching buttons and then turning a knob). I’d rather be able to slightly adjust the squelch as necessary to get over those signals.

 

[jonwienke]

Adjusting squelch isn't the right approach to mute unwanted signals on other frequencies. Lock them out instead. Turning up squelch will block some traffic on the frequencies you do want to hear.

 

[PrivatelyJeff]

Adjusting squelch isn't the right approach to mute unwanted signals on other frequencies. Lock them out instead. Turning up squelch will block some traffic on the frequencies you do want to hear.

locking them out isn’t either because is a stray signal at the moment only. I’ve locked out ones that are persistent though.

 

[marksmith]

Already have probably the best radio you will find for that band. Squelch works the same on all scanners in terms of your described problem. Locking out is the best you can do to avoid unwanted signals.

Cranking up squelch avoids some things you might want to hear. So you are stuck with forcing the radio to move on or missing stuff either way. Squelch or lockout.

 

[letarotor]

Have you tried to set your squelch a little bit higher on the BC125AT?I just want to be sure you do realize you can adjust the squelch on the radio very simply.

Brian
COMMSCAN

 

[prcguy]

Get an old Yupiteru MVT-7100, probably one of the best there is for VHF and UHF mil air plus UHF satcom. They are really sensitive and the AM audio is crisp and punchy. Do a search on this scanner and you will find it has a world wide following with airplane spotters, etc.

 

[letarotor]

It's funny you mentioned the Yupiteru MVT7100. I bought an MVT9000M in 1998 and within a year and a half the squelch on it went haywire. I called the company in The Netherlands explaining my issue and they were not of any help and all they could tell me is I needed to send it to them and they had no idea what it would cost me to get it fixed. They did say it probably wouldn't be cheap. No estimate, nothingother than it probably wouldn't be cheap. They did say it had a digital squelch, something I'm still not sure about, and that they might not even be able to fix it but I'd still be responsible for costs to have them look at it.

What happened on my MVT9000M I still don't understand and I still have the radio. It would not stop on any signals no matter how strong. If I turn the squelch to just a extremely tiny bump from being opened up, it would not work or stop on any traffic. But if I was parked on something like the NOAA weather radio broadcast and I opened up the squelch all the way I could hear traffic. Of course this won't work having to do this on a scanner.

I had gone to Shreveport for a funeral and had programmed in Barksdale AFB and this is when the problem started while on that trip. Through the years I have repeatedly put some batteries in it and tried again but the same issue still exists. I wish I could get it fixed because it became a $800 or $900 paper weight just barely after the warranty ran out.

I know a lot of people did like the MVT7100 but with the policies and lack of any USA support for the radio, I'd be very careful using a company like that. Of course both models are no longer made and you cannot do any kind of PC programming or control of the radios either. It takes a long time to program frequencies and alpha tags by hand if you have a lot to program.

Since the topic of this thread has to do with possible squelch issues, I couldn't resist telling my Yupiteru story.

To this day I'm looking for any ideas or knowledge on if anyone knows of a fix for why the, what the company calls, digital squelch doesn't work. Oh yeah, and the audio on the MVT9000M was very poor and not loud. I don't know about the MVT7100 when it comes to audio but if it was supposed to be an upgrade to that radio with my MVT9000 (or maybe the model was MVT9100M?), I would wonder about the previous 7100 model. After they got their money from me, they didn't want to do anything to help it seemed like. And I know I paid close to $1,000 for the scanner back in 1998. I wish I had never bought it.

Brian
COMMSCAN

 

[trap5858]

The Icom R-20 while a bit dated by comparison to the R-30 is still a very capable receiver. Compact, easy to program through software and rugged.

 

[buddrousa]

On ebay is a Uniden BC296D Scanner with out digital card $75 plus $12 shipping that has volume and squelch knobs.

 

[SigIntel8600]

Certainly not simple or cheap, but if you are looking for rock solid performance on VHF/UHF air. Grab an AOR 8200.

 

[rk911]

probably the best civilian/military air band HH scanner i’ve ever owned (and still do own) is the Radio Shack Pro-43. best chance to find one is on eBay or Craig’s List.

 

[Reconrider]

probably the best civilian/military air band HH scanner i’ve ever owned (and still do own) is the Radio Shack Pro-43. best chance to find one is on eBay or Craig’s List.

Why do you say it's the best[you've owned]?

 

[prcguy]

I don't think the MVT7100 is in any way related to the MVT9000M except for the company name. The 7100s currently sell in the $125 range and if they work ok they have been working ok for many many years, so the likelihood of them failing is probably slim except for the memory capacitor and that's an easy and cheap fix.

I've owned a lot of hand held scanners including the Radio Shack PRO-43 and the AOR AR8200MKIII and the MVT-7100 is hands down the best at VHF/UHF air in sensitivity and audio. If there was something better I would have it and so far it doesn't exist.

It's funny you mentioned the Yupiteru MVT7100. I bought an MVT9000M in 1998 and within a year and a half the squelch on it went haywire. I called the company in The Netherlands explaining my issue and they were not of any help and all they could tell me is I needed to send it to them and they had no idea what it would cost me to get it fixed. They did say it probably wouldn't be cheap. No estimate, nothingother than it probably wouldn't be cheap. They did say it had a digital squelch, something I'm still not sure about, and that they might not even be able to fix it but I'd still be responsible for costs to have them look at it.

What happened on my MVT9000M I still don't understand and I still have the radio. It would not stop on any signals no matter how strong. If I turn the squelch to just a extremely tiny bump from being opened up, it would not work or stop on any traffic. But if I was parked on something like the NOAA weather radio broadcast and I opened up the squelch all the way I could hear traffic. Of course this won't work having to do this on a scanner.

I had gone to Shreveport for a funeral and had programmed in Barksdale AFB and this is when the problem started while on that trip. Through the years I have repeatedly put some batteries in it and tried again but the same issue still exists. I wish I could get it fixed because it became a $800 or $900 paper weight just barely after the warranty ran out.

I know a lot of people did like the MVT7100 but with the policies and lack of any USA support for the radio, I'd be very careful using a company like that. Of course both models are no longer made and you cannot do any kind of PC programming or control of the radios either. It takes a long time to program frequencies and alpha tags by hand if you have a lot to program.

Since the topic of this thread has to do with possible squelch issues, I couldn't resist telling my Yupiteru story.

To this day I'm looking for any ideas or knowledge on if anyone knows of a fix for why the, what the company calls, digital squelch doesn't work. Oh yeah, and the audio on the MVT9000M was very poor and not loud. I don't know about the MVT7100 when it comes to audio but if it was supposed to be an upgrade to that radio with my MVT9000 (or maybe the model was MVT9100M?), I would wonder about the previous 7100 model. After they got their money from me, they didn't want to do anything to help it seemed like. And I know I paid close to $1,000 for the scanner back in 1998. I wish I had never bought it.

Brian
COMMSCAN

 

[rk911]

Why do you say it's the best[you've owned]?

very sensitive, simple to program and operate.

 

[PrivatelyJeff]

Ok, I know how squelch works, I just hate the way you adjust it on the 125. You have to push a button then turn the knob and it’s at fixed intervals. I’d rather have one that has a finer touch.

as for locking out everything, THAT DOESN’T WORK. It’s great for persistent stuff but if I block out every little whistle, I’ll eventually actually miss something on that frequency and also fill up the number of lockout slots (which I did and led me here).

 

[buddrousa]

The 296d works like you want

 

[rk911]

 

[PrivatelyJeff]

The 296d works like you want

looks like it. I found one on eBay. Thanks.

 

[Ubbe]

I don't know why scanner manufactures cannot make timed lock-outs. I've only seen that in the Probe software and in police scanners that where made in sweden. Absolutely in mobil and portable scanners the things you want to lock-out, being it an uninterested conversation or interferencies, only exist for a short while and if excluded they could be included again in scan after 10 minutes. It could be a global time to be set and also when double push the lock-out button a selection list comes up with different times 5-10-30-60 minutes and also a permanent setting that you could select.

If a squelch works when stationary on a channel, it can be opened and closed, it is probably working as it should but during scanning the oscillator and PLL, that controls the frequency to be monitored, has to lock fast enough to the frequency during scanning and be stable long enough to be able to detect that there's no noise but a carrier on the frequency. As scanners gets old they age in the components, usually capacitors, that could make the oscillator circuit work slower and the scan speed are too fast for it to be able to detect a carrier. Some scanners actually have the settling time adjustable by the user to set a proper working value that can be changed as the scanner starts to detoriate with age. I expect the more intelligent firmwares for scanners actually check when the receiver are locked to a frequency and then calculates the correct scan speed, that varies depending of the frequency and how big the jump in frequency are.

/Ubbe

 

[letarotor]

The Icom R-20 while a bit dated by comparison to the R-30 is still a very capable receiver. Compact, easy to program through software and rugged.

I've been looking at the IC R30 and thinking about one. One of the things I don't see is I look for details is whether or not it has CT CSS or DCS tone capability? I don't think it does but I wonder. Also, since I'm legally blind I often have to get used to where the features and functions on a radio are to really use it well. But nowadays with so much on the display I wonder how easily the display can be read and how large the screen is? It's kind of hard to tell from the images. I've seen the dimensions on the radio itself but not on the screen and whether or not it has a blue backlight or maybe even multicolor backlight. And can that light be kept on?

My main interest is a sensitive and selective receiver for military aviation also. I'm sure there has to be a squelch setting on the R30 but that's something else I didn't see mentioned anywhere.

I'm not trying to hijack this thread but since this radio has been mentioned I'm wondering if anyone might could answer any of the questions I have about it?

And on the topic of the Pro 43, that was a great scanner and it seemed to be very tentative and selective also. I was able to get two of them off of eBay for $25 about a year ago. I've been looking for a long time and just got lucky. That scanner, back in its day, would pick up military aviation frequencies so much better than my other scanners. I wish it had more than 200 channels but it was the king back in its day.

Brian
COMMSCAN