R30 Squelch on HF USB?

[ridgescan]

What about when you scan HF AM/SSB freqs (memories) with VSC enabled? Like you said a pop will open it, but for the most part is it locking on each freq, or sweeping through them?

Never put any HF frequencies into channels yet so I don't know. All I do know is VSC works great for VHF and up.

 

[vagrant]

I am also curious if the R8600 will stop on a frequency when there is a signal, yet no audio as the VSC is squelching it. My guess is that it would stop. Knowing this actually works toward my main question about VSC when scanning memories. Thank you.

 

[DeepBlue]

Section 8, Pg. 45 of the basic manual has this:

■■Using the Voice Squelch Control (VSC)
The Voice Squelch Control function opens the squelch, or stops a scan only when
voice components are detected in the signal. It is convenient to receive only voice
communications.
LLThe function is usable in the FM, FM-N, WFM, AM, and AM-N modes.
[QUICK] > VSC
NOTE: The VSC function is designed to not detect a continuous audio signal. When
receiving a signal such as a radio broadcast program that contains a continuous audio
signal, the received audio may be broken up. In such case, turn OFF the VSC function.

No explanation of what frequencies they are using for this method of squelch is given. You can download most manuals from most manufacturers directly from their web sites.

Sean
KB8JNE

 

[N1SQB]

OK, I just put 11.175 USB into the VFO of my R30. It automatically opened up the squelch continuously. Now, I went into the squelch settings. In the "auto" mode the squelch is open continuously. Moving the top knob you can take it out of auto mode and you can put it into the different levels of squelch. ( level 1, level 2 etc. ) This DID in fact take out the sound silencing the frequency. I have not put any HF channels into memory and then scan yet. My guess is it WILL work like a scanner sort of in silencing the frequency until sound is detected. Hope this helps

Manny

 

[vagrant]

Thank you Manny. That's how I thought it would function as VSC is not available for SSB on the R30. Unfortunately, the higher noise floor on one band may require a higher squelch setting, thus potentially missing transmissions on other bands.

 

[mancow]

Weird. I figured HF is specifically what VSC would be used for.

 

[majoco]

Unfortunately, the higher noise floor on one band may require a higher squelch setting, thus potentially missing transmissions on other bands.

IMHO VSC is designed for listening to a single frequency where the background noise is at a constant level and to mute the output when there is no voice audio. Ordinary squelch relies on the detection of a carrier to raise the AGC voltage and lift the squelch. On HF and mainly sideband there is no carrier to operate the AGC so the VSC detects the frequencies in the audio and uses that to unmute the output. Ordinary squelch has never been that succesful on HF due to the varying background noise, lightning crashes, 'sweepers' and other spurious signals which VSC should ignore. It may be just a matter of getting used to your environment and finding a setting of the VSC and squelch controls and maybe the RF gain and the AGC setting - fast, slow or off - depending on your radio.

 

[vagrant]

I would happily get used to my environment and find a setting, but it appears the R30 does not have VSC for SSB which would have been nice.

 

[DeepBlue]

I cringe every time someone wants to scan AM or HF. The varying levels of bacground noise between and many times in the band of choice, it is impossible to dig out actual validf communications on normal amateur SWL type radios at present, in my opinion. I have never personally had it work on any radio without setting the squelch so hig you miss many things.

S.

 

[krokus]

Have you thought about using an external DSP option? This page has a small comparison of some options.

Audio Ware - West Mountain Radio

CLRspkr ClearSpeech DSP Noise Reduction Speaker. CLRdsp ClearSpeech DSP Noise Reduction Processor. PWRspkr 15W. COMspkr Computer Speaker System.

www.westmountainradio.com

 

[prcguy]

I find the VSC on my R8600 and IC-7100s works well on HF and fantastic on 2m SSB. If you have a quite channel on HF with no varying noise VSC will stay squelched really well and will open on the weakest voices. If the channel has warbling noise or birdies then its unreliable. On 2m SSB its a dream come true where signals that are barely there will open the squelch and when they stop talking it goes quiet again. It would be hard to set a regular squelch on VHF to be that sensitive to weak signals and work this well.

 

[DeepBlue]

I am more worried about usingf a scan with squelch on. Continually varying background levels, birdies, near transmissions that bleed over a bit to the desired Freq and so on make scanning unreliable in HF for me.

S.

 

[vagrant]

Thank you for the clarity with the performance examples of the R8600. This would be acceptable to me. I would just prefer to have that in the R30 and save a bunch, as well as the portability. I have other stuff I do not need in my immediate purchase future (IC-705), so I'll need to call K-Mart and put the R8600 on layaway.

I find the VSC on my R8600 and IC-7100s works well on HF and fantastic on 2m SSB. If you have a quite channel on HF with no varying noise VSC will stay squelched really well and will open on the weakest voices. If the channel has warbling noise or birdies then its unreliable. On 2m SSB its a dream come true where signals that are barely there will open the squelch and when they stop talking it goes quiet again. It would be hard to set a regular squelch on VHF to be that sensitive to weak signals and work this well.