Squelch Setting

Status
Not open for further replies.

MAguln8839

Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2005
Messages
43
Location
MEDWAY
Can someone explain why when I turn the squelch setting down do a low value on a trunked system, like Mass State Police, the scan speed crawls to a very slow speed? Say I am listening to the MSP and the squelch setting is 10, the scan speed is very quick, but if I turn the squelch down to 4, the scan speed comes to a crawl.
Thanks
 

n5ims

Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2004
Messages
3,993
The squelch is one way a radio indicates there's a signal to receive (not 100% accurate, but stay with me here). With the squelch set too tight (it takes lots of signal to have the radio 'wake up') it will quickly scan since there's no signal heard. With the squelch set too loosely (it takes almost no or perhaps even zero signal to have the radio 'wake up') it will stop on every channel and analyze it to see if it's a real signal or not.

In the first case it scans really quickly since it's set to only stop on very strong signals. In the second case, it scans very slowly since it has to analyze each and every channel to see if what it receives is a valid control channel. Kind of like "You're telling me that this is a real signal so it must be something. I'm not sure I agree with you, but since you're so sure, I'll check really closely since it must be very weak. Well, I tried my best and still can't hear it so let me go on to the next one to see if it's there instead."
 

MAguln8839

Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2005
Messages
43
Location
MEDWAY
Thanks n5ims, that does explain it. It stinks that when trying to receive towers that are far away the scan speed comes to a crawl though!
Thanks
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top