[FEDCOM] P-25 vs PL

[Chris Parris]

>>>
I understand from Larry and Chris that CTCSS/DCS and digital decode will
not BOTH work while using the "search" feature in the 396 and other
radios.  What about ordinary "scan"?  For example, let's say I have my
local Emergency Management channel programmed.  It is analog with DCS
114, but the same repeater is used without the DCS tone for "community
corrections", which I don't want to hear.  Elsewhere in the bank I have
a local GSA PD channel which is P-25.  Are you saying that while in
"scan" mode the radio will not decode both the DCS114 and the P-25 even
though they are entered in separate channels??
<<<

OK, let me see if I can explain more clearly...

When you are programming a scan channel, if you program that channel to use
a CTCSS or DCS squelch tone, it will ignore any P-25 transmission ON THAT
CHANNEL. If you program that same frequency in another channel, the P-25
transmissions WILL come through ON THAT CHANNEL. Unfortunately you cannot
have a squelch tone programmed on a frequency that may use both analog and
digital and expect to hear the digital transmissions.

I did not realize until Larry mentioned it that the tone squelch and the
APCO decoder shared some hardware, so that's why you can't have both on a
particular channel.

>>>  

Or is this only a problem in search mode?

And are these same problems present in GRE/Radio Shack digital
scanners??
<<<
This issue is both in the search and scan mode. However, in the Uniden
scanner you can have the TONE SEARCH function enabled in the search mode or
scan mode and still hear the APCO digital transmissions. But if you have a
tone programmed in a channel AND have the tone squelch enabled, it will
ignore any digital transmissions on that channel.

- Chris
 --
Chris Parris
Fed Files Columnist
Monitoring Times Magazine
chrisparris at monitoringtimes.com
http://www.monitoringtimes.com