HT Programming With Chirp

Started by Mark Miller KE0MQQ, September 19, 2017, 05:34:01 AM

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Mark Miller KE0MQQ

Hello forum member's, I am a new Ham and I have a mental disability. I don't understand the "Column Definition" regarding Chirp software on the miklor.com website. Would someone please explain "Tone Modes" for me? Thanks in advance and 73!

cockpitbob

#1
Hi Mark, and welcome to the board! :)

I assume the quote below from miklor.com is what you mean.

The Tones are like a key your radio transmits to unlock a repeater that is "locked" with CTCSS(continuous tone coded squelch system).  In some areas there are repeaters that share the same frequency and are close enough that one will hear the other and re-transmit it.  Or some areas just have a lot activity on the frequencies, some of which happens to be on the repeater's frequency.  Repeaters with Tone Squelch require the incoming signal to have a specific frequency (continuous tone) along with the voice before it will re-transmit the signal.  These tones are always below 250Hz.  Since voice bandwidth is 300Hz - 3KHz, the radio filters out everything below 300Hz and you never hear the tones, but the repeater does.

All modern HTs will not only broadcast the tone you program into them, but you can set it so it will ignore incoming signals without the tone you programmed it for.  That can be handy if the band is full of chatter.  Some repeaters put out a tone, so you can set your radio so it's squelch will only open with the repeater's tone.

Here's a Wikipedia page on CTCSS.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuous_Tone-Coded_Squelch_System


QuoteTone ModeΒΆThis sets the mode used to transmit or receive squelch tones (or related selective calling technologies). The following explains what the options means:

       
  • (None): No tone or code is transmitted, receive squelch is open or carrier-triggered.
  • Tone: A single CTCSS tone is transmitted, receive squelch is open or carrier-triggered. The tone used is that which is set in the Tone column.
  • TSQL: A single CTCSS tone is transmitted, receive squelch is tone-coded to the same tone. The tone used is that which is set in the ToneSql column.
  • DTCS: A single DTCS/DCS code is transmitted, receive squelch is digitally tone-coded to the same code. The code used is that which is set in the DTCS Code column.
  • Cross: A complex arrangement of squelch technologies is in use. See the definition of the Cross Mode column for details.