ellitanthalas wrote:I think they're referred to as 'channels' for simplicity.
Most people who buy PMRs won't understand (or care) about what CTCSS is and how it works. They just want a radio to play with. This is why the packages claim things like 'up to 4km', when the reality is less than 40 yards in some circumstances!!
Nah ah.
That's called misleading advertising.
There are only eight analogue PMR446 channels. The use of 38 CTCSS tones and 104 DCS codes just allow you to selectively ignore other users on those channels. Those other users are still they, and they are still taking up the channel when they transmit.
Many of the higher quality PMR446 radios have a feature called 'Busy Channel Lock Out' (or something similar), which will prevent you from TX'ing when the radio detects another station TX'ing using a different CTCSS/DCS to you. If you've ever used one of these higher end radios, and heard it beep at you or seen a red light instead of a green TX light when you tried to TX, that was BCLO working.
I think customers
will care when they discover they've been bamboozled. No one likes to be conned, it leaves a very bitter after taste.
Midland should know better.