Disable tone filter?

[KC7RBW]

We can disable a variety of digital filters now. How hard would it be to disable analog tone filters in the same way?

This can be useful when a repeater filters out the incoming tone and doesn't add one. Particularly useful when your channels are programmed from a data source that's inaccurate.

If it would be convenient to do so, it could be the same level of filter as the color code, which is the DMR equivalent.

[VK3KYY]

We can disable a variety of digital filters now. How hard would it be to disable analog tone filters in the same way?

This can be useful when a repeater filters out the incoming tone and doesn't add one. Particularly useful when your channels are programmed from a data source that's inaccurate.

If it would be convenient to do so, it could be the same level of filter as the color code, which is the DMR equivalent.

Just set the Rx CTCSS on the channel to None

[KC7RBW]

Just set the Rx CTCSS on the channel to None

I've been doing this and it's why I wrote to discuss something better. I'm happy to contribute the changes myself but I want to get you onboard with the idea before doing the work.

Setting Rx CTCSS to None on just one channel takes a minimum of 8 button presses (if you count blue + green as two and you count press-and-hold left as one). Doing this for more than one channel quickly turns 8 into way way too many. Doing the same via the CPS lets you use a mouse and keyboard but it's not much better.

If your data source is not quite accurate on what the output tone for each repeater is then while scanning any channel that's programmed with the wrong Rx tone will be ignored. On the other hand the data source is going to be right for some repeaters and it's better to have the Rx tone configured in cases where it's correct.

Some repeaters will have different input and output tones so if later it turns out the repeater does transmit a tone you could use the tone scan to find it but that will assume the input and output tones are the same and now your Tx tone is wrong. Going back to your data source is the only way to put the channel back in the right configuration.

The whole idea is very congruent with the existing filter configuration. DMR has a lot more data to filter on than analog, but disabling filters is useful for some of the same reasons on analog as on digital.

Does that clarify why I think this would be a valuable feature?

[VK3KYY]

Do you have a lot if QRM?

I set the Rx CTCSS on all my repeater channels to none all the time, and don’t have any problems.

[KC7RBW]

Do you have a lot if QRM?

I set the Rx CTCSS on all my repeater channels to none all the time, and don’t have any problems.

Fair point. I'll do some scanning with Rx tones disabled on all channels and see how many of those channels open the squelch but don't seem to have a real signal on them.

I think, though, that what I'd want is to leave the tone filter disabled but still have the allegedly correct Rx tone programmed on the channel. It would be a useful feature to have, wouldn't it?

[VK3KYY]

Basically what you want is on the Quick menu, an option that has Rx CTSS:ON / OFF

This would also need to update the display and show that the Rx CTSS has been overridden off, by making it inverse video

I don't personally have time to write the code to do this at the moment as I'm still working on DMR being able to receive even if the CC is not known.

[KC7RBW]

Basically what you want is on the Quick menu, an option that has Rx CTSS:ON / OFF

This would also need to update the display and show that the Rx CTSS has been overridden off, by making it inverse video

I don't personally have time to write the code to do this at the moment as I'm still working on DMR being able to receive even if the CC is not known.

I can write the code, I just want to know that you'd likely accept it if I wrote it before I do (possible code quality issues aside of course).

[KC7RBW]

Basically what you want is on the Quick menu, an option that has Rx CTSS:ON / OFF

I was thinking that the Filter option that's already in the Quick menu would have only two options in Analog mode: None and Tone. It's always struck me as weird to have digital filter options in Analog mode.

[VK3KYY]

The options should change between DMR and FM (but don't at the moment)

However in this case, its possible the same option name can be used. However the text of the filter type would need to be "None" or "CTCSS".

But if CTCSS as set to None in the channel, this option could not allow them to set CTCSS as that would make no difference to the operation.

[KC7RBW]

The options should change between DMR and FM (but don't at the moment)

Thanks for confirming.

However in this case, its possible the same option name can be used. However the text of the filter type would need to be "None" or "CTCSS".

Yep, that's what I was thinking. Would use a separate enum because you might want to have CC filtering on DMR while not having CTCSS filtering on Analog.

But if CTCSS as set to None in the channel, this option could not allow them to set CTCSS as that would make no difference to the operation.

You mean that the channel options menu should disallow setting it? I'd think it should go ahead and let the user set it, just like it would let the user set the CC, TS, TG, etc. It would not effect operation but there's will be a visual indication that the Rx CTCSS is set but the filter is disabled (R is displayed but in reverse video).