Ctcss Dcs

What is the difference between CTCSS privacy code and DCS privacy code?

This is a radio question, not a land phone question.

Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System (CTCSS) is a means by which a receiving radio will remain silent until it receives a transmission that includes a special audio Tone. As long as this Tone is Continuously received, you will be able to hear the person who is transmitting. The 38 common Tone Codes are in the range from 67 to 250 Hertz, which are in the range of normal human hearing, but most radios filter out any frequencies below 300 Hertz from reaching the speaker.

Digital Coded Squelch (DCS) is somewhat similar, but instead of sending a continuous tone of differing frequency, a Digital data transmission is added to the radio signal. This Digital Code is transmitted at a really low rate, around 134 bits per second (the code is 23 bits long). If you could hear it in the speaker, it would sound like a pulsing low bass note. There are as many as 176 DCS codes available, although some of them are not recommended for use.

One method is not necessarily better than the other. The radios you are using have to have the same ability to send and receive the same coding signal, no matter which of the two you use. Note that a lot of people think that if you turn on one of these “privacy codes” that you will have a private channel. It is not true; anyone who turns off their codes will be able to hear your conversation, and other users can interfere with you if they transmit at the same time, even if they are using a different code..