You know clear communication is a vital part of keeping your team productive, but if you’re dealing with radio interference, it’s a challenge to stay connected. Not only does this kind of interruption make it difficult to send messages to your team, but it can also put their safety at risk by preventing emergency alerts from coming through.
Even though two-way radios and similar devices are commonly used in industries such as hospitality, manufacturing, and healthcare, many teams still struggle with radio interference and inefficient communication. Thankfully, some features can reduce radio interference, and there are communication devices that aren’t affected by interference at all.
CTCSS, or Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System, is a function on two-way radios that mutes certain transmissions to prevent multiple messages from coming in at once. This function was created for analog radios, and is similar to Digital Coded Squelch (DCS), which is the most recent version of this technology.
Before you purchase a radio with CTCSS, it’s important to understand how it works and what you need to do to prevent radio interference.
Everything You Need to Know About CTCSS
It’s common for workers who use communication devices such as two-way radios or walkie talkies to deal with the inconvenience and frustration of muffled voices, background noise, or radio interference when trying to communicate.
CTCSS isn’t a new technology – in fact, it’s been around since the 1950s when Motorola first created a way to mute anyone who is using a different CTCSS tone or doesn’t have CTCSS enabled. This technology is often known as Private Line, which is the trademarked name of Motorola’s technology. The private line codes (PLCs) used on Motorola devices are designed to eliminate interference.
How Does CTCSS Work?
CTCSS works by sending out a subaudible tone with a message. Although these tones can’t be heard by the human ear, they will be picked up by other radios. Radios on the same frequency that have CTCSS enabled will listen for the tone and allow the message to pass through when it’s received. Any messages that don’t have the right tone are blocked or squelched, preventing unwanted transmissions from coming through.
With CTCSS, teams that use radios can communicate without interruption or interference. Only the groups with the same CTCSS tones or privacy codes will hear each other’s messages, so it also allows different teams to communicate on the same frequency without interruption.
What Is CTCSS on a Walkie Talkie?
If you’re wondering what CTCSS means on a walkie-talkie, this technology works similarly on walkie-talkies as it does with two-way radios. Walkie-talkies are simply a type of two-way radio. The term “two-way radio” encompasses all types of radios that offer two-way communication, while walkie-talkies are a basic, handheld type that are often used outside the workplace.
In industries such as hospitality, healthcare, and warehousing, it’s more common for advanced two-way radios to be used. However, there are walkie talkies that include CTCSS as a feature.
CTCSS vs DCS
You might have heard the terms CTCSS and DCS used interchangeably, and they are similar in many ways. Both CTCSS and DCS, or Digital-Coded Squelch, are forms of privacy codes used to reduce radio interference and static.
However, how these technologies approach this task is what makes them different. While CTCSS is an analog method, designed for analog devices, DCS is a digital system. Unlike CTCSS, DCS uses a digital code, made up of a sequence of numbers for other radios to pick up. In general, DCS is more effective at reducing interference and offers a more secure way to communicate since a wider range of codes is used.
What Are the Issues With CTCSS?
For those using two-way radios or walkie-talkies for communication, CTCSS may be necessary to ensure communication is clear. But one of the problems with this technology is it doesn’t actually stop radio interference – instead, it simply filters out interference, ensuring certain messages can’t get through. Essentially, it quiets the extra noise, but the noise is still there, even if you can’t hear it.
What’s problematic about this is it may prevent some messages from getting through or even lead to unclear and disconnected communication for certain teams. Some radios decode higher frequency tones faster, which can lead to inconsistency when it comes to how quickly messages are received.
Also, CTCSS is often referred to as a way to privately communicate, but this technology doesn’t necessarily provide the user with complete privacy. The reason for this is the interference is muted for those who have CTCSS enabled, but anyone using the same CTCSS tone can still hear your messages.
Since CTCSS isn’t the same thing as encryption, it doesn’t prevent outside users from being able to hear incoming messages. Instead, it filters out unwanted messages and noise so that workers can hear the person on the other end.
Say Goodbye to Radio Interference with Relay
Radio interference is problematic for numerous reasons, especially for workers who need messages to be communicated efficiently and clearly throughout the day. The best way to remove the problem of radio interference is to find a communication device that doesn’t use radio waves.
Smart radios, or radios that connect to cellular and WiFi instead of radio waves, don’t experience interference. These types of devices are an evolution of traditional walkie talkies, implementing many of the same features without being limited by traditional radio ranges.
If you’re experiencing radio interference or static on your workplace communication device, you know how frustrating it can be. Not only does it make simple tasks like sending a message difficult, but it can also slow down workflows and productivity, which is likely costing your business money.
Swapping your two-way radio for a communication device like Relay that doesn’t use radio waves helps you stay connected throughout the day without any interference. Our devices are trusted by teams in various industries, from healthcare to hospitality, and provide a consistent connection by using simultaneous cell and Wi-Fi coverage.
If you’re ready to see how Relay can keep your teams connected without interference, schedule a demo with one of our communication experts today!
