squelch tail elimination

Many of the Wouxun branded radios we carry at Buy Two Way Radios include a feature called RPT-TONE. This function is somewhat of a mystery to many, because when activated, it doesn't seem to actually do anything, or at least anything immediately noticeable to the average operator. What is RPT-TONE, and what, if anything, does it do?

RPT-TONE is often found on many commercial (business) and amateur radios, but under different names. It is most commonly referred to as Squelch Tail Elimination, or STE. Motorola calls their iteration of it reverse burst. In simple terms, the feature mutes or eliminates the squelch burst often heard at the end of a transmission as the PTT is released. This noise is quite brief, usually less than a second in duration, but can become quite annoying when chatting back and forth on calls.

There are a few common methods for eliminating squelch burst, and each depends on what the manufacturer adopts as their standard. Baofeng and Wouxun send a specific PL tone for about 500 milliseconds or so at the end of the transmission. Some other manufacturers allow the user to adjust the tone somewhat in the programming software. Motorola uses the reverse burst method, which reverses the phase of the tone at the end of the transmission, in effect "cancelling out" the squelch. No matter which method is used, the result is the same. The squelch burst is, audibly at least, eliminated.

To activate squelch tail elimination on Wouxun radios, locate RPT-TONE in the menu, choose OFF, and save the setting. The radios that receive a transmision from this unit should not hear a squelch tail. To transmit the squelch tail, turn RPT-TONE ON. This feature can also be activated and deactivated in the Wouxun programming software for each model.

Here is a list of Wouxun radios featuring RPT-TONE and its location in the menu for each model.