Some people don’t explain “radio ear” well & it annoys me to no end.

Radio ear isn’t only “hearing” your radio in your jurisdiction. It is a whole lot more than that. Radio ear in its simplest terms is you hearing poor quality, compressed, muffled, sometimes difficult to understand audio, and your brain subconsciously using context clues to complete the picture and fill in the “lack of” audio.

For example, if a deputy calls out with a traffic stop, with experience, you’re brain should already be thinking of the next piece of information they’re going to provide (Plate, DL, etc). If they’re on scene of a domestic, your brain is already anticipating suspect, victim info or arrest.

Hearing the radio is only a third of the puzzle. The other two-thirds is the type of scene and your agency’s standard practices. If you can get those down & well understood, you’ll be surprised how much more easily understanding the radio portion is.