diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index e1fec48..22d76f0 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ ENABLE_REVERSE_BAT_SYMBOL     := 1
 ENABLE_NO_SCAN_TIMEOUT        := 1
 ENABLE_AM_FIX                 := 1
 ENABLE_AM_FIX_SHOW_DATA       := 1
-ENABLE_SQUELCH1_LOWER         := 1
+ENABLE_SQUELCH_LOWER          := 1
 ENABLE_RSSI_BAR               := 1
 ENABLE_AUDIO_BAR              := 1
 #ENABLE_COPY_CHAN_TO_VFO      := 1
@@ -225,8 +225,8 @@ endif
 ifeq ($(ENABLE_AM_FIX_TEST1),1)
 	CFLAGS  += -DENABLE_AM_FIX_TEST1
 endif
-ifeq ($(ENABLE_SQUELCH1_LOWER),1)
-	CFLAGS  += -DENABLE_SQUELCH1_LOWER
+ifeq ($(ENABLE_SQUELCH_LOWER),1)
+	CFLAGS  += -DENABLE_SQUELCH_LOWER
 endif
 ifeq ($(ENABLE_RSSI_BAR),1)
 	CFLAGS  += -DENABLE_RSSI_BAR
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f6b230d..1203f3e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ ENABLE_REVERSE_BAT_SYMBOL     := 1       mirror the battery symbol on the status
 ENABLE_NO_SCAN_TIMEOUT        := 1       remove the 32 sec timeout from the CTCSS/DCS scan (press exit butt to end scan)
 ENABLE_AM_FIX                 := 1       dynamically adjust the front end gains when in AM mode to helo prevent AM demodulator saturation - ignore the on-screen RSSI (for now)
 ENABLE_AM_FIX_SHOW_DATA       := 1       show debug data for the AM fix
-ENABLE_SQUELCH1_LOWER         := 0       adjusts squelch setting '1' to be more sensitive - I plan to let user adjust it in the menu
+ENABLE_SQUELCH_LOWER          := 1       squelch settings more sensitive - plan to let user adjust it in the menu
 ENABLE_RSSI_BAR               := 1       enable a dBm/Sx RSSI bar graph level
 ENABLE_AUDIO_BAR              := 0       experimental, display an audo bar level when TX'ing
 #ENABLE_COPY_CHAN_TO_VFO      := 1       not yet implemented - copy the channel into the VFO
diff --git a/firmware.bin b/firmware.bin
index 589e321..4b7fd77 100644
Binary files a/firmware.bin and b/firmware.bin differ
diff --git a/firmware.packed.bin b/firmware.packed.bin
index 820e8be..f266d85 100644
Binary files a/firmware.packed.bin and b/firmware.packed.bin differ
diff --git a/radio.c b/radio.c
index 3ce7b72..b245505 100644
--- a/radio.c
+++ b/radio.c
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ void RADIO_ConfigureSquelchAndOutputPower(VFO_Info_t *pInfo)
 	uint16_t         Base = (Band < BAND4_174MHz) ? 0x1E60 : 0x1E00;
 
 	if (gEeprom.SQUELCH_LEVEL == 0)
-	{
+	{	// squelch == 0 (off)
 		pInfo->SquelchOpenRSSIThresh    = 0;
 		pInfo->SquelchOpenNoiseThresh   = 127;
 		pInfo->SquelchCloseGlitchThresh = 255;
@@ -446,9 +446,8 @@ void RADIO_ConfigureSquelchAndOutputPower(VFO_Info_t *pInfo)
 		pInfo->SquelchOpenGlitchThresh  = 255;
 	}
 	else
-	{
-		Base += gEeprom.SQUELCH_LEVEL;
-	                                                                          // my squelch-1
+	{	// squelch >= 1
+		Base += gEeprom.SQUELCH_LEVEL;                                        // my squelch-1
 																			  // VHF   UHF
 		EEPROM_ReadBuffer(Base + 0x00, &pInfo->SquelchOpenRSSIThresh,    1);  //  50    10
 		EEPROM_ReadBuffer(Base + 0x10, &pInfo->SquelchCloseRSSIThresh,   1);  //  40     5
@@ -459,37 +458,21 @@ void RADIO_ConfigureSquelchAndOutputPower(VFO_Info_t *pInfo)
 		EEPROM_ReadBuffer(Base + 0x40, &pInfo->SquelchCloseGlitchThresh, 1);  //  90    90
 		EEPROM_ReadBuffer(Base + 0x50, &pInfo->SquelchOpenGlitchThresh,  1);  // 100   100
 
-		#if ENABLE_SQUELCH1_LOWER
-			// make squelch-1 more sensitive
-			if (gEeprom.SQUELCH_LEVEL == 1)
-			{
-				if (Band < BAND4_174MHz)
-				{
-					pInfo->SquelchOpenRSSIThresh   = ((uint16_t)pInfo->SquelchOpenRSSIThresh     * 11) / 12;
-					pInfo->SquelchCloseRSSIThresh  = ((uint16_t)pInfo->SquelchOpenRSSIThresh     *  9) / 10;
+		#if ENABLE_SQUELCH_LOWER
+			// make squelch more sensitive
+			pInfo->SquelchOpenRSSIThresh    = ((uint16_t)pInfo->SquelchOpenRSSIThresh   * 8) / 9;
+			pInfo->SquelchCloseRSSIThresh   = ((uint16_t)pInfo->SquelchOpenRSSIThresh   * 7) / 8;
 
-					pInfo->SquelchOpenNoiseThresh   = ((uint16_t)pInfo->SquelchOpenNoiseThresh   *  9) /  8;
-					pInfo->SquelchCloseNoiseThresh  = ((uint16_t)pInfo->SquelchOpenNoiseThresh   * 10) /  9;
+			pInfo->SquelchOpenNoiseThresh   = ((uint16_t)pInfo->SquelchOpenNoiseThresh  * 8) / 7;
+			pInfo->SquelchCloseNoiseThresh  = ((uint16_t)pInfo->SquelchOpenNoiseThresh  * 9) / 8;
 
-					pInfo->SquelchOpenGlitchThresh  = ((uint16_t)pInfo->SquelchOpenGlitchThresh  *  9) /  8;
-					pInfo->SquelchCloseGlitchThresh = ((uint16_t)pInfo->SquelchOpenGlitchThresh  * 10) /  9;
-				}
-				else
-				{
-					pInfo->SquelchOpenRSSIThresh   = ((uint16_t)pInfo->SquelchOpenRSSIThresh     *  9) / 10;
-					pInfo->SquelchCloseRSSIThresh  = ((uint16_t)pInfo->SquelchOpenRSSIThresh     *  7) /  8;
-
-					pInfo->SquelchOpenNoiseThresh   = ((uint16_t)pInfo->SquelchOpenNoiseThresh   *  8) /  7;
-					pInfo->SquelchCloseNoiseThresh  = ((uint16_t)pInfo->SquelchOpenNoiseThresh   * 10) /  9;
-
-					pInfo->SquelchOpenGlitchThresh  = ((uint16_t)pInfo->SquelchOpenGlitchThresh  *  8) /  7;
-					pInfo->SquelchCloseGlitchThresh = ((uint16_t)pInfo->SquelchOpenGlitchThresh  * 10) /  9;
-				}
-			}
+			pInfo->SquelchOpenGlitchThresh  = ((uint16_t)pInfo->SquelchOpenGlitchThresh * 8) / 7;
+			pInfo->SquelchCloseGlitchThresh = ((uint16_t)pInfo->SquelchOpenGlitchThresh * 9) / 8;
 		#endif
 
 		if (pInfo->SquelchOpenNoiseThresh > 127)
 			pInfo->SquelchOpenNoiseThresh = 127;
+
 		if (pInfo->SquelchCloseNoiseThresh > 127)
 			pInfo->SquelchCloseNoiseThresh = 127;
 	}