Abstract: The method of quickly locating non-standard control channels in private cellular systems is accomplished in an embodiment of the present invention by determining the modulation type of a particular channel. The mobile station scans a received RF channel. The received signal is used for the evaluation of the modulation type of that channel by using matched filters designed for the specific signal of interest, and/or in another embodiment of the present invention is used for producing the spectral energy distribution of the channel revealing the type of modulation.