An improved method is provided for decoding data in a frequency hopping communications system. The method includes: monitoring transition points between data bits in a demodulated data stream, where the data bits are transmitted to a receiver over different transmission frequencies; determining a frequency over which data bits are transmitted to the receiver; determining a reliability metric for each frequency over which data bits were received, where the reliability metric is based on transition points of data bits transmitted over a given frequency; and performing a decoding operation using the reliability metric for each frequency over which data bits were received.