Whats up with the periodic Timechecks

[fourthhorseman]

ive noticed on several different systems,only PD TX'n to my knowledge,that patrol units will key up and ask
for a time check.Dispatch will also randomly do a time announcement,allways the call letters,followed by the time-
Example,WABCD,16:23,

Now im curious,and its probably something benign and common,but im thinking it may be for the audio logs?

 

[n4yek]

You will hear this a lot when they are transporting prisoners from one place to another. That way if they should try and say the officer molested me in the car, they at least have a time frame of travel from start location to the destination location to use in court so the prisoner would have to prove how they done it in the allotted time frame.

Also as you already stated, it is also used for their logs.

 

[kma371]

ive noticed on several different systems,only PD TX'n to my knowledge,that patrol units will key up and ask
for a time check.Dispatch will also randomly do a time announcement,allways the call letters,followed by the time-
Example,WABCD,16:23,

Now im curious,and its probably something benign and common,but im thinking it may be for the audio logs?

They may not have an automatic CW id, so they say the call sign every 30 mins or whatever to comply with their FCC license.

 

[Astrak]

In Lincoln NE, dispatchers would say the time pretty much after every TX they made as kind of an acknowledgment. Here in Phoenix the FD gives the time out and the call sign every hour.

 

[Fast1eddie]

Frequently done at night by rual departments to keep the guys on their toes...No Sleepin'!!

 

[RADIOUSER5]

Good operating procedure. Mostly done for logging on audio recordings and sometimes for later analysis if something goes wrong.

 

[canav844]

Sun Dails are in accurate, radios are more reliable.

We did it for mostly FCC ID (we got a reminder on our screen every 30min), some was procedure, some was so should the call need to be played back there was a specific time for accurate records, many log items we'd relay the time later on.

We did it time then call sign and I've been known to say the call sign to friends and family when asked what time it is.