Anyone actually here an I-call?

[BinaryMode]

Ever since I got my first digital scanner back in circa 2003 I never once heard an I-call the Uniden scanner manuals talk about, even though I program it just in case. In ProScan I entered i0 as a talkgroup to hear an I-call, but still have yet to hear one. I'm guessing this is a feature that can be used per department or something? Is it radio dependent or system (tower) dependent?

 

[KE4ZNR]

I am going to guess you meant "Anyone actually hear an I-call?"
Because the way the thread is currently titled indicates that you are asking if anyone is physically an I-call and I believe we are all humans.
Anyway, it is very much system dependent. Private Calls (the real name for what Uniden calls "I-calls") are available on the system I help manage/maintain just not widely used. Why? Because there are enough regular unit to unit talkgroups. No need to go through all the trouble of pulling up call/page in the radio then scrolling for a specific user then waiting for that user to respond to your call/page when everyone just knows which unit to unit side talkgroup to hang out on and can talk to each other there.
Another reason is Private Calls used to be used more when cellphones were a lot less prevalent. Now everyone has a phone so calling on a cell is a lot more private than a private call on a radio system ever was.

 

[KevinC]

I am going to guess you meant "Anyone actually hear an I-call?"
Because the way the thread is currently titled indicates that you are asking if anyone is physically an I-call and I believe we are all humans.
Anyway, it is very much system dependent. Private Calls (the real name for what Uniden calls "I-calls") are available on the system I help manage/maintain just not widely used. Why? Because there are enough regular unit to unit talkgroups. No need to go through all the trouble of pulling up call/page in the radio then scrolling for a specific user then waiting for that user to respond to your call/page when everyone just knows which unit to unit side talkgroup to hang out on and can talk to each other there.
Another reason is Private Calls used to be used more when cellphones were a lot less prevalent. Now everyone has a phone so calling on a cell is a lot more private than a private call on a radio system ever was.

PC's are also a resource hog.

 

[BinaryMode]

I am going to guess you meant "Anyone actually hear an I-call?"
Because the way the thread is currently titled indicates that you are asking if anyone is physically an I-call and I believe we are all humans.
Anyway, it is very much system dependent. Private Calls (the real name for what Uniden calls "I-calls") are available on the system I help manage/maintain just not widely used. Why? Because there are enough regular unit to unit talkgroups. No need to go through all the trouble of pulling up call/page in the radio then scrolling for a specific user then waiting for that user to respond to your call/page when everyone just knows which unit to unit side talkgroup to hang out on and can talk to each other there.
Another reason is Private Calls used to be used more when cellphones were a lot less prevalent. Now everyone has a phone so calling on a cell is a lot more private than a private call on a radio system ever was.

Yes, I meant the word "hear." Was a typo. But thanks for the Info.

 

[nd5y]

The FD here uses emergency i-calls for station alerting. Then after about 2 or 3 seconds the alert tone and the voice messsage are on the normal dispatch talkgroup. This is on a Harris P25 phase II system.

 

[KE4ZNR]

PC's are also a resource hog.

Yep. On many systems it can be an impact. When I started here 13 years ago it was used heavily. We were 3600 mixed analog/dig and still trained our PD officers on how to use the feature (we even still had a phone patch). Once we migrated to P25 few years later we stopped training on private call and discontinued phone patch. Now only the real "old school" officers know how to use PC even though page/call is still a soft key option in their 6000s. Most younger officers just use one of the car2car TGs.

 

[Spitfire8520]

Ever since I got my first digital scanner back in circa 2003 I never once heard an I-call the Uniden scanner manuals talk about, even though I program it just in case. In ProScan I entered i0 as a talkgroup to hear an I-call, but still have yet to hear one.

I think Denver's EDACS was the only public safety system in the state that had the feature turned on and it was used occasionally. That went away when they moved to P25 and I do not think any P25 system in the state has private calls enabled other than maybe Xcel's system.

 

[19-685]

Evansville, Indiana Fire department utilizes I-Call on their Harris P-25 system for alert notifications during night-time hours. This is to alert the appropriate responding station without waking up other stations.

This was a carryover protocol from the previous EDACS system.

 

[abqscan]

Denver International Airport's P25 system has this feature turned on and is used exclusively by the facility maintenance groups. Hearing techs troubleshoot equipment is riveting.

 

[BinaryMode]

Denver International Airport's P25 system has this feature turned on and is used exclusively by the facility maintenance groups. Hearing techs troubleshoot equipment is riveting.

Very interesting. I'll have to scan them next time I'm there.

 

[KE0HIN]

Very interesting. I'll have to scan them next time I'm there.

as a 40-year building maintenance professional I must say , getting on the radio and yelling for help on a plumbing back up usually gets no reply.

 

[BinaryMode]

So what you're saying is that know one really listens to these "sub channels?" I guess that makes sense.

 

[R0am3r]

Assuming these are the same thing, I hear these Private Calls on a local Hytera XPT system quite often.

 

[BinaryMode]

Nah, I'm referring more to P25 and Uniden's implementation into the scanner.