Did I just see That? a Corded car phone?

[scruggsy]

a few days ago, while out Christmas shopping, I was stuck in fairly heavy Traffic in Gastonia NC, I had the 396xt going and the chatter was heavy! up ahead I saw a NCSHP with his Lights on, then I look in my rear view and there were 3 more state troopers trying to maneuver thru traffic "no lights but making their way none the less", I assumed a MVA, when the lead trooper got beside me I could see him on a telephone! an honest to goodness old fashioned corded telephone, it looked like the type of phone you would see in your house 20yrs ago!
not sure what was going on, but when the three troopers caught up to the other one, out go the lights on the first car I saw and they all took off together!
this whole thing was going on right in front of me and I haven't picked up not one hit on my scanner!!!

what's the deal with the Phones?

 

[BoxAlarm187]

Could it have been a radio handset, such as a Motorola HLN1220? I've never personally seen one used in a law enforcement application - they are used, however, in the cabs of FDNY rigs.

 

[KJ6HCB]

Or this style....

Or could have been an actual cell phone - old Motorola Analong 3 watt type - not sure if there are any providers in that area.

 

[RadioDaze]

It had a cord for sure? Not one of these?
ThinkGeek :: ThinkGeek Bluetooth Retro Handset

 

[scruggsy]

it looked like the think geek retro phone in the pics, but it had the coiled cord! and he was talking on it! maybe we're all aiming too high on the frequency spectrum!....LOL

in the words of Andy "Sarah put me thru to Barney"

 

[trumpetman]

http://forums.radioreference.com/no...-current-viper-discussion-32.html#post1513257

NCSHP has used handsets for as long as I can remember. It's become such a habit that their supplying the new 800 VIPER radios with the handsets as well, like Mike mentions in the linked post above. Pretty cool if you ask me.

See the link below for a search for "handset" and you'll get a little more history on the use of the handset.

http://forums.radioreference.com/search.php?searchid=4256931

 

[scruggsy]

as weird as it looked, it did look pretty cool!

 

[NCFire11]

Yea they have always used the handsets for their lowband mobiles.

 

[NCFire11]

 

[776]

It also could have been a hand set for a cell phone. The other weekend I was at a AS SEEN ON TV STORE and they had the hand sets that pluged in to a cell phone for $20. Not sure why anyone would want one.

776

 

[kb4mdz]

More likely like NCFire11 & trumpetman have said; a handset on a police radio is a great way for Dispatch to tell the officer something that a, ahemm, ahhhh, 'passenger' shouldn't hear.

Dispatch says a 10-code or something, Officer picks up the handset, the main speaker is muted and RX audio routed to the earpiece. That way, 'passenger' doesn't hear that everyone KNOWS he's armed & dangerous, wanted on 13 warrants, esp. that one for littering, disturbing the peace, and jaywalking.

Good pix, NCFire11!

 

[SCPD]

Did you actually see the phone, or just the coiled wire?

My car charger has a coiled cord, and when connected to my Nextel Motorola i880, I can see how it could look as you describe.

 

[KC4YIN]

He was more than likely, he was on his lo band radio talking car to car. All the lo bands I've ever seen them use had that old style handset.

 

[scruggsy]

I actually saw the handset up to his ear, and the coiled wire going down towards the console.

 

[KE4ZNR]

More likely like NCFire11 & trumpetman have said; a handset on a police radio is a great way for Dispatch to tell the officer something that a, ahemm, ahhhh, 'passenger' shouldn't hear.

Dispatch says a 10-code or something, Officer picks up the handset, the main speaker is muted and RX audio routed to the earpiece. That way, 'passenger' doesn't hear that everyone KNOWS he's armed & dangerous, wanted on 13 warrants, esp. that one for littering, disturbing the peace, and jaywalking.

Good pix, NCFire11!

This is the winning answer (with kudos to trumpetman and NCFire11 as well)...it is part of the two way radio system that allows a Trooper to speak to dispatch without anyone else in the vehicle hearing the conversation. And having it look like a telephone handset just facilitates comfort on the Troopers part as pretty much everyone is used to using the old fashioned handset on regular phone calls...well maybe everyone except the young kids of today who only see them in museums and only know cellphones/smartphones
Happy Monitoring
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[Bob_61]

It had a cord for sure? Not one of these?
ThinkGeek :: ThinkGeek Bluetooth Retro Handset

Not many people mention anything about Think Geek...

 

[SCPD]

It also eliminates sitting on your mike and keeping it keyed as you are forced to hang it up to hear anything. But probably not the best setup to try to talk while in pursuit.

 

[kb4mdz]

also sometimes used in ambulances; from what I've been told it's so that the 'transportee' doesn't hear what the ER has to say. Which I think is kind of a moot point, myself, but everyone is entitled to their own story even if it don't make sense to me.

Does get a little fun in an ambulance with 2 radios (2 different bands) and certain persons INSIST on putting the handset into the opposite hang-up cup, 'cuz it's easier!'

A on cup B, B on cup A.

Pick up A, B's speaker mutes, not A's, and vice-versa.

But then don't understand why the speaker doesn't mute when they pick up the handset out of the wrong cup. "My radios are broke!!! The speakers don't shut off !!!!"

(eye-roll) (again)

I know, long explanation for how ummm, slowwww some operators can be.....

 

[nitroboie]

I've seen the "phone" almost every time the news covers a story about NCSHP working LIDAR.

For those that haven't seen it, you can see it being used at the 1 minute mark in the video below:
Troopers Cracking Down On Speeders, Aggressive Drivers - Video - WSOC Charlotte

At 1:04 in the video below:
Troopers Crack Down On Speeders During Holiday Weekend

 

[kb4mdz]

I just LOVVVVVVE the trooper holding the handset 'upside down' putting stress on the coil-cord & conductors. Now there's a service call coming up....