I recently bought a bc246T, and it has the icall function, and i see schp has icall freq's, are they used? what is it for? is it just simplex convo's? really don't understand it, thanks for any help...
SCHP I-CALL...???
- Thread starter Caesar
- Start date
- Status
The ICALL's are normally on the trunked system. Just use the control channel in the 246t and enable ICALL's for that system. The "talkgroup" on the radio will be like 7xxxxx-7xxxxx. It is basically a "private" system so to say. They are able to communicate with each other. Same concept as a phone I guess you can say.
LarrySC
Member
The SCHP officers were notified not to use the I-call feature on their 800's. When they first got the new radios they used them all the time. Very rate to hear it being used now. Larry
I know of a trooper stationed in Horry County who got in a "little" hot water for having his radio enabeled to do I-calls. This was in the late 90's when SCHP operated on the Horry 800 system. Only the SCHP supervisors were supposed to have I-calls at that time (in Horry).
He talked so much I wanted to talk him into getting his ham ticket, but I'd be afraid he'd time-out the local repeaters :lol:
He talked so much I wanted to talk him into getting his ham ticket, but I'd be afraid he'd time-out the local repeaters :lol:
You might also be confusing I-calls (individual calls via the trunked system) with the 5 ITAC frequencies programmed in the radios. It's a common mistake.
ITAC frequencies are nation-wide interoperability channels that are supposed to be programmed into all 800MHz radios. They are simply conventional channels, and can be used for idle chit-chat or on-scene/special events communications among agencies that use different 800MHz radio systems.
There is also a set of 5 SC TAC frequencies used for generally the same purpose, but are specific to South Carolina.
Gradually, the state has set up a couple of conventional repeaters at each Palmetto 800 site across the state to use in the event the trunked system goes down. Typically it's one ITAC frequency and 1 SC TAC frequency.
I believe Newberry PD uses one of these repeaters as a dispatch frequency now (which is probably not in the spirit of proper use for these channels). I think Myrtle Beach PD also uses one of these frequencies as an alternate/tac channel.
It's a good idea to program all 10 in your scanner and monitor them regularly. They should all be used with a CTCSS tone of 156.7, but there's no guarantee on that.
Brian
ITAC frequencies are nation-wide interoperability channels that are supposed to be programmed into all 800MHz radios. They are simply conventional channels, and can be used for idle chit-chat or on-scene/special events communications among agencies that use different 800MHz radio systems.
There is also a set of 5 SC TAC frequencies used for generally the same purpose, but are specific to South Carolina.
Gradually, the state has set up a couple of conventional repeaters at each Palmetto 800 site across the state to use in the event the trunked system goes down. Typically it's one ITAC frequency and 1 SC TAC frequency.
I believe Newberry PD uses one of these repeaters as a dispatch frequency now (which is probably not in the spirit of proper use for these channels). I think Myrtle Beach PD also uses one of these frequencies as an alternate/tac channel.
It's a good idea to program all 10 in your scanner and monitor them regularly. They should all be used with a CTCSS tone of 156.7, but there's no guarantee on that.
Brian
cool, lots of good info, thanks guys, and yes, i guess they are used very little if at all, which makes sense as to why i was not recieve any transmissions when i put the scanner in I-Call ONLY mode, so i guess i did have it right, just nothing really there to hear! heh..thanks agian...
jeffmulter
Member
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2001
- Messages
- 1,456
- Reaction score
- 0
With the BC246T, you can hear I-Calls in either "search" or "scan" mode, but each is handled a little differently.
Listening to a trunked system in "search" mode, you can monitor non-digital / non-P-25 I-Calls by simply setting the system settings to hear I-Calls.
If you are in "scan" mode, and have the system settings enabled for I-Calls, you still need to enter something in the talkgroup list to hear any I-Calls.
That "something" can be the radio I-D (6-digit number, starting with a "7") for a particular radio user you want to monitor.
Or, you can enter the wildcard value to hear all I-Calls. The wildcard for the BC246T is .0 (a decimal, then a zero). You enter .0 as a talkgroup I-D.
Even in scan mode, you will not be able to monitor digital or P-25 I-Calls.
Keep in mind that, like any "conversation," I-Calls can tie up your scanner on a particular frequency, so you might be missing something important on another talkgroup.
Jeff Multer
Listening to a trunked system in "search" mode, you can monitor non-digital / non-P-25 I-Calls by simply setting the system settings to hear I-Calls.
If you are in "scan" mode, and have the system settings enabled for I-Calls, you still need to enter something in the talkgroup list to hear any I-Calls.
That "something" can be the radio I-D (6-digit number, starting with a "7") for a particular radio user you want to monitor.
Or, you can enter the wildcard value to hear all I-Calls. The wildcard for the BC246T is .0 (a decimal, then a zero). You enter .0 as a talkgroup I-D.
Even in scan mode, you will not be able to monitor digital or P-25 I-Calls.
Keep in mind that, like any "conversation," I-Calls can tie up your scanner on a particular frequency, so you might be missing something important on another talkgroup.
Jeff Multer
heh,t hanks jeff, and yes, i did it in search mode since i did not have any of the tag ids and, and in I-Call only, so i'd know for sure that it was i-call, but i've heard nothing so far, i might try another system..
any one know if RCSD or any other palm 800 group in the midlands uses i-call?
any one know if RCSD or any other palm 800 group in the midlands uses i-call?
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked