What's in a "PC" ? The world may never know?

[scan_mpscs]

I heard a unit say give me a pc . So in reading more I found out it's a "private call". Has anyone heard these, or picked up on any private calls usong a 96 or any other scanner?

 

[bigbluemsp]

You will never be able to pick up a private call. The PC feature is a built in phone type system that works like a nextel/phone on a 2 way radio. The radio in the car can only communicate with the Post but the radio at the post can communicate with any troop car in the Entire State. The radios are assigned a ID number and on the private call system the ids are entered in by the cars plate number. The post then enters the car number and it knows the radio id of the car radio and it rings like a phone. The troop will then push the phone button and answer the call.

Its encripted, private and non receivable by any scanner.....



Also a PC at most departments is a Property Check

 

[STiMULi]

Also a PC at most departments is a Property Check

Also Probable Cause. The right to pull you over and/or investigate further

 

[rdale]

Bigblue - completely wrong. Private calls are not monitorable by any GRE scanner such as the Pro96. The Uniden line has no problems getting private calls (or I-Calls as they may be referred to.)

The only encrypted private calls are by parties that normally encrypt - such as detectives / SRT / etc.

 

[bigbluemsp]

Bigblue - completely wrong. Private calls are not monitorable by any GRE scanner such as the Pro96.

I didn't say they were. I said they are not..

Also you aren't supposed to be able to hear the PC's at all. They are supposed to be encripted and non receivable by any scanner

 

[JoeyC]

I didn't say they were. I said they are not..

Also you aren't supposed to be able to hear the PC's at all. They are supposed to be encripted and non receivable by any scanner

According to who?

A "PC" if it indeed means private call, could mean anything from an I-CALL which you CAN listen to on Uniden scanners AND GRE scanners (in conventional mode), it could mean an encrypted talkgroup,(and then you would be correct), or it could simply be a call on a telephone.

As the other guy said, "PC" is also "probable cause". So your question is vague, unless we know the context in which it was used.

 

[Grog]

I didn't say they were. I said they are not..

Also you aren't supposed to be able to hear the PC's at all. They are supposed to be encripted and non receivable by any scanner

Sounds like someone told you the wrong thing :lol:

 

[bigbluemsp]

Sounds like someone told you the wrong thing :lol:

No because some of the info on the is case sensitive.

Also that came from a Radio Guy that does nothing but works on the system

 

[RolnCode3]

No because some of the info on the is case sensitive.

Also that came from a Radio Guy that does nothing but works on the system

My County radio shop has told our officers that their conversations were unmonitorable.
A Motorola Type II with NO encryption. TOTALLY monitorable. I do it every day. Just because they work on the system doesn't necessarily mean they know the truth (or are willing to tell you...)

BTW-I've listened to I-calls without any problems. Would depend on the system. Can't make a blanket statement for EVERY system.

 

[scan_mpscs]

huh?

My question was about private calls only, not the ICALL function. So "private calls" can not be picked up then? Leave encryption and any other topic out of your reply please. Plus I am speaking about the State's MPSCS radios only. I'll try to be more specific next time.

 

[rdale]

Private calls is the Motorola term for I-Calls. Same thing. I regularly listen to private calls on my BCD396T scanner, on the MPSCS system.

Bigblue - I was letting people know that the Pro96 cannot receive private calls. And don't look for the best info from MPSCS radio techs - when Lansing SOS came online I heard every detail of every sting they did, with license plates, descriptions of the plain-clothes officers, etc. When I talked to LPD, they were told they didn't need to encrypt because scanners can't hear MPSCS (even though I'd talked to the director on many occasions about the scanner issue and he knew they could be monitored.) Apparently MPSCS gave that (mis)information to LPD to get them to join MPSCS and just hoped they'd never know it was in the clear.

SOS is leaving MPSCS to join the Ingham Co system ;>

Moral of the story - you can hear private calls and ICalls on the Uniden line of scanners. Sorry my initial response confused you.

 

[MacombMonitor]

Moral of the story - you can hear private calls and ICalls on the Uniden line of scanners.

In Michigan? Not on the Uniden "line" of scanners...just the BCD396T, and soon to be BCD996T scanners. And as dave3825 pointed out, also the BR330T (forgot about that one).

 

[MaizeBlueFlyover]

Private Calls are TOTALLY MONITORABLE on the MPSCS system. They are not encrypted.

Just echoing some of the previous responses here, the Unidens are able to monitor I-Calls/Private Calls, the PRO-96/2096 can only monitor them in CONVENTIONAL mode.

I often hear of public safety personel and radio techs on the system tell the users their traffic is private and not monitorable by a scanner because it being a digital system. We all know this is un-true. I think this line of thinking goes back before the first digital scanners were available, they probably told people that, so they just continue to do so, it helps them sell the system to users.

A perfect example of this is the "Private" channels that the departments in Livingston County have. Brighton PD Private, Howel PD Private, etc. The officers that use these talkgroups really do think no one listens to them. I have heard them bad mouth the dispatchers, other officers, tell dirty jokes, you name it. I refferd to these talk groups as CB Channel 19 sometimes.

 

[dave3825]

In Michigan? Not on the Uniden "line" of scanners...just the BCD396T, and soon to be BCD996T scanners.

My br330t receives them


Maybe a Wiki should be started On Private call and I-Call

 

[dave3825]

When I talked to LPD, they were told they didn't need to encrypt because scanners can't hear MPSCS (even though I'd talked to the director on many occasions about the scanner issue and he knew they could be monitored.)

Why would anyone talk to police about what they can hear on a scanner??? Things like that should be kept low key. You dont want some cop knowing you can hear what he thinks is private because then he will pass it along to his boss and guess what ----- they will encrypt everything and you will hear nothing....

Apparently MPSCS gave that (mis)information to LPD to get them to join MPSCS and just hoped they'd never know it was in the clear.

I hope the LPD does not see this thread they may want to sue MPSCS based on what you are stating

 

[STiMULi]

Never ever tell the police what you can hear!

"Whats that for?"

"I am a Ham radio operator."

"Can you hear me?"

"I guess...Maybe... What frequencies do you guys use?" (Playing Dumb)

 

[MONROEUSER]

.

ok there is one way to resolve this. at 19:00 i will private call my self to see if it works in monroe let me know if anyone can hear the test!!!!!!!!

 

[rdale]

dave3825: Your BR330 does not receive MPSCS private calls. MPSCS is all digital, your 330T doesn't get any digital.

Regarding telling them - these are people I know and they were giving out info that could EASILY get them killed. I called them and told them specifically what was being heard, and they had no intentions of encrypting everything but did encrypt SOS.

 

[scan_mpscs]

and did it work?

ok there is one way to resolve this. at 19:00 i will private call my self to see if it works in monroe let me know if anyone can hear the test!!!!!!!!

Interested in seeing your follow-up on this? and to the other comment made further upstream I think a private talkgroup is just the same as a regular talkgroup. I hear them all the time on a admin/private talkgroup/

 

[rdale]

scan: You are either using the wrong terminology or aren't following what I am saying...

A "private talkgroup" is not realted to a private call. Actually the term is usually "proprietary" -- basically it means one that dispatch doesn't monitor.

A private call will only be heard if you set the I-Call setting to "on" and either run ID SEARCH or ID SCAN with 700000 in one of your slots. Then you will see something like:

751342 - 732318 which means radio 51342 is talking to 32318. You will only hear both sides of the conversation if both radios are hitting your tower - otherwise you only hear one side.

Disregard just about everything everyone else said here ;>

- Rob

PS Macomb thanks for the clarification - should have said "Uniden's newer line"