DCIIPSC Network - Why "All Call" is NOT to be Used

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Why DCI Does NOT Use "All Call"

"All Call" is not your standard Talk Group

DCI does not support the routine use of the All Call talkgroup and requests that it not be used on our networks. However, for high priority or Emergency needs, then you may of course, use All Call. The DCI c-Bridge is programmed to support All Call as follows:

If you call out on All Call, your transmissions will be heard on all repeaters on your network on that same timeslot. But also,
DCI admins and select c-Bridge control Op networks will also hear your transmissions no matter which slot you are using.
DCI Control Ops and DCI c-Bridge Admins are able to transmit back to you on your timeslot for up to 1 hour from your last transmission.
DCI Control Ops will not use All Call except in cases of Priority or Emergency situations.

DCI would like to encourage other c-Bridge administrators to join our Emergency network. For more information, just Email us

This text below was written in 2009, well before the the c-Bridge existed. Much more capability now exists on DCI, but this explanation as well as the history of Amateur Radio's first use of All Call is still useful.

Motorola designed "All Call" to be a supervisory talk group. "All Call" is heard by ALL Talkgroups on the Time Slot. These unique properties over-ride all efforts for selective listening capabilities programmed into other user's modes (channels). "All Call" over-rides the settings of "Rx Groups" which is intended to provide selective monitoring of multiples Talkgroups. An analogy would be making every channel a "Priority" channel in a cheap police scanner, simulcasting 100% of the time on all Talkgroups or as if one turned PL decode off in a receiver and then listening to "carrier squelch" on a community repeater with a tone panel. "All Call" is the only Talkgroup that enables a user to over-ride all user radios selective settings on a repeater or IPSC network. It was designed to be much like field supervisor's megaphone to all the troops, which is certainly not to be routine or constant.

For these reasons, the "DCI" and "Comm" talkgroups were created as a replacement for "All Call". So, "Comm 1" (TG ID #03777215) has replaced "All Call" on Time Slot 1 and "Comm 2" has replaced "All Call" on Time Slot 2. "All Call" is not to be used on any IPSC connected Timeslot. To be clear "DCI 1", "DCI 2", "Comm 1" and "Comm 2" are four distinct talkgroups and are only to be used on their matching Timeslots. There are benefits to having these talkgroup "pairs" and we have several "pairs" authorized for network use on both Timeslots.

"DCI 1" and "Comm 1" are the standard entry points into the DCI Networks.

If you'd like more information on this issue, simply Email your request.