MovieChat Forums > Adam-12 (1968) Discussion > Call-box vs. 'Tac 2'

Call-box vs. 'Tac 2'

posted 10 years ago by slackersmom
7 replies | jump to latest

I watched an episode of Adam-12 today in which the dispatcher tells Adam-12 to call the station (can't remember exact wording). So they stopped at a call-box and Reed talked to Mac. They don't often use the call-boxes... more often they get a request "1-Adam-12, meet 1-L-20 on Tac 2." At first one might guess that when this happens, Mac is in his "L-car," so using Tac 2 would mean they're calling car-to-car. But I don't think that's the case; I think most times (unless they're in the middle of a 'caper') when they talk to Mac on Tac 2, he's at the station.

So that made me curious about when they would use the call-box and when (more frequently) they'd use Tac 2.

[–] misterbfd 10 years ago

I'm going to disagree. I think that Mac isn't 1-L-20 except when he's in the unit. Remember that there are other police officers that use unit #12 when Reed and Malloy are not on duty. I'm guessing that is the same for 1-L-20. So if they told them to use a call box or to call into the station, Mac wasn't in his unit. TAC 2 is a radio-to-radio frequency.

[–] slackersmom 10 years ago

Watched episode Routine Patrol (season 6) this morning, and Adam-12 gets a call to contact 1-L-20 on Tac Two. It was Mac, and he seems to be talking to them from the station, with information on a case Reed & Malloy had handled earlier in the day. There is certainly no indication that Mac is in the L-unit at the time. (Altho I agree that "L-Car" supposedly denotes a one-person vehicle, so you'd think that 1-L-20 would indicate that's where Mac is.)

BTW, it seems to me that we've seen a radio set on the sergeant's desk at the station. I can't remember specific episodes, but I think I remember something like that. In any case, except for the times when we know for sure that Mac is in the L-car (he's setting up an on-site base for an operation, for example), I simply assume that any time A-12 talks to him on 1L20, he's in his office.

[–] Tobey 10 years ago

We saw several types of desktop radios during the run. In the early episodes they looked like a radio with an external microphone, usually one on a stand. In later episodes there is a phone without a dial, this is a radio, the handset had a 'push to talk' switch.

[–] darkavenger77 10 years ago

Tac 2 is a radio frequency and that means anyone within range with a radio (other cops) or a scanner (media/citizens) can hear what is being said. A call box is like a phone, so it would be a private conversation. That would be used for sensitive or officer-specific information.

It's neat to watch these old shows before cellphones and encrypted radios.

Dean: I am wearing sunglasses at night. You know who does that? No-talent douche bags!

[–] slackersmom 10 years ago

Love your 'signature' line. The Winchesters rule.

[–] darkavenger77 10 years ago

LOL, I saw a '68 Impala on Adam-12 and said hey, that's like Dean's car.

Dean: I am wearing sunglasses at night. You know who does that? No-talent douche bags!

[–] rjellicoe 10 years ago

The call boxes were used to call the dispatchers downtown and the local stations. Tac-1 and Tac-2 did not have the mountain top transmitters and receivers above the Hollywood sign. When they started using tac 2 for hot shots they put a city wide transmitter up. The tac frequencies were not high powered, so used car to car or helicopter or station. These days everything is repeated using the car and handheld radios. Unless they talk around the repeater. At any one time the tac frequencies could be used at the same time at any division. Also "hot shot" calls went out on tac 2 from downtown to let special units not on a standard frequency know of hot calls. Tac 1 was mostly detectives and maybe vice and tac 2 was for patrol units. Mac was 1-L-20 if he was mobile or at the starion