Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mailrus!wuarchive!texbell!vector!telecom-gateway From: john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Phones in the Movies Message-ID: Date: 17 Nov 89 03:23:57 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Organization: Green Hills and Cows Lines: 41 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 516, message 2 of 11 In article , tel@cdsdb1.att.com (Thomas E Lowe) writes: > If I remember correctly, it isn't illegal to use a cellular phone in a > private plane. The reason they are illegal in 'public' planes is > because they can interfere with the electronics in the cock pit and > elsewhere on the plane and the pilot as little control over that. In > a private plane, the pilot supposedly has total control, so it he is > getting interference, it is up to him to stop it. No, it's illegal regardless of the type of plane you are using it from. This comes up all the time in our various meetings when some hotshot has yet another idea for a promotion using a cellular phone from a plane. The reason is very straightforward. The system was designed to be used from ground level. The cell sites are carefully engineered to provide a specific amount of signal and sensitivity in each direction that is harmonious with each other cell site. Part of the calculation involves beam-tilt, so that your transceiver will intentionally work one site rather than another. In an airplane, all bets are off. When you push the s(p)end button, perhaps a dozen sites or more will suddenly see your signal, since you are high enough that your signal will hop over adjacent sites to the distant ones that are not supposed to see you. You may even be picked up by other systems. What will probably happen is that your cellular phone will be locked out. Most systems are set up to do this to protect themselves against multiple-site activation. This is semi-permanent, in that you will have to contact your service provider to get re-instated. > Also, because of the signal pattern of cellular ground stations, > cellular phones shouldn't work to well in the air. I do believe this > was actually discussed a while back here in Telecom. That is correct, on both counts. John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@zygot.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !