Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!snorkelwacker!usc!jarthur!bridge2!gpz
From: gpz@bridge2.ESD.3Com.COM (G. Paul Ziemba)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Phantom 911 Dialer??
Keywords: phone weirdness
Message-ID: <1431@bridge2.ESD.3Com.COM>
Date: 19 Mar 90 22:51:47 GMT
References: <4469@daffy.cs.wisc.edu>
Organization: 3Com Corp., Mt. View, CA
Lines: 40

heins@rt19.cs.wisc.edu (Scott Heins) writes:


>Something very strange happened to me last night, and I'm
>wondering if any of you netlanders have any ideas as to 
>the cause.

[...]

>how??  Was it random noise??  How can a cordless phone low
>on battery power dial "911", or anything??

>Any input or ideas would be appreciated.  Thanks in advance.


I recall reading a newspaper article last year that a certain brand of
cordless phone dialed '911' when the batteries got low. I have the
article on my refrigerator at home, will type it in when I get a chance.

I don't think the article mentioned the model involved, however.

I can imagine a scenario involving a design that has a separate
"dial 911" function, and low batteries taking the circuit out of
the range of design assumptions. Similar situations that come to
mind are:

	1) certain brands of portable vhf 2-way radios modulated
	   their transmitted audio with a whine or motorboat
	   oscillation when the batteries got low

	2) one of my pocket calculators performs random calculations
	   when the batts are low


 ~!paul
-- 
Paul Ziemba     zapi!gpz   gpz@3com.com   (415)940-7671

Current nemesis: CA "winters", cold enough to drive the ants indoors but
		 not cold enough to make them hibernate.