Path: utzoo!telecom-request Date: Wed, 15 May 91 19:12:03 EDT From: "Steven S. Brack" Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Cellular Phone Use in Aircraft ... It Worked For Me! Message-ID: Organization: Blue Moon BBS ((614) 868-998[0][2][4]) Sender: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 365, Message 1 of 10 Lines: 48 steves@aerobat.labs.tek.com (Steve Shellans) writes: > In article reb@ingres.com (Phydeaux) > writes: [Talks about activating his cellphone in an aircraft] >> I realize that you're "not supposed to" do things like this, but if >> anything had happened I could always have called 911 ;-)> > I don't think this is funny. The reason you're not supposed to do > things like this is that stray signals from transmitters and other > kinds of electronic equipment can interfere with the navigation > instruments. While using a cellphone in an aircraft is not a good idea (it, in fact, has the potential of denying cellular service to users over a multi-state area), aircraft navigation equipment is really very hardy. The frequency and power put out by a cellphone shouldn't have an appreciable effect on airline equipment. It may, however interfere with the equipment used in general aviation aircraft. > [Moderator's Note: I did not think it was funny either ... maybe next > time he decides to flex the rules a little in his experiments he will > try the one which says 'keep all radios, including cell phones, turned > off in areas where dynamite and other explosive powders are being > used.' If anything goes wrong, someone will always call 911 :( PAT] In all seriousness: can a cellphone trigger explosives? It seems that a radiodetonator would need to be very selective about what signals trigger it. Steven S. Brack | sbrack%bluemoon@nstar.rn.com Jacob E. Taylor Honors Tower | sbrack@bluemoon.uucp The Ohio State University | sbrack@nyx.cs.du.edu 50 Curl Drive. | sbrack@isis.cs.du.edu Columbus, Ohio 43210-1112 USA | brack@ewf.eng.ohio-state.edu +1 (011) 614 293 7383 | Steven.S.Brack@osu.edu [Moderator's Note: They are very selective about signals, however a very close radio signal often times can overwhelm receivers in the area, overloading them with the signal from the nearby unit. I've never heard of a cell phone (or any radio) causing an explosion like this, but I guess it is possible. PAT]