Path: utzoo!telecom-request Date: Fri, 17 May 1991 07:30:39 GMT From: Floyd Davidson Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Cellular Phone Use in Aircraft Message-ID: Organization: University of Alaska Institute of Marine Science 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 371, Message 4 of 8 Lines: 64 In article "Steven S. Brack" writes: > 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. I'm not a pilot, I'm a technician who lives in the state with the highest ratio of airplanes to people. I fly a LOT. I talk to pilots at LOT. I talk to FAA people too much. If a pilot allowed you to use a cellphone on an IFR flight that I was on, I want off the plane, NOW. If I saw you using one I would immediately make the pilot aware of it. I don't think it is funny AT ALL. I also don't see what difference it makes if the plane is a commercial airliner or a general aviation craft. The radio's and the navigation systems are the same. (Some day I'll tell you how I learned that Loran C can be 60 degrees off. No problem, just makes the pilot eyes get large when he breaks out of the clouds ...) >> [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. Yes it can. A radio detonator probably would be very selective. How about just regular blasting caps with a few hundred feet wire (an antenna). Or even just a couple feet of wire (a half wave at VHF frequencies). Someone will call 911, and as Pat implies, it won't be on THAT phone! Floyd L. Davidson | Alascom, Inc. pays me, |UA Fairbanks Institute of Marine floyd@ims.alaska.edu| but not for opinions. |Science suffers me as a guest.