GPRS Cell Phones on Jump Planes

[udder 0]

You've definately scored some good shit if you think you're 3000ft AGL when on top of a mountain

PS. Not aimed at you Phree...

"In one way or the other, I'm a bad brother. Word to the motherf**ker." Eazy-E

[piisfish 135]

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Just a side note on Cell phones, they only really work up to about 3000 agl from my experience. .

where I live you can phone till exit, cell phone is the most used rescue communication instrument in the mountains (here). The pilot of our plane regularly phones the ATC in flight, no big deal when you fly by cable.

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[Calvin19 0]

I am a Commercial instrument multi engine rated pilot, and i have used a cell phone at all altitudes, up to 22,000', 19,000 AGL. txting, voice, and internet.
The batteries where out pretty fast on cell phones while cruising, because they are changing cell txrx's to much.
cell phones dont interfere AT ALL with navigation and communication instruments, trust me. neither do pretty much any normal electrical equipment.

i had a stewardess try to get me to turn off a GPS once on a airline flight. i just put it in my pocket every time she walked by. funny, the plane didnt crash from my recieve only device.

[tdog 0]

I used to believe that cell phones won't do crap to other things - and that the rules to turn them off were silly and bureaucratic on airplanes (jump planes included)...

But then I started to witness first hand glitches that made me think twice:

1) My father's old Nokia - in his Ford Explorer - would cause the Sony aftermarket radio to "click" and go slightly more quiet two seconds before it would ring. When I was driving I would play my "super human ticks" and tell my friends, "Its for you" right before it rang.

2) By Blackberry (GPRS), when sitting next to a beltpack on a wired (and shielded) communication system we use to communicate on theatre stages/television/corporate events - will cause the com system to "tick tick tick tick tick" when I receive an e-mail, or seconds before I get a call.

3) When a keynote speaker is at the podium, speaking to an audience, if they take their cell phone to the stage, the PA will "crackle" and "tick" when the cell receives a call or text message. Our new SOP is to ask keynote speakers to turn off their cell phones. The proximity to a shielded wired podium mike is a few feet - and it screws up wireless mikes too - not the transmission - but thru the wired part between the lav and the transmitter.

4) I was on a speaker phone call with an employee next to me on Friday. His Blackberry was sitting two feet away from the desk phone, and as he received e-mails the wired speakerphone crackled.

5) A few years ago I noticed that a Motorola walkie-talkie, just like the ones we use to communicate to our AFF students, when operated within a foot or two of a Yamaha soundboard ($95,000 top of the line model which was the gold standard for the A list bands/event) - would cause the desk (work) lights, wired into the board, that are not even dimmable, to dim. If the walkie talkie was a foot away the lamp would dim 50%. If the walkie talkie was an inch away the lamp would dim to nothing. When we pulled the wiring schematics - we found all six desk lamps were wired to the same bus, off the same power supply - with no logical reason why we could dim them separately just by proximity of the walkie talkie.

Except for the Ford Explorer - all these systems were designed to be shielded from "noise" - yet the cell phones made them operate differently than designed. I know planes are built to a higher standard, but...

So, I am going to go on the edge of caution and respect the people who ask for my cell phone to be off during flight. Now other electronic devices that don't transmit - like an IPod - well I have been known to keep the tunes rolling.

[billvon 2,402]

I would note that all the sources you listed are likely GSM (aka TDMA, GPRS and EDGE.) That can produce that "tick tick tick" effect because it transmits in short, high-power bursts. Most digital phones in the US however, are CDMA, which is a low-power spread spectrum signal; they tend to interfere with any given frequency much less, because their output doesn't pulsate and their power output at any given frequency is very, very low.

Older phones/tri-mode phones can sometimes operate in AMPS mode (i.e. analog) which is also high power/single frequency.

[Lastchance 0]

When I land at my house I have called my wife from 9000 AGL to let her Know we are on jump run. I dont talk to her but she is aware that when she gets the call that I will be coming in soon and is waiting for me when I land just in case of any unforseen probs.

I may be getting old but I got to see all the cool bands.

[kelpdiver 2]

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Older phones/tri-mode phones can sometimes operate in AMPS mode (i.e. analog) which is also high power/single frequency.

Bill, are there any maps that denote AMPS only coverage for California? Or overlay the multiple digital coverages? I've been sticking with ugly. older model tri modes on Verizon because I'm covered on analog without a surcharge when I'm in the boonies (where all the DZs live), but I have no idea if that's actually necessary anymore.

[Calvin19 0]

Ok, i have seen this as well, while useing a itrip in my car.

but i have never seen it affect anything while flying simulated IFR, and my actual IFR.

[billvon 2,402]

>Bill, are there any maps that denote AMPS only coverage for California?

Sure, every carrier has their own coverage maps. Here's Sprint's, for example:

http://www1.sprintpcs.com/explore/coverage/CoverageOverviewNVP.jsp

[kallend 1,632]

Totally off topic:

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a device that jammed cell phone signals in auditoria, concert halls, etc. There's ALWAYS one moron who won't turn her phone off and it plays some silly jingle right in the middle of a play or concert.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[tdog 0]

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Totally off topic:

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a device that jammed cell phone signals in auditoria, concert halls, etc. There's ALWAYS one moron who won't turn her phone off and it plays some silly jingle right in the middle of a play or concert.

Or on planes...

One of the top ten most embarrassing moments in my life...

I was on a plane with a bunch of co-workers and most of our competition - on the way to a convention in Vegas.

As they were saying "this plane has six exits... And turn off all cell phones."

My phone rings.. over and over again... But it is up in the overhead bin.

Everyone stops and looks.

I turned off my phone - so it could not be me.

This was when phones were much less popular - mid 90s...

So the whole plane stopped the emergency speech, and we were not leaving the gate.

Finally they found my phone, with my mother calling, over and over again...

It appears the phone turned itself back on.

I apologized - but the fight attendants wanted to kill me... I never have seen that much anger in eyes...

Since then I remove the battery.

The competition never let that one down.

[LouDiamond 1]

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Wouldn't it be nice if there was a device that jammed cell phone signals in auditoria, concert halls, etc.

They do make such devices and I believe they are used overseas in those types of venues. However, I seem to remember reading something about there being an outcry against it here in the USA due to the fact that people have used cell phones to save lives from places where most would want them to be blocked( School/workplace shootings,churches,movie theatres, 9-11,etc)

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[billvon 2,402]

>Wouldn't it be nice if there was a device that jammed cell
>phone signals in auditoria, concert halls, etc.

The cheezy way to do it:

Use a broadband jammer. Problem is it will also affect other stuff (wireless mics, police/fire radios, computers that use bluetooth or WiFi, car alarm transmitters.)

The elegant way to do it:

Get an agreement with service providers and install a picocell that re-registers the phone locally and simply disallows calls when the aGPS system locates them inside the theater/auditorium. That way no one else is blocked and you can use your phone if you go outside. And it always allows 911 calls, text and call _alerts_ to go through, so people can still contact you if there's an emergency.