[Tfug] cell phones, bluetooth and airplanes (another question)

[Richard Rohrdanz]

>
>
> While this makes going online with my phone easier, imagine a flight full
> of
> people on cell phones...
>
> "Can you hear me now? CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?"


This is a bit off topic but...
I have a theory about why people talk so loudly on cell phones. In order to
save the battery, cell phone manufacturers severely limit the feedback you
get through the earpiece when you talk into the phone. This makes people
think that they are not talking loudly enough so they talk louder.
Back on topic... sort of.

The airlines, through the FAA, don't just ban transmitters like Bluetooth,
they also ban portable radios of all kinds. The reason is that built into
each radio is an oscillator that creates a signal (at very low power and one
that is intended to stay within the radio's chassis) that is 455Khz away
from the station that you are trying to receive. The resulting signal is
easier to handle.

As a pilot, private not commercial, I have also been concerned with
electronic interference affecting the instruments in my plane. I have used
my GPS (Bluetooth), my PDA and a cell phone with no problems in flight. Some
of the cheaper electronics may not adhere to published and accepted
standards as well as they should and could cause problems. Some months ago I
visited a web site (sorry, I don't have the URL now) that carried pilot
reports of interference on airlines from electronic devices in the cabin. In
a couple of cases flight attendants discovered the violators (using
GameBoys), had them turn off the devices and the interference disappeared.

--
Richard Rohrdanz
(520) 743-7013
MSN Messenger: Richard_Ro at passport.com
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