Blasting Zone

[lgentle]

I was driving up Route 32 in Carroll County and noticed that they are doing some blasting for construction. There was a sign that read:

Turn off 2-way radios

Having my scanner with me, I was wondering if having my scanner turned on while in one of these blasting zones would be considered "illegal".


Lance

 

[djeplett]

Since they said "2-way" you'd be OK.

I'd guess that their explosives were detonated by radio and they didn't want a 2-way radio transmission to inadvertently set them off. Purely a guess, though.

 

[lgentle]

Well, I didn't hear any explosions when I went by, so I figured I was OK. Thanks for the reply!

 

[JLHDU]

I was driving up Route 32 in Carroll County and noticed that they are doing some blasting for construction. There was a sign that read:

Turn off 2-way radios

Having my scanner with me, I was wondering if having my scanner turned on while in one of these blasting zones would be considered "illegal".


Lance

When I was stationed at Patuxent River as an air traffic controller, we would set HERO conditions and they were when the fighters and cargo aircraft were loading weapons/sea bouys, bombs...etc. in a special area.

HERO - Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance
Definition: (DOD) The danger of accidental actuation of electro-explosive devices or otherwise electrically activating ordnance because of RF electromagnetic fields. This unintended actuation could have safety (premature firing) or reliability (dudding) consequences.

http://www.navair.navy.mil/e3/Documents/2450_2.pdf#search='Hazards%20of%20Electromagnetic%20Radiation%20to%20Ordnance%20Patuxent'

-J

 

[ofd8001]

Once upon a time ago, I was in an explosives class. The guy used a portable radio to set off a shot. It was real close by, so I don't know how close a radio needs to be. I suspect, however, that if you are close enough to cause a detonation, you are probably close enough to be on the receiving stage of fragments. So not using transmitting radios and cell phones around blasting zones is a wise idea.

 

[y10kiscoming]

This reminds me of an article I read, and I wish I could remember where...

Supposedly, a device was developed to scan through FRS/GMRS and emit some data or something... the Army was using it when driveing through "hostile" areas to detonate any radio-controlled bombs before they were in the blast range.

Not sure about authenticity, but definately a good idea..

-Mark

 

[loumaag]

Mostly that caution comes from using electrical blasting caps. They are not so prone to accidental firing when shorted (the way they come) but you have to take the shorting ring off the ends of the wires to set up the charge. Since the wires are no longer shorted and probably attached to other wires (and caps) stray RF could induce a cap to go, resulting in less than a safe condition; hence the warning.

 

[Voyager]

Since they said "2-way" you'd be OK.

I'd guess that their explosives were detonated by radio and they didn't want a 2-way radio transmission to inadvertently set them off. Purely a guess, though.

That pretty well sums it up.

They say to turn them off as an additional security measure. The key is that they don't want you to TRANSMIT on them.

Some units, such as Cellular phones, do not allow the user to control the transmissions, so they must be turned off in order to not transmit.

I never had a call in a blasting area, but I wonder what the procedure would be if that were the case... having a unit outside the zone and have a runner (literally) relay messages to the guy with the two-way?

Joe M.

 

[kb2vxa]

"Having my scanner with me, I was wondering if having my scanner turned on while in one of these blasting zones would be considered "illegal".

Is a scanner a TWO way radio?

"...they didn't want a 2-way radio transmission to inadvertently set them off. Purely a guess, though."

If your guesses are that pure I wouldn't want you supervising a blasting operation.

"...the Army was using it when driveing through "hostile" areas to detonate any radio-controlled bombs before they were in the blast range."

I used to drive down a particular street setting off car alarms with my 2M transmitter keyed. Good thing it was Elizabeth and not Kabul.

"Mostly that caution comes from using electrical blasting caps."

Lindsay to the rescue! (Thanks for bailing me out of this mess.) These days multiple detonations are set off with a single cap and lots of primer cord. A single radio transmission strong enough or a nearby lightning strike at the wrong time can bring down the house, literally. BTW, I love that show where the Mythbusters vaporized a cement truck.

"Some units, such as Cellular phones, do not allow the user to control the transmissions, so they must be turned off in order to not transmit."

Don't kid yourself, cell phones are never off. You have to turn them "off" for them to be programmed by the central computer and they still transmit verification back. That's an example, the unit still has to transmit when polled to report it's status so the system knows IT'S status on the network. Beware of GPS equipped phones, you can be tracked. That's how a kidnapper was caught recently and his hostage found, the dope's unit ID was logged when he made the ransom demand and he left it at the hostage location. Spooky, isn't it?

 

[CVPI4Ever]

That pretty well sums it up.

They say to turn them off as an additional security measure. The key is that they don't want you to TRANSMIT on them.

Some units, such as Cellular phones, do not allow the user to control the transmissions, so they must be turned off in order to not transmit.

I never had a call in a blasting area, but I wonder what the procedure would be if that were the case... having a unit outside the zone and have a runner (literally) relay messages to the guy with the two-way?

Joe M.

Correct. There is a rock quarry on SR 101 (In Margaretta Township) just outside of Castalia in Erie County right off of SR 2. They have a huge sign there advising to turn off radios.

 

[kb2vxa]

"They have a huge sign there advising to turn off radios."
Oh get Sirius. Howard will give you a Stern lecture about it bad jokes.

 

[ofd8001]

The whys, how comes and what fors (with apologies for being long-winded):

The problem with using transmitting radios (which include cell phones because they are .6 watt transmitters) around blasting operations is this. In an electric blasting system a blasting cap is inserted into the actual explosive. When the cap is inserted, the wires are un-shunted, and connected to the pair of wires leading back to the device that sends an electrical current to the cap, initiating the explosion. The wires going from the initiator to the cap are one long antenna and a radio signal can cause the cap to detonate, which causes the main explosives to detonate.

Because this is a potential hazard, a newer "Non-el" or non-electic system has come into use. From the initiator to the blasting cap there is a tube of stuff that will send a spark to the cap. That is triggered by a shotgun shell primer.

Unfortunately there are still electric blasting systems in use. When one is driving near a blasting operation, you won't know what kind of system is in operation. So that's the reason for the extra measure of caution. Plus the agencies regulating blasting operations require the posting of the signs saying to turn off radio equipment and cell phones.

So with most of blasting systems being the non-el syste and the low power of cell phones, it is unlikely that cell phones would cause an undesired boom.

Having said that, in my 23 years as a fire chief, I often run into folks who say "I didn't think that would happen". You won't see me using a cell phone or any other kind of radio around a blasting operation. An overabundance of caution is always fine with me.

 

[loumaag]

...
"Mostly that caution comes from using electrical blasting caps."

Lindsay to the rescue! (Thanks for bailing me out of this mess.)...

Thanks for the promotion!

 

[dimab]

Don't kid yourself, cell phones are never off.

while you're correcting everyone else, make sure you give the correct info out also.
if you need to turn off a cellphone, hit the power button, or if you're really paranoid, as the case may be, pull the battery. It won't transmit a bit of data.

 

[Al42]

while you're correcting everyone else, make sure you give the correct info out also.
if you need to turn off a cellphone, hit the power button

Nope - it's still on. Otherwise, when you hit the power button again (just a closure to ground on an input to the CPU), the phone would stay off.

or if you're really paranoid, as the case may be, pull the battery. It won't transmit a bit of data.

That's the only way to make sure it doesn't.

 

[N_Jay]

Nope - it's still on. Otherwise, when you hit the power button again (just a closure to ground on an input to the CPU), the phone would stay off.

That's the only way to make sure it doesn't.

As far as the TRANSMITTER is concerned it is OFF. :roll:

Which is what we are concerned with in this tread, :roll: :evil:

 

[dsviper22]

I was driving up Route 32 in Carroll County and noticed that they are doing some blasting for construction. There was a sign that read:

Turn off 2-way radios

Having my scanner with me, I was wondering if having my scanner turned on while in one of these blasting zones would be considered "illegal".


Lance

In Waterbury,CT right next to the Costco there, they are blasting as well. And I think it's funny because they have one of those signs that say "Turn off all 2-way radio's!" and when you walk inside Costco, the employee's are using two way radio's!!!!!