Personal Electronics on Commercial Aircraft

[K5MAR]

There's an excellent article on using personal electronic devices on commercial aircraft in the new Air & Space - Smithsonian Magazine (Aug-Sept 2004). On pg. 56, the article is titled Special Report: Turn Off That Phone!. It doesn't specifically mention scanners, but it's not hard to draw inferences from what is said. I was amazed to find that on the Airbus A340 in an accompanying illustration, there were 25 antennas for various uses and bands!

It just showed up at my local Hastings store, so it should soon be available at area book/magazine sellers if it isn't already. Well worth the read!

Mark S.

 

[Voyager]

There's an excellent article on using personal electronic devices on commercial aircraft in the new Air & Space - Smithsonian Magazine (Aug-Sept 2004). On pg. 56, the srticle is titled Special Report: Turn Off That Phone!. It doesn't specifically mention scanners, but it's not hard to draw inferences from what is said.

From the title, it appears to be targetting transmitters. It's impossible to keep a Cellular phone from transmitting unless it is turned off.

Joe M.

 

[K5MAR]

Although cellphones are a primary item featured, other devices are mentioned as well. In fact, there is this comment in the article:

(Because they're tunable over a range of frequencies, TVs and radios could be especially troublesome.)

This is one of the references that I felt could be extended to scanners.

Mark S.

 

[Jay911]

It's impossible to keep a Cellular phone from transmitting unless it is turned off.

For what it's worth, my phone, the Kyocera KE424C, offers something it calls "hospital mode" which supposedly inhibits all transmit functions while activated. I hadn't looked into it that deeply, as I have no use for it. But I do remember seeing it in the manual.

 

[Voyager]

It's impossible to keep a Cellular phone from transmitting unless it is turned off.

For what it's worth, my phone, the Kyocera KE424C, offers something it calls "hospital mode" which supposedly inhibits all transmit functions while activated. I hadn't looked into it that deeply, as I have no use for it. But I do remember seeing it in the manual.

I wonder what good that would do. It could let you know you have an incoming call, but you would never be able to answer it by the time you got out of the hospital to turn it back on. I guess letting you know someone tried calling might be valuable - especially if it can store the number for return call.

Joe M.

 

[loumaag]

It's impossible to keep a Cellular phone from transmitting unless it is turned off.

For what it's worth, my phone, the Kyocera KE424C, offers something it calls "hospital mode" which supposedly inhibits all transmit functions while activated. I hadn't looked into it that deeply, as I have no use for it. But I do remember seeing it in the manual.

I wonder what good that would do. It could let you know you have an incoming call, but you would never be able to answer it by the time you got out of the hospital to turn it back on. I guess letting you know someone tried calling might be valuable - especially if it can store the number for return call.

Joe M.

I am more interested in how it would work. I mean if your phone fails to register on a site periodically, the system assumes it is not on, so you are dropped from the system and all calls go to voice mail (assuming you have voice mail) or callers are informed you are "out of area" or "unavailable". The only way the system works is if the phone transmits periodically to let the system know it is there and where it is so calls can be directed to it.

 

[Jay911]

I was slightly off. It's called "Airplane Mode" and shuts off all inbound/outbound transmissions. I really don't know what benefit there is to having a phone at that point. I guess you could play the games, use the calculator feature, etc., but I don't know why....

 

[Pro-95]

Ok that makes sense. Yes Airplane mode is for using the other features of your phone like those that you listed.

FWIW - Hospitals don't like cell phones because of monitoring equipment as well as oxygen use. Note the "don't use your cell phone" signs at the local gas station :shock: that most don't heed. The telemetry units are in the same range that a cell phone *may* use such as 800-1000Mhz. I was told this in the brand spanking new spared no expense marble/tile/hardwood fancy dancy shining example of "premeire" treatment center that offers high speed Internet connections and guest rooms but doesn't offer wireless / hot spot connections because of possible interference with telemetry.