JLHDU
Member
mjw357 said:
Is it because the phones would pick up multiple towers?
Scanning In-Flight (again)
- Thread starter mkewman
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Is it because the phones would pick up multiple towers?
N
N_Jay
Guest
mjw357 said:
It won't be 95 idiots, it will be just a handful, since it will require a micro-cell on the plane and will be limited by the number of down-links you can get.
It will almost certainly come with an added charge.
radio10-8
Member
If the original intent of the thread was to discuss scanning while flying, then here goes.
Pre 9/11 I scanned all the time, even used a Garmin GPSII+ in flight. I asked the flight attendent and the pilot if it was ok and they always said as long as it does not transmit it was ok with them.
1st story, On Southwest, pilot said on overhead PA system, "were at a cruising altitude of 34,000 feet" my GPS showed 38,000. I laughed that my unit was way off. Flight attendent said she was going to play a joke on the pilot. She told him on the intercom "Wow feels like were really at 38,000 feet and going about a 540 ." Pilot answered back "I hate back seat drivers." Then you heard the tones of the pilot calling the flight attendent to call him. (Think bing bong, bing bong) I could hear her laughing at him.
2nd story, I could hear ATC telling our plane what heading and altitude to take, our pilot said that those directions were not what he requested. ATC said another plane is ahead of us and at our speed we were going to pass him too close. Our pilot said OK i'll move over a little, ATC said more over alot he's alot bigger than you.
Pre 9/11 I scanned all the time, even used a Garmin GPSII+ in flight. I asked the flight attendent and the pilot if it was ok and they always said as long as it does not transmit it was ok with them.
1st story, On Southwest, pilot said on overhead PA system, "were at a cruising altitude of 34,000 feet" my GPS showed 38,000. I laughed that my unit was way off. Flight attendent said she was going to play a joke on the pilot. She told him on the intercom "Wow feels like were really at 38,000 feet and going about a 540 ." Pilot answered back "I hate back seat drivers." Then you heard the tones of the pilot calling the flight attendent to call him. (Think bing bong, bing bong) I could hear her laughing at him.
2nd story, I could hear ATC telling our plane what heading and altitude to take, our pilot said that those directions were not what he requested. ATC said another plane is ahead of us and at our speed we were going to pass him too close. Our pilot said OK i'll move over a little, ATC said more over alot he's alot bigger than you.
MacombMonitor
Member
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That might explain why they don't want anyone listening! 
CapStar362
Member
i still listen, i pack a earbud speaker, and use a high gain stubby antenna.
i just put it so that the antenna is just sticking out above the window.
man you would not belive some of the things i hear on those PD and Sheriff places waaaaay out in the middle of no-where :lol:
its fun listening to the ATC and your aircraft. you know whats going to happen before anyone else does.
i just put it so that the antenna is just sticking out above the window.
man you would not belive some of the things i hear on those PD and Sheriff places waaaaay out in the middle of no-where :lol:
its fun listening to the ATC and your aircraft. you know whats going to happen before anyone else does.
N
N_Jay
Guest
MacombMonitor said:That might explain why they don't want anyone listening!
Dude, the "no radio receivers" rule has been around a lot longer than handheld scanners! :roll:
United even plays the air traffic audio on channel 9. :wink:
thepilot21
Member
Greetings from a first-time poster. I'm a private pilot, and a ham operator, both for about 5 years, and I've been in the radio hobby for 12 years. I can tell ya the first time I took a scanner up in my C-172 I was overwhelmed. It's a different world. It takes a little more planning, patience, and you have to know what you want to listen to, and manage that well.
If you've ever listened to VHF or UHF from a good size radio tower, you get a taste of that. When you get up so high, you just pick up so many more things that it gets to be too much unless you are prepared for it. Take any common frequency like 154.25 or 154.37, and you start to pick up a lot more than you want to hear.
After a couple of times though, I got used to it and did a little planning on what I wanted to hear, and then it was fun.
If you've ever listened to VHF or UHF from a good size radio tower, you get a taste of that. When you get up so high, you just pick up so many more things that it gets to be too much unless you are prepared for it. Take any common frequency like 154.25 or 154.37, and you start to pick up a lot more than you want to hear.
After a couple of times though, I got used to it and did a little planning on what I wanted to hear, and then it was fun.
If you ever want to test out my Pro 96 in the air just pick me up at Detroit City or Pontiac airport. I'll provide the scanner and the coffee!thepilot21 said:
CapStar362
Member
N_Jay said:
hmmmm......... i wonder if Delta would accept that in a Customer Feedback letter?
i never knew UAL did that
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N_Jay
Guest
CapStar362 said:
I can see it now.
Dear Delta,
I will never fly your airline untill you put the pilots comms on the headphones.
Regards,
CapStar
:roll: :roll: 
Had fun on a flight cross country a few years ago with my Garmin GPS.Stewardess coming down the aisle knew exactly what i had up against the window.
She asks"Where are we now"?
I was surprised that she knew what I was doing and said something like crossing the Indiana State line..
Also have to wonder that when nearing landings in most larger cities aircraft fly almost over 50,000 watt Radio/TV towers.If that doesn't interfere with aircraft I doubt tiny scanner on plane will do anything.
Just a smoke screen to keep passnegers paying for expensive on board cell phone calls.
She asks"Where are we now"?
I was surprised that she knew what I was doing and said something like crossing the Indiana State line..
Also have to wonder that when nearing landings in most larger cities aircraft fly almost over 50,000 watt Radio/TV towers.If that doesn't interfere with aircraft I doubt tiny scanner on plane will do anything.
Just a smoke screen to keep passnegers paying for expensive on board cell phone calls.
N
N_Jay
Guest
:evil:
I love the conspiracy theories, but the rules PRE-DATE on-board phone systems. :roll: :lol:
Do a little math on power and distance. A VERY WEAK signal at the distance of a few feet (or 10's of feet) is MUCH stronger than a much stronger signal at miles. :roll: :evil:
Mark said:
I love the conspiracy theories, but the rules PRE-DATE on-board phone systems. :roll: :lol:
Do a little math on power and distance. A VERY WEAK signal at the distance of a few feet (or 10's of feet) is MUCH stronger than a much stronger signal at miles. :roll: :evil:
CapStar362
Member
N_Jay said:I can see it now.
Dear Delta,
I will never fly your airline untill you put the pilots comms on the headphones.
Regards,
CapStar
very funny
i was thinking more along the lines of:
I DEMAND ATC COMMS WITH THE PLANE ON THE RADIO EQUIPPED AIRCRAFT!! NOW!!
thepilot21
Member
toydriver_det said:
haha, thanks for the invite. I'll keep that in mind. You never know where my plane might take me.
thepilot21
Member
About scanning, ... Maybe I'll have to try that next time I'm flying commercially. I love to listen to aircraft comms. In fact, I listen to so much radio communication that the few times I've flown commercially I feel practically blind not knowing what's going on.
Can anyone recommend a source for concise information on the regulations for electronics on commercial airlines? One that would explain what are the FCC rules, and what are the FAA rules?
I have always heard about the rules against radio equipment on board commercial aircraft. As a pilot, I'm fully aware that the captain has the final say about what happens on board his aircraft, as long as it complies with his airline's policies and the FAA regs. For any pilot like myself, the rules for Part 91 flying simply require that the pilot ensure that nothing interferes with the avionics. If the pilot verifies that it doesn't interfere, then it's ok. The two times I've flown commercially in the last year, they specify at altitude (10,000 I believe) that you can turn on laptops and other devices, but must keep off the cell phones and any devices which "transmit."
Which then brings in the cell phone issue. I've always been aware of FCC rules against using cell phones at altitude, supposedly because they would hit many cell sites and the network is not designed for that. I've always turned my cell phone off before takeoff, in my own plane, or in anyone else's.
Lately however, I've read that such logic doesn't necessarily apply. According to cell phone company technicians, 8,000 is the recognized cut off altitude. Above this, the cell phones simply won't work. Why? Most metal-covered airliners act as a shield. Only at a window can you start to eliminate that effect. Don't forget the cell phones put out less than one watt usually. Second, ever notice all the cell phone tower sites? Those antennas are highly directional, with each of those three parts covering about one-third of the 360 degrees around the site, AND, they are angled downward slightly. The signal from the sites is very weak above the site.
So, I was wondering what anybody thought about that? Have you ever tried using your cell phone at a higher altitude? I'm not sure I'd want to since illegal, but I suppose people have tried it.
Can anyone recommend a source for concise information on the regulations for electronics on commercial airlines? One that would explain what are the FCC rules, and what are the FAA rules?
I have always heard about the rules against radio equipment on board commercial aircraft. As a pilot, I'm fully aware that the captain has the final say about what happens on board his aircraft, as long as it complies with his airline's policies and the FAA regs. For any pilot like myself, the rules for Part 91 flying simply require that the pilot ensure that nothing interferes with the avionics. If the pilot verifies that it doesn't interfere, then it's ok. The two times I've flown commercially in the last year, they specify at altitude (10,000 I believe) that you can turn on laptops and other devices, but must keep off the cell phones and any devices which "transmit."
Which then brings in the cell phone issue. I've always been aware of FCC rules against using cell phones at altitude, supposedly because they would hit many cell sites and the network is not designed for that. I've always turned my cell phone off before takeoff, in my own plane, or in anyone else's.
Lately however, I've read that such logic doesn't necessarily apply. According to cell phone company technicians, 8,000 is the recognized cut off altitude. Above this, the cell phones simply won't work. Why? Most metal-covered airliners act as a shield. Only at a window can you start to eliminate that effect. Don't forget the cell phones put out less than one watt usually. Second, ever notice all the cell phone tower sites? Those antennas are highly directional, with each of those three parts covering about one-third of the 360 degrees around the site, AND, they are angled downward slightly. The signal from the sites is very weak above the site.
So, I was wondering what anybody thought about that? Have you ever tried using your cell phone at a higher altitude? I'm not sure I'd want to since illegal, but I suppose people have tried it.
elk2370bruce
Member
This topic has been beaten to death in multiple thread and elicits all kinds of lavatory wall lawyer responses and potential ways to "beat the system" or diatribes about our declining rights as American citizens. Facts are as follows: 1. Most domestic commercial airlines have a simple policy regarding scanners being operated aboard - NO! When I have asked upon entry to the aircraft, the return response has always been a polite NO. But, you have opened up the genie's bottle and here we go again. Let the vitriol of outrage flow once more. Bottom line. Aircraft commanders perogative and airline policy. Scan-heads have absolutely no rights in these decisions.
JLHDU
Member
elk2370bruce said:
Com'mon...tell us how you REALLY feel?!
-J
thepilot21
Member
elk2370bruce said:
Well I'm not sure who that was directed at, but if it was me then I apologize for discussing something that apparently has been discussed frequently here before.
I certainly don't have the attitude of trying to "beat the system." I'm fully aware that the captain, airline policy, and FAA regs all have their say and that's final. I don't have a problem with that, as thats a part of the instructions I give any new guest flying with me in a private plane.
But all rules have a little flexibility, and there are plenty of pilots who have no problem with the use of certain gadgets on board, so us discussing how we might use those gadgets shouldn't be a problem. So I'm not sure what the issue is... It's always nice to read diatribes...
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