 |
Matronics Email Lists
Web Forum Interface to the Matronics Email Lists
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Ed Anderson
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 475
|
 Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 10:18 am Post subject: PDA Weather was XM and the 386 |
 |
|
Hi Howard,
I may well be the friend, Charlie is referring to and I appreciate your
comment noting the legality (not!) of airborne cell phone usage.
I certainly understand the FCC,FAA and service provider's position about
"airborne" usage and why they take that position (I personally believe
technology could quickly fix that "problem" if they wished). I am certainly
not the type to flaunt rules, they are generally there for good reasons.
However, if it is a question of reducing the risk to my butt by checking a
rapidly evolving weather situation 40-50-100 miles ahead by using it
airborne, then I'd rather be around to get my butt reamed by those parties
than losing it due to getting involved with unexpected bad weather.
Last I checked, the pilot has the ultimate responsibility for a safe flight
and is REQUIRED by the FAA to use ALL available means/information at
his/her disposal to ensure such. I consider weather information - available
by any means - to be high on that list of important information. I would
not consider using my cell phone to talk to girl friends or a buddy just to
shoot the bull or pass the time while airborne.
Even if not used airborne, it is still a cost effective way to get the
weather. For instance, when I stopped at one location to refuel and wanted
to check on the progress on the storm front I was racing to Charlie's place,
I was told that they did not have a computer (but, the Mayor of the town
indicated he was going to get them one-someday.{:>)). Well, I simply
called up the URL with my phone (on the ground) and viewed the location
of the heaviest weather via the radar NEXRAD returns and the satellite
overhead photos and got the TAF for Jackson Ms. I was able then to make an
informed decision about continuing my flight.
I am certainly not advocating use of cell phones while airborne - but, if
you think weather may be a factor, then a quick landing and dial up and
volia - you have weather. Certainly not as convenient and nice as XCM, but
then it costs less than $70 a year vs $600.
FWIW
Ed
Ed Anderson
Rv-6A N494BW Rotary Powered
Matthews, NC
eanderson(at)carolina.rr.com
Do Not Archive
---
| | - The Matronics RV-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV-List |
|
_________________
Ed Anderson
Rv-6A N494BW Rotary Powered
Matthews, NC
eanderson@carolina.rr.com |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
rv8ch
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 250
Location: Switzerland
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 11:07 am Post subject: PDA Weather was XM and the 386 |
|
|
| Quote: | I certainly understand the FCC,FAA and service provider's position about
"airborne" usage and why they take that position (I personally believe
technology could quickly fix that "problem" if they wished).
|
Just curious - what is "problem", and why don't they like cell
phones used in the air? Do they make a distinction between
CDMA and GSM?
--
Mickey Coggins
http://www.rv8.ch/
#82007 finishing
do not archive
| | - The Matronics RV-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV-List |
|
_________________
Mickey Coggins
http://www.rv8.ch/ |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ptrotter
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 28
Location: Westchester County, NY
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 11:21 am Post subject: PDA Weather was XM and the 386 |
|
|
I don't believe that the FAA has any regulations about cell phone use in
planes. The statements by the airlines that state that cell phones could
cause navigation errors has never been proven as far as I know, and the FAA
leaves that issue up to the airline. The FCC, on the other hand, does have
rules against it. It is my understanding, and I may be wrong, is that their
primary issue is that an airborne cell phone can "see" too many towers at
once and cause problems with the systems. Cell phones register with the
cells they can connect to so that the system knows where each phone is, and
they generally only see a couple of cells at a time. In the air a phone
could connect to many cells.
Paul
---
| | - The Matronics RV-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV-List |
|
_________________
Paul Trotter
RV-8 82080 Fuselage Kit
N801PT (reserved) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
don(at)dmack.net
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 3:02 pm Post subject: PDA Weather was XM and the 386 |
|
|
Both the FAA and FCC ban cell phones in planes. They are working to change
it.
http://www.house.gov/transportation/press/press2005/release88.html
The quick extract:
Since 1991, FCC regulations have prohibited the use of certain cellular
phones and wireless communications devices on aircraft out of concern that
such devices interfere with ground-based cellular phone networks.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations currently prohibit the use
of cellular phones, wireless communications devices and other portable
electronic devices (PEDs) with radio transmitters (e.g., BlackBerry
handhelds) while onboard U.S.-registered civil aircraft because of concerns
related to interference with aircraft communications and navigation
equipment, or "avionics."
In December 2004, the FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
(NPRM) that would effectively allow the use of cellular phones and wireless
communications devices on aircraft equipped with new types of technology,
including "pico cell" networks and wireless Internet or "WiFi" networks,
that would allow passengers to use cell phones and other wireless devices
without generating interference with ground-based cellular networks or
aircraft communications and navigation equipment. The FCC hopes to issue a
final ruling in 2006, stating that its ultimate objective is to allow
consumers to use their own wireless devices during flight.
Even if the FCC finalizes its proposed rule lifting its ban on
aircraft cell phone use, the FAA has no intention to lift its long-standing
ban on the use of cellular phone and wireless communications devices.
Do not archive
| | - The Matronics RV-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV-List |
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
pitts_pilot(at)bellsouth.
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 6:13 pm Post subject: PDA Weather was XM and the 386 |
|
|
Mickey Coggins wrote:
| Quote: |
>I certainly understand the FCC,FAA and service provider's position about
>"airborne" usage and why they take that position (I personally believe
>technology could quickly fix that "problem" if they wished).
>
>
Just curious - what is "problem", and why don't they like cell
phones used in the air? Do they make a distinction between
CDMA and GSM?
The cell system is based on the computer making a 'position' of your
|
cell phone by measuring the signal strength of the 'information' channel
that your cell phone uses to let the system know the phone is on and
connected. The computer uses that signal strength to hand you off from
one tower to the next. There are enough channels available to handle
MOST of the cell phones that are normally in that area. Cell phones are
line-of-sight to the towers. When airborne, many more cell towers can
receive your signal, and a couple of airborne cell phones could (and do)
cause dropped calls because the computer sees your one cell phone, with
good signal strength, on those towers, and you can block (unnecessarily)
the receivers needed by someone else that's transitioning to the cell
tower that you're using.
It's been a while since I was involved with the cell system, and I
rather imagine that the airborne cell calls from airliners are being
handled on an additional frequency that's not being currently used in
the 'traditional' cell system. Just a guess.
Linn
do not archive
| | - The Matronics RV-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV-List |
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
|
Get Email Distribution Too!
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
