What was that about cell phones not working on planes?

[George Brims]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=122076

[golach]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=122076
Cannot be true, it must have been a conspiracy[lol]

[obiron]

Cannot be true, it must have been a conspiracy[lol]

ah golach you've mentioned the "C" word. its your fault if it gets heated on here. hee hee.[lol]

[jimbews]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=122076
It's not that they don't work - its a worry that they may interfere with the aircraft elecronics. I certainly find that sitting at the computer there is interference on a random basis, which is the mobile phone interacting with the mobile network. If the computer's audio system can pick it up - what does it do to other electronics?

BUT - I think the risk is generally regarded as bing overstated.

Don't know if it still applies, but at one time there was also a risk of causing problems to the actual mobile network because the phone can be "seen" by many transmitters at the same time and they then have difficulty in deciding which is nearest.

We were on am Edinburgh - Krakow flight recently and phones were going off regularly - probably more with text messages. I think most people ignore safety instructions, and many seem unable to live without the phone for the duration of a flight.

[Antediluvian]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=122076

This is a strange one, the fear would more than likely be linked to the recent terror plots where it was planned that small consumer devices could be used to detonate a liquid explosive.

Very strange that the phone would ring mid flight, as if the phone was anywhere away from the coast it would not have been near a network point. Depending on the modulation and frequency band the maximum range of a mast is about 40km, and masts use directional antennas which are pointed along the ground rather than up in the air. Phones are rated to a certain acceptable level of interference to other devices at ground level, although this level is not acceptable around certain medical equipment or any other sensitive equipment including flight instrumentation. Although it is possible for the masts signal to be sufficient at altitude to send receive calls or messages, your phone would radiate so much more energy as it tries to complete the network through session layer call setup that this is where any interference could occur. You would be very lucky to make a call let alone carry it out as gsm/dcs and wcdma can't cope with doppler effects over 120mph

The noise you here on audio equipment is harmonics induced in your cables. But this is acceptable around other consumer electronics

Strangely enough many airlines are testing a new in flight receiver system which would allow rated mobiles to be used on a plane with a local transceiver mast, it would then allocate some of the planes bandwidth to allow you to make a call. So calls on planes may become common in the future, and not the £5 per minute in flight handsets.