Newsgroups: rec.aviation.student
Subject: Re: Cellular phones
From: jbolinger@lintek.com (J L Bolinger)
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In article <6u9s2s$dc7$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com>, geneseib@ccp.com says...
>
>
>> A few months ago there was a commercial on TV that showed a skydiver jumping
>> and his friends on the ground waiting for his cellular (or PCS?) call which
>> ended in a long scream from the jumper. I haven't seen this commercial
>> lately. I assume it was pulled because of being illegal to use the phone 'at
>> altitude'.
>
>It's only illegal in an aircraft.
>
>Gene

Yes, but it is not a good idea to use it from anything above ground level,
particularly while in motion.

A cellular system is designed for units operating on the ground.  As you move
about you are 'handed off' from one cell to the next neighboring cell.  If you
are at 5000 ft AGL, for example, you will be picked up by _many_ different
 cells, not just 2 or 3 (or 4 or 5), and the system will get confused as to 
what the correct 'neighbor' is.  The call may be dropped because of this.

Not to mention, you will probably show up in 2 or 3 entirely different
systems.

My previous job was as an engineer for a cellular company, by the way.

I remember another ad a year or two ago showing a bunch of people using
lap top computers on a plane.  Wondered about that one, too.


Jim

