tomboy

In anticipation of the future allowance of cell phone conversations on transoceanic airliners, I've been looking into jamming equipment. I find that they are 1)expensive and 2)illegal in the USA (violation of the Federal Communications Commission regula-tions).
Are they also illegal in Europe?
Does anyone know of any schematics for one?

I dread the prospect of a nine hour flight to Europe, trying to sleep, despite the chatty fellow in the adjacent seat, saying,"Can you hear me now?"

tomboy

Another question: Would its use over the ocean be subject to US, European, maritime, or some other kind of law, or none?

xyz123

I don't know if you're serious or just spamming but in any event the day will never come for one simple reason...there are no cells in the ocean so regular cell phone conversation will not be possible on a trans atlantic or trans pacific flight (at least to the best of my knowledge).

stokebailey

I'm with you, tomboy.

Heimdall

You are seriously considering jamming communications on a commercial airline? If that interfered with flight systems you would be putting yourself and every other passenger in peril. This has got to be a troll - surely no one would be that irresponsible.

Geordie

I don't know which airlines you fly with but calling from your seat is already widely available on most airlines.

Have I seen anyone make a call, at $5 or $10 per minute, never.

It would be similar pricing with mobile telephony.

Geordie

lobo_mau

xyz123, I'm not so sure that's technically impossible. The whole airplane could be a pico cell.
I wish I know which airlines tomboy flyes to avoid being in the same flight.

Intrepid1

I personally don't think it is "irresponsible" to want to block out someone else's cellphone call, especially since you only get to hear half of the conversation AND it does seem as if they are always shouting, etc., but doing so would be illegal.

Get real: this ability to make cellphone calls on the plane is another potential revenue generator for the airlines but I suppose THE problem might be from which group do you want that revenue to come from...

You could charge MORE for seats in the "cellphone friendly" section OR you could charge MORE for people to sit in the "cellphone unfriendly" section...so what to do?

Believe me, it will happen if the regulations allow it. And just imagine the kinds of conversations you'll hear...and I mean <b>important</b> ones such as, &quot;Hi, Honey..I just went to the bathroom and everything came out OK...&quot; or, &quot;We just took off and I'll be there soon&quot; (Yeah, like who cares, Man?) and so forth...

WHICH airline will be the first to try it?

Powell

Tomboy,

I am with you.

A more local problem here in NYC is the subways. The babblers want to be able to &quot;chat&quot; on crowded subway cars. They presently stare wanly at their pagers or blackberries unable to emit loud, inane and stultifying messages like:

&quot;I am now passing 34th Street&quot;
&quot;Did you buy the blue or the red hat?&quot;

It is not surprising that babblers seldom are in possession of a book. They do not read, they babble, and their task in life is to disrupt the privacy of the civilized minority who might be reading on a train or now, yerks, even a plane!

The Luddites weren't all wrong.

Alec

Lufthansa and some other long-haul airlines now offer wifi connections on board, for a reasonable price (around $20 for the entire flight). If you sign up with Skype or other VoIP telephony service, you can make phone conversation on board (though you need to be discreet not to annoy other passengers). Jamming such signal with a device is a serious breach of airline safety and you will risk arrest and imprisonment.
Airlines are considering introducing cell (mobile) phone use on board with a satellite hook-up.

PatrickLondon

I hate to tell you, but there has certainly been discussion about creating access to mobile services on the London Underground. I don't know if, let alone when, it's going to happen.

And I confess I did once use a phone on an airliner, when I first became aware it was possible. I just wanted to be able to say to someone &quot;I'm just over the Gobi Desert&quot;. I didn't get a very appreciative reply, though.

rkkwan

I have a better idea. If they OP sees someone talking on the phone, go over there, beat the crap out of the person, and smash the phone. Who needs a jammer?

ncgrrl

I'm with you Tomboy.

PatrickLondon

No need for violence, just lean over their shoulder and say something that really embarrasses/compromises them with whoever's on the other end.

xyz123

What would be so terrible about mobile phones working in the London Underground...they work now, at least they seem to work, on the Metro in Paris (I've gotten calls there)...

Robespierre

If only everyone would remember: no matter how noisy it is where you are, you don't have to shout for the person on the other end to hear you. Just speak at normal volume as if you were in your living room and the electronics will do the rest.

And we don't care how important you are, so bruiting that about doesn't gain the respect you so desperately crave. What matters to us is how <u>quiet</u> you are.

This is something that remote TV correspondents would do well to understand as well. <b>YES, MARTY, THE WIND IS NOW ABOUT 130 MILES PER HOUR...</b>

Intrepid1

We have mobile access in the Washington, DC Metro as well.

What is &quot;so terrible&quot; about it is/are the same &quot;terrible&quot; things about the airliner situation:

Listening to half a conversation you couldn't care less about but since they seem to be shouting you are forced to &quot;listen&quot; to it;

Getting even more pissed off when you find out the subject of the conversation is about as trivial as it gets and on and on.

I honestly believe that there are many times when it is more than just convenient to have, and use, a cell/mobile phone and it can save time, money, grief, suffering, and all those other things normally attributed to religious relics and icons...

BUT there has to be a less annoying way for them to be used in close quarters IMO.

Powell

Intrepid1

How about a huge soundproof helmet that a babbler can don and chat to his/her delight? This would protect their right to free speech and my right to privacy.

The helmet might contain a recording device so that if the babbler can not reach his counterpart he can replay past fascinating cellular telephone conversations all within his helmeted world.

Intrepid1

Powell..I think your ship just came in and if you don't act fast you'll end up with the rest of us in a few months or years saying, &quot;I could have invented <b>that</b>.&quot;

Better yet, get it marketed on TV by somebody like Cathy Mitchell (Super-Snacker, TurboCooker, etc.) and, of course, it would reatil for $19.95 like just about everything else &quot;as seen on TV.&quot;

stokebailey

And cramped quarters where a lot of people are trying to catch some sleep so the next day won't be a total washout, while one person makes sleep impossible by killing time with idle loud chatter. Such people are immune to angry glares. The jammer is a pleasant fantasy.

PatrickLondon, do you have suggestions for compromising things to say? &quot;Are you coming to bed soon, Doll?&quot; is good, but limited.