harrison@apple.com (John Harrison) (02/17/91)
I know this was probably discussed when Die Hard 2 first came out, but I missed that. So the question I have is: Why can't you really receive calls on a GTE Airphone? Is this something that GTE has chose not to implement or are there other technical reasons. Note: The reference to Die Hard 2 is that Bruce Willis calls his wife after being paged from an Airphone.
lemson@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (David Lemson) (02/17/91)
harrison@apple.com (John Harrison) writes: >Why can't you really receive calls on a GTE Airphone? Is this >something that GTE has chose not to implement or are there other >technical reasons. Because there might be 10-50 airphone handsets on a plane, and many of these are mobile, how would you know which handset a certain person might be near? And, would *you* answer one, knowing that you might be paying exorbitant AirFone airtime prices for a possible wrong number? It's simply much easier to have only dial-out. If you need the opposite direction, that's why they make SkyPager: an alphanumeric pager that works all over the country, including in planes. David Lemson U of Illinois Computing Services Student Consultant Internet : lemson@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu UUCP :...!uiucuxc!uiucux1!lemson
ijk@violin.att.com (Ihor J Kinal) (02/20/91)
In article <telecom11.125.8@eecs.nwu.edu>, lemson@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (David Lemson) writes: > It's simply much easier to have only dial-out. If you need the > opposite direction, that's why they make SkyPager: an alphanumeric > pager that works all over the country, including in planes. Since the pager is an electronic device, is its use authorized by the FAA? [Remember someone who had a cellular phone active in his luggage, and it received a call, activating a SMOKE DETECTOR - rather embarrassing to explain, don't you think!!!] Also, the SKYPAGER is not a SATELLITE broadcast of a paging signal, it's merely a satellite broadcast to numerous city broadcast towers, which then broadcast the paging signal. Coverage is NOT guaranteed nation-wide, by their own admission. #include 'standard disclaimers' Ihor Kinal att!cbnewsh!ijk
henderson@esvax.hamavnet.com (Javier Henderson - TMS Group) (02/20/91)
In article <telecom11.125.8@eecs.nwu.edu>, lemson@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (David Lemson) writes: > opposite direction, that's why they make SkyPager: an alphanumeric > pager that works all over the country, including in planes. As I recall from reading the in-flight magazine provided by the airline, the use of any receiving or transmitting device in the airplane is not permitted (a stewardress once asked me to turn off my ham radio ht, even though I was just listening). Are skypagers exempted from this rule? Javier Henderson Engineering Services Avnet Computer Los Angeles, CA henderson@hamavnet.com {simpact,asylum,elroy,dhw68k}!hamavnet!henderson
carroll@ssc-vax.uucp (Jeff Carroll) (02/22/91)
In article <telecom11.141.1@eecs.nwu.edu> henderson@esvax.hamavnet.com (Javier Henderson - TMS Group) writes: > As I recall from reading the in-flight magazine provided by the > airline, the use of any receiving or transmitting device in the > airplane is not permitted (a stewardress once asked me to turn off my > ham radio ht, even though I was just listening). Are skypagers > exempted from this rule? No. In fact, neither are laptop computers or pocket calculators. Why they allow people to wear digital watches is beyond me :^). On a recent flight on Eastern Airlines (well, OK, not all that recent), I held my AM/FM Walkman about six inches from the LED display on the passenger service unit in my seat (the plane, I believe, was an Airbus A310). The noise floor of the receiver was raised by at least 10 dB (judging with my well-trained ear). Moral of the story: Protect yourself from exposure to dangerous electromagnetic radiation and self-jamming aircraft. Fly only on American-made planes :^) Claimer: my employer would probably agree with the preceding sentiment. Jeff Carroll carroll@ssc-vax.boeing.com
seanp@amix.commodore.com (Sean Petty) (02/22/91)
> Also, the SKYPAGER is not a SATELLITE broadcast of a paging signal, > it's merely a satellite broadcast to numerous city broadcast towers, > which then broadcast the paging signal. Coverage is NOT guaranteed > nation-wide, by their own admission. Very much true. I own a SkyPager, and have found that it is FAR from reliable. My department purchased two kinds of pagers for it's officers, SkyPagers (which I got :( ) and Motorola Bravo's (which are essentially the same pager, just different means of recieving the messages). I found that 99.9% of the pages to the Simple, 900 MHz, Plain Motorola Bravo's got through, as compared to about 50% with my SkyPager. It was actually kind of funny. I could be sitting at my desk, call in a page, receive it ... walk say twenty feet away to another desk, call in a page, and not receive it. Yet, when up in a helicopter, (my work takes me funny places), generally I received on the order of 90% of the pages. I think it is just a matter of the SkyPager people refining their equipment, and increasing their transmission sites. It is a tremendous concept (country, or worldwide paging) yet has not had all the bugs worked out yet, and is not up to full potential. Just give it some time. Sean Petty - Somewhere in Pennsylvania
af@sei.ucl.ac.be (Alain FONTAINE (Postmaster - NAD)) (02/25/91)
On 21 Feb 91 19:43:05 GMT Jeff Carroll said: > Moral of the story: Protect yourself from exposure to dangerous > electromagnetic radiation and self-jamming aircraft. Fly only on > American-made planes :^) Alternate moral: don't risk your life on planes equipped with avionics unable to stand some interference. Use European-made planes only 8-) AF