Installing MP3 Player / Cell Phone

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

While it is possible to get cell service en-route, I wouldn't hold much hope for good continuous service. What I'm saying is it probably won't work when you want or need it.

In my past flying jobs I flew charter for the rich and sometimes famous in and around Manhattan and Long Island to the Hamptons. It didn't work for them which really frustrated some.

More recently I flew for NBC10 in Philadelphia. We had a cell phone hardwired in the aircraft. It had a signal booster as well as an external antenna. The cell phone was the preferred method of communication between the assignment desk, directors and the chopper because our competitors could not listen to our communications which was common practice with the 2 way radios. We wouldn't want ABC Chopper 6 to know where our "exclusive Top Story" was. Even with the setup we had we could only get through about one third of the attempts. It was cool though when we could get through to call in our food order to the local pizza joint when we were 10 minutes out.

A good friend of mine is in the microwave communications business and specializes in antennas and such. He has told me in laymen's terms that the cell site antennas are simply not pointed towards the sky because that is not where the customers are.

[AR Dave]

I wonder if my plane flying slower and lower helps with my connection. So far, in AR, I've been able to connect well, except that I can't hear over the engine noise. Last week I called Randal, and told him I was over Texarkana 2000' (1hr out) and make sure to save my parking spot. Most of the time I'm just flying around the neighborhood at -1000' or so, and my friends are calling to tell me that I'm scaring the deer away.
Maybe I could hook the phone up to the radio/stereo antenna, which is the rabbit ears on the vertical stabilzer.

[GAHorn]

I've been told that cell phone towers are programmed to accept a particular cell phone ISN (serial number) and deny service to that same ISN until an adjacent tower can give a "handshake" to the originating tower, and then a "hand-over" is accomplished.
The problem with using cell phones in flight is that multiple towers receive the phone's signal and it confuses the system (with the analog phones) and the digital phones are identified and locked to only one tower at a time. If two towers recieve a signal from the same ISN, then the second tower refuses the service (and therefore any "hand-over" is troubled and the call is dropped.) If more than three towers get a signal from the same ISN, the software blocks the ISN from making any calls at all in order to avoid locking up too many cells (and also to defeat any ISN copying schemes designed to steal cell-phone service by fraud. Such schemes can be particularly troublesome, especially in overseas, long-distance calls/service. If your cell phone's ISN is stolen, then calls can be made by the thief that will be charged to your cell phone's account. If multiple towers see the same ISN from distant locations, the ISN is considered possibly stolen by the software. The ISN may be blocked from further sign-on, and the customer may find it necessary to contact their service provider before the ISN is revalidated. Until that time, only 911 calls may be allowed from that cell phone.)
On top of all that, the FCC does not allow common-carrier cell phone service to be used aboard aircraft. (Special cell phone service is required for aircraft use.) There have been several cases of cell phone customers finding themselves the subject of FCC investigations and fines for using their cell phones while in aircraft. (When cell towers many miles different from each other detect the same cell ISN a fraud-alert can be registered, and the event can be used by the service provider and authorities to prosecute the illegal activity.)
This information is dated, and may no longer be the exact situation, but it is how the problem was described to me by SW-Mobile in Austin about two years ago when I complained about my cell phone being unuseable in flight. (Digital cell phones are more easily recognized and ignored by the network, and the one I had at the time never had a valid signal inflight, but was readily useable on the ground during taxy.)

[alaskan99669]

If more than three towers get a signal from the same ISN, the software blocks the ISN from making any calls at all in order to avoid locking up too many cells (and also to defeat any ISN copying schemes designed to steal cell-phone service by fraud.

Ahhh... that explains why I have full signal strength at +2,000' but my phone keeps failing to make a connection. But as soon as I drop below a ridge I can make the call. In my ignorance I would keep trying to make a connection which was probably flagging my phone number each time as a potential for fraud. Now I know better. Thanks George!

[spiro]

Dave,

here's some other options for headset-cellphone interface besides the Sporty's:

http://www.mypilotstore.com/MyPilotStor ... SafetyCell

http://www.cellset.com/Aviationitems.html

http://flightcell.net/products.aspx

[Kyle Wolfe]

Dave, do some checking. Many times the installers will hide the little jack plug for external music sources. I found mine in my glove box. All I need to do is plug in my CD player with the short patch cord and I've got tunes. But like Steve, I can't get enough volume for my liking.

Any other options beyond adding an amp? I'm not too skilled on the electronic stuff, but it sure would be nice if I didn't need 2 items. Got too much stuff already in the a/c. Can I simply buy a portable unit that has more power? If so, what am I looking for? Thoughts guys?

[GAHorn]

Talk to your avionics shop. Many times the audio system impedance and output of common devices are not especially compatible with avionics items.

[johneeb]

Dave,
One more idea form the for what it's worth department. Look up the site below, the unit desplayed solves a similar problem I have with iput to my com-panel from my MP3 player.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index ... age=search

[PilotMikeTX]

All the new Lightspeed headsets have music/phone inputs built in.

http://www.anrheadsets.com

[AR Dave]

OH YES - I know how to post pictures with URL addresses now -
Another pic of the $100 adapter Corey has, with the MP3 player plugged in instead of the Cell Phone.

[AR Dave]

Well I hooked up my cell phone/mp3 adapter. Havn't flown and tried the cell phone from the plane yet.

Technology: Wow! I can't keep up. Both computer's (mom's & kids) are getting slow, MP3's, Palm Pockets, Digital Camera's, Memory sticks, Cell phones, Sattlelite phones, Portable DVD players, Laptops, Webcams, etc..

My wife snaps short videos (with her cell phone) of our kids, during sporting events, and emails them (from the same phone) to me within sec's. At work in AK, I hear the bell announcing email, and clik open the video a couple of mins after the video was taken. Then I dial her cell phone and through her I can shout coaching advice at the kid. I figure that it won't be long before I'll be able to coach little league by real time live 2-way video.

When she's driving across country to a sports tournament, and is not sure where or how to get somewhere, she picks up her cell phone. I answer her call and clik on to the google earth website and zoom in. She tells me exactly what she's seeing and in pretty short order I'm telling her what's coming up. As she is arriving at her destination, I'm telling her what hotels and restaraunts are available. When she needs to go from the hotel to the sports complex, she just calls and tells me "OK, lets go!"
These are just two examples of technology in our lives.

OK, what MP3 Player should I get? How many GB's? Should I get one that holds music and pictures? This way I could show all the pics without having to carry that large albumn to Reklaw. Maybe one for music and one for pictures? What about getting one and having different cards that plug in, one for music and another for pictures. The same card should match the digital camera, so you can put the Petit Jean pics card into the player (for showing) or camera (take more pics). Or mail the card to Bruce (for updating webpage) or Doug (for Calendar pics). The card plugs into the computer of course, so I could just download the albumn photo's and send. I understand the Apple Ipod batteries last about 13 months and then you can only get another refurbished one from Apple for $110.

This is all just too much! And whatever I decide, among dozens of MP3 choices, it will be obsolete old technology next year.

[lowNslow]

I understand the Apple Ipod batteries last about 13 months and then you can only get another refurbished one from Apple for $110.

The iPod batteries life span depends on how you use it. Like cell phone batteries, or any rechargeable batteries, the life span shortens with every charging cycle. I have an iPod with 3 year old batteries that is going strong, but I don't use it as often as most.

The batteries have gotten much cheaper, in the $18-30 range. Try:
http://www.ipodbatterydepot.com/index.a ... DgodSHGk3g

[AR Dave]

Just what I'm talking about! My coworker swears they didn't have those replacement batteries 6 months ago. He didn't buy the Ipod because of this reason. Thanks lownslow, that eliminates that problem.
I'm thinking about getting the oldest kid a cheaper audio only MP3 for now and watch the changes over the next 6 months.
Dell has a Pentium 4 Computer for $400 that I'll probably get first. I paid $3000 the dinasour we're using now.

[AR Dave]

Problem solved for this 6 months. A fellar here at work bought the Ipod, so I gave him $30 bucks for his used SanDisk MP3. It's the size of a Bic Lighter and holds 512 MB of songs and etc.. Has FM radio, voice recording, etc.. Good nuf!

Called Traci and she said she'd already bought the oldest 2 children, MP3 Players (thnk u very much btw)
She has a new Desk Top picked out and a Lap Top for our 11th grade girl. Tryston has been invited to the Arkansas Governors School, Full Tuition / room / board / etc., this summer. So she can't be without a Lap Top now can she?

I'm concerned about this Gov School. It was started 22 yrs ago when Clinton was gov! Is this where the Interns are recruited?

[blueldr]

Can anyone please explain to me why the posts on this subject are wider than the screen on my computer causing me to have to scroll back and forth constantly to read each line of text?
George writes a hell of a lot, doesn't he!