Cell phones on planes worry US law enforcement

Yahoo! News ^ | May 27, 2005 | Jeremy Pelofsky

[_Jim]

A cell phone triggered bomb in a piece of luggage is a nightmare to detect. I'm amazed it hasn't been tried yet.

Yeah, sure. Everyone knows that cell systems are optimized for both terrestrial AND coverage of THE SKIES as well ...

Let's see, how's the math work out for the frequency reuse in a cellular system again:

416 channels for use in the A or B cellular bands, over an entire area like the size of Dallas and Ft Worth as an example. Now, how many 'active channels' or cell sites do you suppose the average phone leaving DFW airport at an altitude of 5,000 feet is going to see - perhaps 40 to 100 or so signals from that many different cell sites at the same time? (Remember, to receive a call, a phone must a) register in a cell (so calls/rining/paging can be routed to that cell) and b) be receiving 'pages'/listening for a call)

Nah ... it'll work regardless of the facts and the physics of reality.

/sarcasm

[konaice]

Now, how many 'active channels' or cell sites do you suppose the average phone leaving DFW airport at an altitude of 5,000 feet is going to see - perhaps 40 to 100 or so signals from that many different cell sites at the same time? (Remember, to receive a call, a phone must a) register in a cell (so calls/rining/paging can be routed to that cell) and b) be receiving 'pages'/listening for a call)

And yet cell phoned do ring in the air from time to time when passengers fail tu turn them off. Happend to the guy next to me last month. The Stews said its more common than you think, they see it all the time.

So bluf and bluster not withstanding, your theory of impossibility is proven wrong virtually every day out there in the real world. And the simple fact that calls can be made from a cellphone on a plane should have clued you to the fact that the phones have no trouble registerning to a cell.

[_Jim]

Were you not paying attention?

Are you unable to do fact chacking and verify the figures I cirted and quoted?

Oh, sorry, you're just a feeble minded consumer of services that 'experts' like myself set up, operate, and deploy across the nation ...

I know guys in West Texas that have made calls from their private planes, but the CELL DENSITY is a helluva lot less than it is in a major metropolitan area.

You ALSO have to ask yourself WHY that phone did not perhaps ring earlier, and the answer is it MOST LIKELY was receiving control channels from a dozen of more cells at the same time.

But, as you are a consumer, and buy your technology shrink-wrapped at a WalMart these words probably look like Greek ...

[endthematrix]

They may not have actually used them in the attack. They were aviators and may have used them in their training. As for the spotters, I think that story is fabricated. I'm not saying that it wouldn't be outside of AQ tactics, just unsubstantiated rumor.

[Dashing Dasher]

My GA Plane weighs 794#s and has enough room for my purse.

Where do you think I'm hiding this warhead?

Stop being so paranoid. Worry about real threats - like the borders!!!!