What do WiFi or 3G devices do to electronics in jets?

SeeRad

SeeRad

New Member
It came up in conversation at work today and I know its "bad" but I don't know why.

Can someone shed light on this?
 
Phantom017 said:
Besides making annoying sounds in my ANR headset when they sync up or turn on... not much
Click to expand...
That.

The only reason I tell people to turn their phones off, besides those pesky federal regulations anyway, is because it drives my Bose nuts.
 
It does the same thing that talking on your cellphone around a gas pump does.

Zip.
 
Ive noticed throughout my career than I can sometimes hear GSM cellular devices (AT&T & tmobile) on my headset as a buzz if I leave my phone turned on, especially when the phone ramps up the radio power trying to search for a signal. I haven't noticed any kind of interference from CDMA devices.
 
Nothing.

Although leaving your phone on in flight will eventually nuke your battery over time. The phone continues to hunt for a cell signal that isn't there.
 
  • The phone tries to connect to every tower available from FL350.
  • Probably doesn't do much on digital electronics. Analog VOR/DME/ADF receivers and the mode A portion of a transponder probably experience something similar to the annoying "bzzz-tick-tick-tick-tick-bzzz" heard in headphones, except it's in their head, man, and they get confused.

So, assuming everyone on a flight has a mobile phone, and some of their owners are not-entirely-diligent, what percentage of flights these days do you suppose have at least one phone turned on the entire time?
 
Nothing to the aircraft, as all electronics in modern aircraft are shielded wiring, but if allowed , there will be "That" Person on everyflight that will P.O the rest of the passengers with their cell phone (if it will actually work at altitude).
 
My phone will cause the ANR to cut out occasionally on my headset if the phone is too close to the control box. Other than that, I've never seen any effects.
 
On Mythbusters they said that the cell phone signals interfere with unshielded wiring and instruments.
They also busted the getting blown up at the gas pump myth.
 
Thank God the Fed's don't make any decisions based on JC informal surveys.

Carnegie study summary

The Study published in IEEE

Ladkin report way back in '97

You are all able to read, so I'd suggest getting to it and making your own informed decision. Unfortunately they weren't so forward thinking that they specifically addressed 3G and WiFi coverage, but I think it makes pretty clear it doesn't matter what the brand name interference is, the effects are predictably similar.

The push for PED certification criteria in aircraft environmental certification is still nowhere last I knew. Personally I feel ignoring a problem is always the best course of action, as long as you can blame other people afterwards and claim ignorance in the face of warnings from EMI labs for years.
 
not a jet or electronic device but I found that the compass does not like cellphones when I was flying a piper seminole.
 
I can usually tell when ATC'ers have their mobiles too close to their earset cable.

"American *bupbupbop-bupbupbop* 219, descend and *bupbupbop-bupbupbop* maintain flight level 2-3-0, be *bupbupbop-bupbupbop* level abeam *bupbupbop-bupbupbop* Drake *bupbupbop-bupbupbop*"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top