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Does anything actually happen if nobody switches their phone to airplane mode and kept watching videos on YouTube? I have witnessed some people do the policing

by alpb 7y ago

Does anything actually happen if nobody switches their phone to airplane mode and kept watching videos on YouTube? I have witnessed some people do the policing on behalf of flight attendees, but I'm never sure enough to say that rule has no scientific basis.

dijit 7y ago
Our phones GSM bands interfere with unsheilded radios. The effect is most prominent when you’re getting a call and you’re close to a hifi system. Often you can tell that your phone is about to ring before the phone even begins to vibrate or chime. https://www.quora.com/Why-do-speakers-make-noise-when-mobile-is-near https://www.quora.com/Why-do-speakers-make-noise-when-mobile... There is a high likelihood that this isn’t a problem now and hasn’t been a problem for some time; but it might be wise to err on the side of caution if you want your pilot not to have to repeat or request repeats of radio information. And once you’re in the air your phone will frenetically try to connect to a cell tower, absolutely murdering battery life. So you should turn it off after take off anyway just for your own battery sake.
- undersuit 7y ago
  I have two different sets of Logitech speakers that would buzz seconds ahead of me receiving a text message on my 2G phones.
- coding_unit_1 7y ago
  If there was any danger of mobile phones interfering with aircraft systems then they wouldn’t rely on the general public following instructions to make it safe.
  - antihero 7y ago
    This is the logic I've always held - if it's actually dangerous, they wouldn't allow it on board.
    - dijit 7y ago
      It's annoying that they wont tell us the context of why they prefer it, I'm assuming it's due to the interference I've seen in my own life. However it could just as easily be spectrum oversaturation, so if 10% of passengers disobey there's no issue, but if 100% of passengers disobey then they have to start restricting phones on planes. Air travel feels draconian enough, I'm willing to just comply, since this compliance benefits my battery-life anyway I'm not going to split hairs. I would like to bring water with me though.
- gpderetta 7y ago
  I remember the incoming call interference being being a thing in 2G times (late 90s, early 00s), but I haven't experienced it in a very long time. Do digital protocols cause less interference (possibly due to frequency hopping or just running on different frequencies)? edit: 2G was also digital.
unnouinceput 7y ago
No. That's just a boogeyman sold by corporations to make you pay for their extra-services. Otherwise Al-Qaeda would've dropped the entire Western planes by smuggling cell phones in luggage of unsuspecting fliers. And there is plenty of evidence people forget their phone on by mistake. You draw the conclusions.

by alpb 7y ago

dijit 7y ago

Our phones GSM bands interfere with unsheilded radios. The effect is most prominent when you’re getting a call and you’re close to a hifi system. Often you can tell that your phone is about to ring before the phone even begins to vibrate or chime. https://www.quora.com/Why-do-speakers-make-noise-when-mobile-is-near https://www.quora.com/Why-do-speakers-make-noise-when-mobile... There is a high likelihood that this isn’t a problem now and hasn’t been a problem for some time; but it might be wise to err on the side of caution if you want your pilot not to have to repeat or request repeats of radio information. And once you’re in the air your phone will frenetically try to connect to a cell tower, absolutely murdering battery life. So you should turn it off after take off anyway just for your own battery sake.

undersuit 7y ago
I have two different sets of Logitech speakers that would buzz seconds ahead of me receiving a text message on my 2G phones.
coding_unit_1 7y ago
If there was any danger of mobile phones interfering with aircraft systems then they wouldn’t rely on the general public following instructions to make it safe.
- antihero 7y ago
  This is the logic I've always held - if it's actually dangerous, they wouldn't allow it on board.
  - dijit 7y ago
    It's annoying that they wont tell us the context of why they prefer it, I'm assuming it's due to the interference I've seen in my own life. However it could just as easily be spectrum oversaturation, so if 10% of passengers disobey there's no issue, but if 100% of passengers disobey then they have to start restricting phones on planes. Air travel feels draconian enough, I'm willing to just comply, since this compliance benefits my battery-life anyway I'm not going to split hairs. I would like to bring water with me though.
gpderetta 7y ago
I remember the incoming call interference being being a thing in 2G times (late 90s, early 00s), but I haven't experienced it in a very long time. Do digital protocols cause less interference (possibly due to frequency hopping or just running on different frequencies)? edit: 2G was also digital.

unnouinceput 7y ago

No. That's just a boogeyman sold by corporations to make you pay for their extra-services. Otherwise Al-Qaeda would've dropped the entire Western planes by smuggling cell phones in luggage of unsuspecting fliers. And there is plenty of evidence people forget their phone on by mistake. You draw the conclusions.