Transceiver on airline?

[dseagrav]

I guess you didn't pay very close attention to the flight attendants during the preflight briefing. Use of any radio is not allowed any time during flight. At least not in the U.S.

Naah, just because I ignored them doesn't mean I wasn't paying attention. I know the radio has no harmonics anyway because they have to keep them that way. Amateur radio gear generally is not the cheap Taiwanese crap you buy verywhere else, they have standards to keep and the users are generally smart enough to know if the manufacturer is cheating. But the transmitter is another reason, and the interference risk is why I was too chicken to call anyone. (Even so, there is no out-of-band radiation from that radio because again the manufacturers have standards to keep; Everything radiated from that box is between 144-148MHz and FM. Actually, come to think of it, I couldn't have talked to anyone anyway from that speed/altitude - FM is subject to Doppler shift, I'd have been unreadable.)

 

[Oakum_Boy]

You won't hear a thing.

 

[Bluto]

dseagrav, it sounds like you know what you're talking about regarding radios. However, try to understand that the rules are there for a reason. Granted, that reason is often to protect the ridiculously stupid from themselves...but I digress. The point is this, there's no way for the FA's to know the quality of your radio, or your intentions with it (transmitting, etc.). CRJ's have had to divert due to false smoke indications in the baggage compartment because someone left a cell-phone on in their checked baggage. The only reason I bring this up is so some other guy doesn't try what you did, and get busted for it, and to point out the possibility of unintended consequences.

 

[j41driver]

your little tx won't pick up half what's said on the freqs

Why do you say that?

 

[dseagrav]

The point is this {...} so some other guy doesn't try what you did, and get busted for it, and to point out the possibility of unintended consequences.

Well, yeah; To that end, I say "Don't try this at home, folks, I'm a professional idiot." I would heavily advise against people doing what I do, unless you want to make less than minimum wage in a dead-end career living out of a friend's basement. I don't know why I do half of what I do, I know I shouldn't be doing most of it, but if I do know that if I didn't have fun with life I'd have no reason to put up with it! ^_^

 

[FracCapt]

But if your going to ask them questions, ask really good, absurd questions that will make them think.

For instance, next Airbus you fly on, ask them how much weight those little pull out trays under the cockpit panel can hold!

25lbs if you're using it to eat or do paperwork.....50lbs if you have your head on it for a nap....125lbs(ABSOLUTE MAX!!!!) if you have an FA sitting on it while you...umm....nevermind..

 

[FN FAL]

I traveling from CLT(Charlotte, NC) to ATL to ONT(Ontario, CA) with Delta tonight and was planning on carrying my flight bag with me which includes my headset and the little Sporty's transceiver SP-200. Is this allowed? Can I turn it on and listen or possibly even see if the NAV function works on approach?

For 3.95 a minute, I'll let you call me and I'll say stuff on the phone like, "right turn to 350" or "Climb and maintain three thousand feet". That way you can tune and ID whatever you want and not get probed unless you pay extra.

 

[qmaster3]

FN

1-900-AIR-TALK

 

[SkyBoy1981]

I used to carry my hand held scanner along on airline flights as a kid (back when they were allowed to be turned on). It was usually very difficult to hear anything on the freqs at all due to interferences and such within the cabin though. Now scanners aren't even allowed to be turned on, much less a two way radio.

 

[G36pilot]

Go ahead and bring your hand held radios with you just don't pull them out during flight. Most airlines prohibit any personal radio use in-flight regardless of type. Yes amateur radio and air band hand helds shouldn't interfere with aircraft operations but only TSO'd air band radios are certified as such. These are still prohibited for passenger use in commercial operation.

Amateur radio two meter HTs work fine in-flight, but signals will be hindered by aircraft structure. Line of sight through a window on five watts works just fine. Antennae placement is key.

On propeller aircraft you could use a noise canceling mike. The few times I've tried it background noise was terrible in my transmissions even though they were readable. Throttling back and cupping the mike gets old quick. One of these days I'll build an adapter for my Dave Clark headset.