Treo 650 question

[MNUser]

I currently have a Palm Vx and am thinking of a major upgrade to the 650.

On an airplane, they do not allow cellphones to be used during the flight. So, can you disable the transmission capabilities, including Bluetooth, so you can still use other features on the 650 (i.e. MP3s, games, etc)?

[Josser]

Even if you could dissable the offending transmitter, they won't let you turn it on, period.

Most of the new fly-by-wire aircraft are susceptible, under rare circumstances, to radio interferance over a broad spectrum of frequencies from inside the plane.

Whenever I see someone on the plane turn on a 'banned' device, I call for the stewardess immediately. My life is worth more then a few sneers from a dumba##.

[ChickenHawk601]

Hmmm, I'm not sure if that's really the answer.

I don't have a Treo 600 (I'm waiting for my 650) but I have had a Treo 300 2+ years.

On a plane I can turn off the Wireless Mode and use the PDA functions to do something useful, play a game, or read an eBook without violating any aircraft rules.

I'm uncertain about how the Bluetooth functions affect this question, but I am certain you can turn off Wireless Mode on the Treo 600 and Treo 650 as well.

PDAs are not 'banned' devices on aircraft.

Cheers,
ChickenHawk

[JohnJ80]

Originally posted by Josser
Even if you could dissable the offending transmitter, they won't let you turn it on, period.

Most of the new fly-by-wire aircraft are susceptible, under rare circumstances, to radio interferance over a broad spectrum of frequencies from inside the plane.

Whenever I see someone on the plane turn on a 'banned' device, I call for the stewardess immediately. My life is worth more then a few sneers from a dumba##.

The new aircraft are not susceptible to cell phone emissions. In point of fact, they are extensively tested against just this (I work with avionics mfgs). I don't recall where I read this, but several airlines and plane mfgs are working on plans to provide cell support on aircraft while in flight.

When you consider that fact that the big radars and radios in the aircraft avionics suite have substantially higher power output in similar frequency bands than a puny little cell phone, there are sources of inteference that are much stronger than just a cell phone.

Cell phones are banned during flight because of no quantifiable reason. There has not to my knowledge been a case flight controls being compromised and attributable to cell phones. There were several crashes that have not been explained and this was just one of several things that were thrown into a catch all in attempt to solve the problem.

I wouldn't get my undies all in a bunch about a cell phone on a plane. Do you have any idea how many people have them in their briefcase and forget to turn them off? (Probably about 1/3 of all the cell phone passengers on a plane would be my guess).

If you are all that worried about your safety, spend some time making sure that your seat belt is properly fastened and that you have counted the number of rows to the nearest emergency exit. You are far, far more likely to be injured by turbulence than you are by a cell phone.

J

[Skagen]

Exactly John J. This whole thing about phones and plane is a pathetic joke, supassed only by the "security" charade we go through when getting on the plane.

I have unknowlingly left my place on in my bag though several fligts and the plane didn't go down. Stewardesses get huffy about phones for no known reason and people just parrot that.

Besides, if mobile phones are so dangerous on planes, then why are both Airbus and Boeing developing systems which will let you make phone calls on planes using.....gasp.........standard mobile phones?

http://stn.nsc.gov.tw/en/view_detail...10&kind_no=A03
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/09/21/mobiles_in_sky/
http://www.onlypunjab.com/tech/fulls...ewsID-361.html

[JohnJ80]

Exactly.

The banning of cell phones was emotional and a response that the NTSB/FAA/DOT would look like they were doing something in light of several crashes of unexplained causes. Since cell hand phones had just become relatively prolific, this was a notable 'difference' ergo it must be banned.

Since that time, I'm not entirely sure that the ban on cell phones wasn't partially aimed at increasing the revenue from the GTE/ATT on plane phone systems.

Incidentally, cell phones do work great on aircraft. When you are up like that, you've got great line of sight to most towers. Recall how during 9/11 people with phones on the hijacked flights were able to communicate easily for long periods with the ground. I recall too, before they banned cell phones on airplanes, i used to watch the signal meter on mine and I always had good coverage.

My bet if there is an attenuation of service, it is far more due to the phone trying to operate in a pretty tight metal tube than it is to anything else.

J

[eugarps]

FWIW, the Treo 600 and 650 both have an on/off switch which, if held down for 2 seconds, either turn on or tirn off the radio. When the radio is off a note at the top of the screen says it's off. I've shown that note to FA's and they're happy with that. Occasionally I find one who doesn't thing that's adequate. In that case, I simpy turn it off and use my T|3.

[JohnJ80]

Eugarps,

Tell me about how you use your T3 and your Treo. Wouldn't they be mutually exclusive? How about your sync strategy?

J

[Gerorne]

Yes. I was wondering about sync'ing. I had a palm m515 a while ago, and just recently upgraded to the Tungsten T5.

BUT in a year, I get a hundred dollars off my next phone for Verizon, and would definitly consider also owning a Treo.

I definitely do not want to have to purchase all the same programs again that I enjoy on my PDA, just so I can use them on my smartphone.

[uthpastordave]

I've used my Treo 600 (and before that my 300) with virtually no trouble on airplanes (and in emergency rooms in the hospital...)

You are undoubtedly going to be asked about the thing, all you have to do is tell them (politely) that the phone is turned off... you are using the pda part of it, which is an approved device.

As someone said above, there's a power switch on the top of the smartphone that turns off the wireless capabilities when you hold it down for a few seconds...

All you have to do is go the the main screen and show the flight attendant or whomever that the wireless mode is off.

You should have no trouble