[BC] (Fwd) cell phone interference?

[Cole Grace]

Cole Grace, Duluth, MN  colegrace at juno.com writes
Although there are several technologies used in cellular they usually
"check in" with the local cell site every 6 minutes or so (TDMA) to
update location, availability, roaming, etc. .  Some scheduled checks
provide more information about the cell phone especially if it's not
roaming or handing off to another site.  All of this is done thru
transmitting from the phone without your intervention. Keeps the billing
folks happy as well.  I hear the updates from my GSM phone thru the
unbalanced p.c. speakers throughout the day.  It can swamp a nearby item
(recorder, car radio) as well.  When an incoming call pings your phone it
sends a burst back saying - I'm here, go ahead and send me the call.


On Mon, 2 May 2005 21:24:01 -0500 "markc" <markc at kjly.com> writes:
> ---------- Original Message -----------
> From: "Barry Rueger" <rueger at community-media.com>
> 
> > Form another list.  Comments anyone?
> > 
> > Barry
> > 
> > ------- Forwarded message follows -------
> > To:                     AIRDAILY at packard38.webcrossing.com
> > Subject:                cell phone interference?
> > 
> > Am I crazy, or is it possible for the signals that cause cell 
> > phones to ring or vibrate also cause electronic noise or 
> > interference in field recordings onto mini disc or flash cards?  
> > 
> > I remember hearing some weird fuzzyness, almost like a beeping or 
> 
> > little electronic revilee that I thought was a short in my 
> machine,
> >  but then my interviewee reached for his phone, the ringer of 
> > which was switched off. It was only when listening to the 
> > recording later that I made the potential connection. Now, the 
> > same noise has shown up on a recording one of our reporters made 
> > on a Marantz PMD 660 -  
> > 
> > Should I start asking interviewees to switch their phones 
> > completely off while I record, or am I just nuts.  
> 
> I see nothing crazy about this. My old TDMA phone used to make a 
> funny
> thumping noise in my car stereo whenever it was about to ring. I 
> would guess
> there were some bursts of data being shared between the site and the 
> phone
> to figure out if the call really was for me. I never had a spectrum 
> analyzer
> to watch what was happening, though. 
> 
> It was very predictable when I put the phone on its "usual" hanger 
> on the dash.
> 
> Mark
> MN
> 
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