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Checking SIDs On My Phone...While In Flight

Discussion in 'GENERAL Wireless Discussion' started by KyleAndMelissa22, Jul 30, 2007.

  1. KyleAndMelissa22

    KyleAndMelissa22 Woot Woot, Splat !!!
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    I know cell phone usage is prohibited while in flight,
    but does anyone think I can quickly check SIDs on the ground while in flight?
    Has anyone done this before?

    I'm just wondering if it's allowed, I'm not making a call, so they shouldn't give me trouble.

    It only takes me about 10 seconds to do this.

    I know my phone would show a full (but unusable) signal, because of higher altitude.

    My flight leaves today @ 4:15 pm out of Charlotte. I'll be back on here around 10 am to check if I could.
     
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    #1 KyleAndMelissa22, Jul 30, 2007
  2. Yankees368

    Yankees368 Compulsive Signal Checker
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    Sure, go for it. lol. I have done that many times in the past and have picked up all sorts of strange SIDS and NIDS.

    I was flying over Newburgh, NY and was picking up towers from Scranton PA
     
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    #2 Yankees368, Jul 30, 2007
  3. KyleAndMelissa22

    KyleAndMelissa22 Woot Woot, Splat !!!
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    Well, I also plan on writing down every SID that I fly over. This way, I'll know where I'm flying over. :cool:
    I'll use MtnWireless to look them all up.
    I'll be able to post the entire list on here next week, when I return.
    I'll also have my GPS & Grundig S350

    I'm going to San Francisco, CA
    My outbound flight changes planes in Chicago tonight.
    My returning flight changes planes in Las Vegas on 8-7.
     
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    #3 KyleAndMelissa22, Jul 30, 2007
  4. Yankees368

    Yankees368 Compulsive Signal Checker
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    I wouldnt plan on your location being very accurate. Up in the sky your phone will pick up towers from all over the place
     
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    #4 Yankees368, Jul 30, 2007
  5. KyleAndMelissa22

    KyleAndMelissa22 Woot Woot, Splat !!!
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    I'm in Palo Alto, CA this week. Internet access is limited where I am, but I will be able to post the list of Channels & SIDs that I was picking up in the plane within like a few days.

    Between Charlotte & Chicago, it was extremely hard to pick up anything on the ground, but between Chicago & Oakland, it was a bit easier. I wrote down like 30 different SIDs, so I'll have fun looking them up soon.
     
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    #5 KyleAndMelissa22, Jul 31, 2007
  6. KyleAndMelissa22

    KyleAndMelissa22 Woot Woot, Splat !!!
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    Ok here are all the SIDs/Channels my phone picked up, that I wrote down.
    I got all of them by dialing the *228 codes (*22800-*22807) so some may not be in the Alltel PRL.
    There may be multiple channels listed for some SIDs
    Solid roam SIDs are marked with (R)
    They are listed in order of them showing up on my phone. Only observed SIDs/Channels are listed.

    Between Charlotte & Chicago (7-30):
    CH 691 SID 323 (R)
    CH 384 SID 1522
    CH 384/507 SID 20
    CH 375 SID 4384
    CH 450 SID 4112 (R)
    CH AMPS-A SID 1 (R)

    Between Chicago & Oakland (7-30)
    CH 525 SID 4154
    CH 384/425 SID 506
    CH 384 SID 284
    CH 325 SID 26 (R)
    CH 384/468 SID 528
    CH 750 SID 356
    CH AMPS-A SID 555
    CH AMPS-A SID 511
    CH 384/426 SID 152
    CH AMPS-B SID 3066
    CH AMPS-A SID 1085 (R)
    CH AMPS-B SID 1466
    CH AMPS-A SID 1453 (R)
    CH AMPS-A SID 1825
    CH AMPS-B SID 1830
    CH 325 SID 356 (1 hour later from above)
    CH 384 SID 284
    CH AMPS-B SID 1828 (R)
    CH 242 SID 1827
    CH 725 SID 1858 (R)
    CH 825 SID 5644 (R)
    CH AMPS-A SID 1739
    CH 1175 SID 4935 (R)
    CH AMPS-B SID 94
    CH 575/600 SID 4180
    CH 925 SID 5027 (R)
    CH AMPS-A SID 1473
    CH 384/425 SID 112
    CH 384 SID 1474 (R)
    CH 1125 SID 4973 (R)
    CH AMPS-A SID 1061
    CH 725 SID 498
    CH 725 SID 5007 (R)
    CH 925 SID 5037 (R)
    CH 50 SID 4183
    CH 466/425 SID 40
    CH AMPS-A SID 31

    Between Oakland & Las Vegas (8-7):
    CH 384/425 SID 162
    CH AMPS-A SID 153 (R)
    CH 1175 SID 5007 (R)
    CH 384/725 SID 228
    CH 25 SID 4145
    CH 825 SID 6509 (R)
    CH 384/425 SID 64
    CH AMPS-A SID 27 (R)
    CH 384/725 SID 2
    CH AMPS-A SID 211 (R)

    Between Las Vegas & Charlotte (8-7):
    CH 384/466/425 SID 1740
    CH 283 SID 1739
    CH 25/50/100 SID 4121
    CH AMPS-A SID 1027
    CH 325 SID 4274
    CH AMPS-A SID 53
    CH 384 SID 1094 (R)
    CH 725 SID 6508 (R)
    CH AMPS-A SID 1093
    CH 825 SID 6104 (R)
    CH 375 SID 3002 (R)
    CH 925 SID 4407 (R)
    CH 925 SID 6415 (R)
    CH 242/AMPS-A SID 487
    CH 384/425 SID 490 (R)
    CH AMPS-A SID 1085 (R)
    CH 825 SID 5458 (R)
    CH 1175 SID 4961 (R)
    CH AMPS-B SID 1086
    CH 384 SID 50 (R)
    CH 925 SID 6499 (R)
    CH 384/125 SID 1258
    CH 1025 SID 4164
    CH 450 SID 5173
    CH 242/283 SID 165
    CH 125 SID 4139
    CH 625 SID 4190
    CH 242/325 SID 59 (R)
    CH 160/825 SID 17
    CH 75/725 SID 6483 (R)
    CH 325 SID 4384
    CH 500/525 SID 4148
    CH 825 SID 80
    CH 100 SID 4157
    CH 200 SID 4135
    CH 1125 SID 6506 (R)
    CH 1050 SID 4755 (R)
    CH AMPS-B SID 1678 (R)
    CH 325 SID 4694
    CH 384 SID 104 (R)
    CH 350 SID 4982
    CH 600 SID 4379 (R)
    CH 875 SID 5586 (R)
    CH 1125 SID 69 (R)

    Other SIDs I used/picked up on my CA trip:
    CH 384 SID 1060
    CH AMPS-B SID 294
    CH 384/426 SID 436
    CH 825 SID 4808
    CH AMPS-A SID 513 (R)
    CH AMPS-A SID 1075 (R)
    CH AMPS-A SID 1059 (R)
    CH AMPS-A SID 61 (R)

    I wonder if the cell companies track when & where your phone picked up signals on the phone.
    So would they be able to figure that your phone was on in the plane?
    Based on the time/distance it took between SIDs?
     
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    #6 KyleAndMelissa22, Aug 9, 2007
  7. Andy

    Andy Diamond Senior Member
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    When I was flying from SLC to Houston two weeks ago, I turned my phone on off and on and did get a weak signal from time to time but no way a call would go through at 33000 feet. Then, again, I used my phone while en route from Houston to Amsterdam and picked up U.S. and Canadian CDMA carriers at times, but no way a call would go through...again...at 33000 feet.
     
    #7 Andy, Aug 9, 2007
  8. KyleAndMelissa22

    KyleAndMelissa22 Woot Woot, Splat !!!
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    I found it harder to pick up any SIDs over Tennesse, Kentucky & Indiana at 36,000 feet. Flying further west, it was a little easier.

    Either way, if I wanted to check for any signal, I had to put the phone within 1 foot of the window, otherwise nothing,
    same goes for my GPS unit
     
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    #8 KyleAndMelissa22, Aug 9, 2007
  9. Yankees368

    Yankees368 Compulsive Signal Checker
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    I did actually get a roaming call to work at 32000 feet over SC to my voicemail. That was fun
     
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    #9 Yankees368, Aug 9, 2007
  10. LRando

    LRando Junior Member
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    With all the talk of turning your phone off and an and attempting to make calls...I'm not trying to be confrontational here, but, isn't the whole point of not having the phone on is the chance the wireless signal could mess up the airplane readings? Thus potentially messing up the readings? Shouldn't we keep them off? I don't think you need to actually make a call for it to potentially intefere. Just having it on (unless you have it in airplane mode) could be a problem. I know the chances are good that these phones will cause no problems whatsoever. But until they prove that, the thought that someone on my plane is turning there phone on and trying to make calls just for fun, makes me a little nervous. They have the rule for a reason. I would adhere to it.
     
    #10 LRando, Aug 9, 2007
  11. PCSuser

    PCSuser Senior Member
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    Actually only the 850 band potentially messes up with aircraft equipment.

    In no way, does 1900 (Sprint's PCS band) interfere with the equipment aboard the plane.
     
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    #11 PCSuser, Aug 9, 2007
  12. KyleAndMelissa22

    KyleAndMelissa22 Woot Woot, Splat !!!
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    I thought I should revive this thread from last year, as I will be flying to SF, CA again in about 2 days,
    and I was going to check some more SIDs throughout my flight,
    and add another list of SIDs I picked up in the air, when I get back.

    I'll be there for a bit more than a week.
    On the way out of Charlotte I'll connect through Dulles, DC, and on the way back I'll connect through Phoenix.

    In the meantime, has anyone else ever felt like or recently tried checking SIDs in the air?
     
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    #12 KyleAndMelissa22, Jul 31, 2008
  13. Yankees368

    Yankees368 Compulsive Signal Checker
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    I was recently on a flight from Vegas to Buffalo and did a little SID checking. Got some weird results.
     
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    #13 Yankees368, Aug 2, 2008
  14. KyleAndMelissa22

    KyleAndMelissa22 Woot Woot, Splat !!!
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    Well here's that list of SIDs I flew over.
    I took a direct flight from Charlotte to SF and I kept my phone on between Charlotte & Colorado,
    checking SIDs using *22800 - *22807.

    There are still lots of SIDs with analog,
    and some SIDs had large strange numbers:

    Only observed CHs/SIDs/NIDs are listed.
    Here they are in order from east to west:

    CH 691 / SID 323 / NID 4
    CH AMPS-B & 384 / SID 246 / NID 10
    CH AMPS-A / SID 309
    CH 242 / SID 93 / NID 1
    CH 850 / SID 65 / NID 5
    CH AMPS-B / SID 1280
    CH 1125 / SID 80 / NID 1
    CH 500 / SID 4148 / NID 1
    CH 375 / SID 4384 / NID 1
    CH AMPS-A / SID 1419
    CH AMPS-B / SID 1914
    CH AMPS-A SID 30917 - wow, what a broadcast SID, and using analog......
    CH 425 & 575 / SID 4190 / NID 1 & 41 & 42
    CH 825 / SID 17 / NID 2
    CH 384 / SID 1038 / NID 7
    CH 25 / SID 6483 / NID 1
    CH AMPS-A SID 2141
    CH AMPS-B SID 546
    CH AMPS-A SID 1215
    CH 50 & 75 & 250 / SID 4139 / NID 43
    CH 325 / SID 59 / NID 2
    CH AMPS-B SID 384
    CH AMPS-B SID 166
    CH 1125 / SID 4681 / NID 0
    CH AMPS-A / SID 1411
    CH 1050 / SID 4937 / NID 1
    CH 1025 / SID 5173 / NID 0
    CH 650 / SID 4198 / NID 42
    CH 283 / SID 165 / NID 2
    CH 283 / SID 487 / NID 45871
    CH AMPS-B / SID 1500
    CH 384 / SID 490 / NID 6
     
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    #14 KyleAndMelissa22, Aug 5, 2008
  15. Barciurek

    Barciurek Junior Member
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    hmm ive never been able to get any kind of GSM signal out there...
    first signal i got was at ~4000 m high.. plus gsm in poland.. preparing to landing.. but nothing en route.
     
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    #15 Barciurek, Aug 6, 2008
  16. JasonWells

    JasonWells Junior Member
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    I have tried this a lot. The Moto V710 almost always had a signal on AMPS. It was somewhat interesting to map the routes via SIDs. I haen't had luck with the GSM phone getting signals, not to say someone can't. On one flight, there was enough signal from time to time to keep in contact with my sister via Text messaging. The batteries seem to drain very quickly doing this, from my experiences.

    It was interesting to see that the planes don't seem to fly directly from point A to point B. I think they may have 'airways' they follow, but not sure. Any ideas?
     
    #16 JasonWells, Aug 16, 2008
  17. KyleAndMelissa22

    KyleAndMelissa22 Woot Woot, Splat !!!
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    On the way to CA, I had a call go through on Alltel analog (on SID 546) at above 37,000 feet over Missouri.
    I just looked at my latest Alltel bill and it said a call was made "while in Lebanon, MO" :D.

    I believe most times they fly in a straight line from A to B, like when the weather cooperates.
    But on a map the line will look like a curve.
     
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    #17 KyleAndMelissa22, Aug 22, 2008
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