In article fredsez writes:

What the hell, there are so many rules and regulations that the rule
makers are lost. I climb 9,000 ft mountains near a 16 million
population, and my phone will probably blast them all. I am not in an
aircraft, so I'm legal, but I might as well be. I fly over the same
mtns and would like to have the ability to have someone be able to
track my position by GPS. My granddaughter landed in the big nasty
mountains and spent the night in "God knew nowhere". She managed a
safe landing but search and rescue had to be called. If the highly
respected geniuses can create a thing like B Baum describes, surely
some one can figure that it would save lives and money in search and
rescue. Better than an ELT. Think about the search for Faucett last
year.
Let's pray that progress continues and is not stopped by some dumb ass
legislator that likes to make rules. F Robinson.

The discussion included the concept that cellphones often do not work
on those mountains, or in gliders. Various folks had noticed this.
I notice this on a 2600 foot mountain, with far fewer than 16 million
population in sight.

Cell phones often don't work back in the mountains, or the valleys
between them. Look up the details of the family who got stuck in the
snow in southwestern Oregon a few years ago -- the cellphone did not
work, and one member of the family died trying to walk out. ( I think
that he should have (a) stayed with the family in the car, and (b) had
a way to recharge the cellphone. )

Banning cellphone use in aircraft is not some dumb legislator -- it
is the result of engineers knowledgable in the effects and principles
of cellphone systems. Banning them in cars while driving is dumb
legislators who don't understand real studies of safety...

If you want progress, use a satellite phone system that will work
anywhere you get a view of the sky. I think Spot is one such system.
Do not rely on cellular systems that have incomplete coverage.


Alan