Mobile phone

[Ross]

In August this year I bought a "Pilot GSM Phone Adapter" from Adams Aviation at Bankstown aerodrome. This cost $99 and comes with a certificate from Adams Aviation. This seems a bit expensive but I guess it doesn't have much of a turnover.

 

 

The adapter shown connected to a phone via the 2.5 mm Din pin and an extra small adapter to suit that phone (not a Nokia). The leads on the left plug into the aircraft sockets and the headset plugs into the marked sockets.

 

The adapter'smain male connectors,on two leads,plug into the headset radio jacks of an aircraft instead of the normal headset plugs.

 

The two headsetplugs are in turnplugged into the set of matching sockets on the adapter.

 

There is athird lead on the adapter with a 2.5 mm stereo Din plug to connect to a Mobile phone.

 

This setup is supposed to allow you to use the radio quite normally and use the mobile phone to dial out or receive calls using the headset earphones and microphone provided your phone has 2.5 mm stereo Din type plugs.

 

My mobile (at the moment) is a Nokia model 2125 CDMA phone so I needed another small adapter in between the Din plug and thephone because of the wide Nokia type connection.

 

So I did a Google search "Nokia 2125 adapter" to find thespecific adapter for the Nokia 2125 model phone. There are something like 800 phone accessory items on the ebay site below. It cost me $8-50 plus $4-50 for postage. It should be here in a couple of days.

 

http://stores.ebay.com.au/ebuyphone_W0QQsspagenameZADMEQ3aBQ3aEOIBSAQ3aAUQ3a45QQtZkm

 

I had been trying tofind an adapter for this phone for months. I will let you know how it goes without the Jabiru engine running.

 

Regards Ross

 

 

[WestCoast]

Ross....that is exactly what I have been looking for as I recently bought 2 Telex Stratus 50 digital headsets which comeswith a cell phone/MP3 adaptor however my Nokia 5110 (brick) was not compatable (connector wise).

 

I will be very interested to hear how it goes when you receive the adaptor andif it is asuccess, I will try and get one myself.

 

Thanks for posting that information.

 

Regards

 

Dave WestCoast

 

 

[Ross]

Hi Dave

 

I did a search for one for a 5110 and turned up the following site for an older 5110 to connect to a 2.5 mm Din. It is overseas by the look of it and I don't know if that is what you want!

 

By the way what are the details on your main adapter?

 

http://www.westsidecellular.com/store/nokia5100.html

 

Regards Ross

 

 

[Ultralights]

when i fly, i rarely get any service. even when 1000 ft above suburbia in Syds lane of entry..:confused:

 

 

[Ross]

Hi Rob

 

What gear are you using GMS or CDMA and what kind of aircraft.

 

Is the AC composite or metal?

 

Some time ago somebody did an article in one of the ultralight magazines on this subject.

 

They suggested that they got good reception up most of the east coast (if my memory servesme correctly) and their phone wason the CDMA network ("code division multiple access" whatever that means) which would also make it Optus or Telstra.

 

I do not know what the effect of the change in the CDMA network will be aside from needing a new mobile. I think I was told by my local supplier that the existing CDMA system will not be turned off until2008 (which end??). I'm not sure when the new system will be activated. He also claims that the new systemwill have a better coverage than the existing CDMA network.

 

Regards Ross

 

 

[Wilfred]

I have a lightspeed 30G headset which has a built in phone adapter which works greatand as far as coverage goes i have a telsta service on digital and very rarely find an area out of service while in the air.

 

we tried a next G phone last week but the coverage at present is not that good . As you say they assure us it will be better than the existing CDMA network by mid next year.

 

Having said that the allthough coverage is great in the air i often find on landing that their is no coverage in that area while on the ground.

 

By the way that is in the Jab . I would think a metal aircraft could have some reception problems.

 

Also with the microair transponder, it often reads incorrect altitudes when the mobile is turned on, so be careful if in controlled airspace.

 

Also that ericsen phone in your photo is probably about 10 years old. They were never a model renownded for ther reception qualities.

 

turtle

 

 

[WestCoast]

Hi Ross,

 

After I made that last post, I also did a search and ended up finding one for the Nokia 5110in the USA through TangShop.com

 

It's exactly what Iwanted and was US$2.95 + shipping $US5.99 (USPS International airmail)...all up about $12.50 AUD so it's on the way to me now.

 

Thanks again forgiving me the lead..........I get to keep my beloved "brick"! (anything smaller I lose)

 

Regards

 

Dave

 

 

[Guest pelorus32]

Hey Turtle,

 

that's my phone in that picture and it has great reception! And...I swear that it's only 3.5 years old.

 

The best phone ever made :star:

 

Mike

 

 

[Ross]

Hi Peter (Turtle)

 

The phone in the photo is just a pic of the folder that comes with the adapter from Adams Aviation at Bankstown aerodrome.

 

I suspect that itwas faily ancient and all is really now outdated as you have pointed out with headsets now available with mobile phone connectivity built in. I think the guy at Adams Aviation even mentioned in August that there was a new David Clarke headset coming out about late in the year (2006) that would also have built in mobile connectivity or it might have been active noise reduction or both!

 

This built in connectivity presumably does away with some of the losses you get with multiple connections and therefore less things to go wrong. However all theRF connection both ways is still done by the phone and has nothing to do with the aircraft radio aerial.

 

For those unfortunates like me that already had our headsets and our mobile phones this is an option without spending a lot of money.

 

You may also find at the moment that once you get away from the capital cities that the CDMA will perform better than the digital phones although the digital ones are supposed to give better coverage in the cities amongst city buildings. However my wife and I use our CDMA phones to find one another when shopping in the CBD in the big stores in Sydney with no problems of coverage.

 

Regards Ross

 

 

[Ben Longden]

Any ideas for connectors with the Motorola series that use a small USB connection socket?

 

Ben

 

 

[Wilfred]

<TABLE height=125 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=125>

 

<T>

 

<TR>

 

<TD vAlign=center align=middle width=125> </TD></TR></T></TABLE><a href="http://www.daydeal.com/product.php?productid=13306&cat=1787&page=1" target="_blank">3.5mm Stereo Audio Adapter for Motorola RAZR V3 V3i SLVR L7 L6 PEBL

 

U6 KRZR K1</A>

 

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/3-5mm-Motorola-Headphone-Adapter-MP3-Adaptor-V3-V3i-AU_W0QQitemZ230042396651QQihZ013QQcategoryZ42404QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

http://stores.ebay.com.au/i-fever-Express

 

 

[peter]

Have used a CDMA phone and had continuous coverage (over 2000ft) from Goolwa to Melbourne, Goolwa to Leigh Creek, Goolwa to Broken Hill, Goolwa to Narromine, Goolwa to Pt Augusta. Originally used to send SMS of my progress as a relaible form of personal SARWATCH but since getting a Flightcell 2go I can now use it through the headset -- reception is brilliant. First time I used it my wife thought I was ringing on a landline - she couldn't hear any aircraft noise.

 

I have found good digital reception continously betweeen Goolwa and Melbourne but haven't tried it further afield --- yet.

 

Flightcell is expensive but I've been so impressed I'm going to upgrade soon to the flightcell pro.

 

Cheers Peter

 

 

[Guest DonC]

I dont suppose you know where I could get one for a Samsung A501?

 

Strange looking oblong socket smaller than above

 

Need to connect to Lightspeed 30G

 

 

[Wilfred]

Generally if it has a headset then it will be posible to buy or make an adapter. Ask the shop where you purchased it what is available. or the headset supplier will sometimes carry adapters or know where to obtain them.

 

 

[Smokey]

On the XCom Avionics website, the description of the FlightCell states 'Free

 

cellphone adaptors supplied from the manufacturer for popular phones'.

 

Obviously this would only be if you bought a FlightCell.

 

However, if you are looking for adaptors it might be worth giving

 

Micael Coates a ring and see if these can be sourced as seperate items.

 

I've bought a couple of things from Mike and always found him most helpful.

 

http://www.xcomavionics.com & click on Phone Hookup in index

 

Mark

 

 

[Ross]

Hi All

 

My Nokia model 2125 adapter for 2.5 mmDin connection arrived a day or two ago. The only problem was that it was 3.5 mm Din socket instead of 2.5 mm. So I am now waiting on a 3.5 mm plug to 2.5 mm socket adapter to make the connection complete.

 

 

Regards

 

 

[Smokey]

So I am now waiting on a 3.5 mm plug to 2.5 mm socket adapter to make the connection complete.

Ross

 

Sounds like you have already ordered one but if it's any help Jaycar carry one PA3536 $2.95. Dick Smith used to carry one but now only seem to have a 2.5 plug to 3.5 skt

 

www.jaycar.com.au-appears they have an agency in Leeton, Ezone Electronics.

 

Mark

 

 

[Guest DaShadow]

I found this on the internet it answers a lot of your questions

 

<DIV align=center>Product Review - Flightcell 2Go Mobile Phone Interface<?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

by Michael Coates

 

<DIV =Msonormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center>

 

<HR align=center width="100%" SIZE=2>

 

It was at the Avalon international airshow in 2005 that I first met the team selling the FlightCell range of mobile phone to aviation-headset interface units.

 

In the past years all of the systems that I had used had shown very erratic operation, sometimes they would work other times they wouldn't, sometimes a call would come through and you could hear and at other times the phone rang and you didn’t know to answer it, some weren’t compatible with the popular Australian phones being US based companies.

 

Enter the FlightCell 2Go, manufactured in <?:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New Zealand</st1:place></st1:country-region>…. I found the FlightCell 2Go very easy to use, simply fit the battery; plug the FlightCell 2Go into your aviation jacks and connect your headsets into the FlightCell 2Go unit. With my little Nokia CDMA phone connected the system works seamlessly.

 

I now have about 300 hours flying behind the FlightCell 2Go and probably 50 are those hours would be using the mobile phone. Basically there are two phone systems in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>; there is the digital or GSM network and also the CDMA network. I have used both phone networks with the FlightCell 2Go and really the only one that provides the best performance in an aircraft is the CDMA network.

 

I can fly from <st1:City w:st="on">Melbourne</st1:City> all the way to <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Brisbane</st1:place></st1:City> and not lose the signal once. The GSM network is constantly coming and going and will occasionally disconnect the call. For reliable service and trouble free performance in your aircraft I would only recommend a CDMA phone.

 

One of the remarkable things when using your phone is trying to convince the person at the other end that you are actually in a plane. The unit does such a good job of filtering out all of the aircraft noise that it truly sounds like you are sitting in a quiet lounge room at home. When I have told people ‘sorry I can't get you that information because I am currently in an aeroplane somewhere near Moree’ they just don't believe me.

 

There is really no control over the FlightCell 2Go, the unit is programmed to be automatically on when the mobile phone becomes awake and once you have finished your call the FlightCell 2Go automatically switches off to conserve battery power.

 

With a normal 9 V alkaline battery you can expect around 40 hours of talk time or five days of standby time. With most Ultralight type of aircraft doing less than 50 hours a year you really only need to look at changing the battery every six to 12 months. If the battery in the FlightCell 2Go ever goes dead then you only lose the mobile phone interface, you still have the direct communication through to your VHF radio. When the battery in the FlightCell 2Go is going dead a red LED is illuminated on top of the FlightCell 2Go advising you that it is time to change batteries, it couldn’t be easier !

 

Making calls

 

Making calls is very easy, all you do is dial a number on your mobile phone and press send, once you press the first button on your mobile phone keypad the FlightCell 2Go wakes up and you can hear the tones as you press the buttons through your headset. As a call connects you can actually hear the ringing sound and then you can talk clearly to the person at the other end of the phone and when you’re finished you simply hang up.

 

<BR style="mso-column-break-before: always" clear=all>

 

Receiving calls

 

Receiving calls is also very easy to do, when a call comes into your mobile phone the first thing that happens is you hear a funny tone through your headsets, this tells you that the mobile phone has woken up the FlightCell 2Go unit. From then you can actually hear the phone ringing and then you just press any of the buttons to answer the call. When finished you simply hang up.

 

Legal issues

 

It's hard to actually find out if using a mobile phone in an Australian aircraft is illegal; it depends who you ask.

 

The FCC which is the governing body for the radio spectrum in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region> basically says you cannot use mobile phones when airborne. Other countries and organisations have more lenient attitudes and allow the use of mobile phones when airborne provided the pilot has approved the use of the unit and has deemed it not to be detrimental to the safe operation of the aircraft. At worst case you can always use the mobile phone when you are on the ground and warming up your aircraft, there is nothing like giving the wife a call to say you'll be home in two hours.

 

Overall I am very happy with my FlightCell 2Go unit; it does everything the product is meant to do enabling you to use a mobile phone seamlessly through your aviation headsets without upsetting any of the aircraft systems or VHF radio. The FlightCell 2Go is available from XCOM Avionics for $319 including GST. More information from Michael Coates on 07 5568 7770 or at http://www.mcp.com.au

 

 

[Admin]

Just in case any of you were wanting to know where you can get the FlightCell from you can get them from the shop here although there not listed in there yet but if anyone wants one I can organise it - I know, a low down cheap plug:laugh:

 

 

[Ross]

Hi Mark

 

Thanks for that Mark. However, you're right on all counts. Leeton did not have one in stock after a five minute search and after another five or so the sales assistant found it in the catalogue. Not sure whether it was Dick Smith or Jaycar. So I was back home in about 15 minutes.

 

I have a Jaycar catalogue but thought the shop may have had it in stock and it is about 1 km away and I can usually park within 60 metres. Their freight should be less than mine even with a mark up.

 

Regards Ross

 

 

[Ross]

Hi Don

 

I saw an article on the Flightcell 2Go a year or two ago but could not recall the name or detail. It seems to be an improvement on whatever was available previously with its cabin noise swuppression and built in amplifier .

 

I have no idea how the components I have bought will behave as I am yet to put it all together and it will be some time before I get it in the air with the engine running.

 

The write up you have posted is good on detail. The other post from Goolwa also pointed out the good results with CDMA over part of the western part of NSW as being far superior to the GMS system which was continuously dropping out.

 

Regards

 

 

[peter]

I would mirror all of Michael Coates comments re the Flightcell 2go -- I rang him and talked about the performance before I bought, I thought he was exageratingbut found out pretty quickly he was just telling it as it is -- mine has been great - noise suppresion and clarity is excellent.

 

I would recommend it

 

Peter

 

 

[Ross]

The 2.5 to 3.5 Din adapter finally arrived so I tried it out to find it quite disappointing on my setup which is shown at the top of this topic except that I have a Nokia CDMA model 2125 phone. So I am pursuing the Flightcell 2Go next.

 

I think anyone looking at this Topic should read the review article on headsets in this months Kit Planes (November) magazine. It considers ANR headsets, the previous month did PNR headsets, with options such as battery or panel powered, built in amplifiers, cell phone connections, music connections, stereo and mono.

 

There are a number of new models out and many of them well under $US1,000. Next month they are doing a review of thein ear very light type.

 

Regards Ross