Cell jammers

[Perfection]

Well, I'd think it would be easy enough to install a Faraday cage in most movie theaters.

 

[malclave]

No link sorry.

What happened to decorum? I think these things are great. Cell phones are like a plague.

I saw this on a blog (http://www.instapundit.com/) earlier; link to the NY Times article is http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/t...f9&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

The blog owner posted an email from one of his readers regarding this:

My wife has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition with which I believe you are familiar. For 30 years, she been slowly losing her battle with the disease and is now on the list to receive a heart transplant.

Neither she nor I had a cellphone when she went on the list. We purchased two of those cheap, pay-as-you-go phones so the hospital can contact us if a heart becomes available.

Basically, we're waiting for one life-changing phone call -- and if we're sitting next to one of these lawbreaking, self-righteous jerks when it comes, we'll miss it.

 

[Commodore]

My wife has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition with which I believe you are familiar. For 30 years, she been slowly losing her battle with the disease and is now on the list to receive a heart transplant.

Neither she nor I had a cellphone when she went on the list. We purchased two of those cheap, pay-as-you-go phones so the hospital can contact us if a heart becomes available.

Basically, we're waiting for one life-changing phone call -- and if we're sitting next to one of these lawbreaking, self-righteous jerks when it comes, we'll miss it.

Thus bringing the world one step closer to solving overpopulation.

I know, I shouldn't have said that, but I couldn't resist. Especially after he has the nerve to call other people self-righteous after that little speech of his. Say he does get that call, then him and his wife will annoy me even more with their loud cries of jubilation.

You don't have to tell me, I already know I'm going to Hell. But, since I don't believe in Hell, Iguess I'm just fine.

 

[El Koeno]

I get the feeling that the people who want to jam cell phones, are people who never use cell phones, because no one wants to talk to them...

 

[Erik Mesoy]

I want one of these, if only so I can unobtrusively cut people off when they start talking right in front of a No Cellphones sign. You won't believe how often that happens.

How did cellphones sneak up to becoming a right, anyway? Far too many people treat them that way.

 

[IglooDame]

what harm is there in banning a small hunk of electronics if all they can be used for is to infringe on the ability of other people to talk?

I admit it is a bit fallacious to think that criminals would use these in numbers that mean anything, but then again, people just messing with other people and being pricks about it seems more likely.

Where the harm shows up is the attitude that "there's no legitimate reason to have these, so let's ban them" when they are inanimate objects that (individually) don't do any significant harm to society - it is the operators of the devices who are responsible, and the actual causing harm part ought to be the illegal action, not the buying of it.

Oh, believe me, it was VERY expensive and difficult to acquire. It is about 3 feet in length and 1.5 feet in height. The documentation I have for it says its effective range is 4km. I'll double check it to make sure

But who knows, maybe the company lied about its effective range to make it more marketable.

EDIT: Just checked the documentation, it's not 4km, it's 3km. Still that's a damn good range. Also, there are techniques one can use to prevent the jammer from emitting a constant signal, therefore avoiding FCC detection.

Ah, something like this?

Congrats, you've just escalated beyond anyone's definition of reasonable. If you were a gun-owner you'd be the guy situating claymore mines around his front door.

And while you've managed to challenge (unsuccessfully) my sense of "why should this device be illegal", I do think that firing that gear up should net you a couple years in prison per use - there's a measurable chance that someone within a 3km radius of you will suffer unduly by your terminating of their phone call, odds are about three hundred thousand times greater than if you were using a little handheld jammer.

 

[ShannonCT]

My wife has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition with which I believe you are familiar. For 30 years, she been slowly losing her battle with the disease and is now on the list to receive a heart transplant.

Neither she nor I had a cellphone when she went on the list. We purchased two of those cheap, pay-as-you-go phones so the hospital can contact us if a heart becomes available.

Basically, we're waiting for one life-changing phone call -- and if we're sitting next to one of these lawbreaking, self-righteous jerks when it comes, we'll miss it.

I get the feeling that the people who want to jam cell phones, are people who never use cell phones, because no one wants to talk to them...

It looks like some people don't understand how these portable jammers work and are typically used. You dont just go sit on a train and turn it on. The batteries run out after a couple hours, and you'd have to be recharging it all the time. Instead, you carry it with you and leave it off. If someone next to you starts carrying on a loud, profanity-laced conversation, you turn on the jammer for a few seconds to end the call. If they try again, a few more seconds. This kind of use is a lot less likely to cause someone to miss an emergency call than are regular network blind spots.

Oh, and nice ad hominem El Koeno.

 

[Commodore]

Congrats, you've just escalated beyond anyone's definition of reasonable. If you were a gun-owner you'd be the guy situating claymore mines around his front door.

That's me, a real pushing the envelope kind of guy.

 

[Grisu]

should be legal in private places and businesses as long as they advertise it. Keep it banned in public places.

They can already do this if they would simply enforce it and toss out the jerks who abuse their cell phones.

but that would mean that they have to have somebody monitor if people use the cell phone. Jammer's much easier, and as long as they advertise this at the door, I'm perfectly fine with it.

If my daughter has a flat tire in a bad part of town for instance. If my hot water heater bursts at the house my kids can call me to come home asap. If a bunch of cops show up in the neighborhood because someguy is lose there that they are chasing I can come home and make sure my kids are ok (that one has really happened a couple of times).

the place you live in sure sounds scary.

Please stop trying to tell me how to be a parent. I know how to be a good parent. Good parents want their kids (and themselves) to feel secure about people they love. Cell phones do this.

Not to me or my wife. Again, what right do you have to dictate how I care for my kids?

none, and neither do you have the right to tell people how to run their business. And don't give me that 'it's not me, it's the government'. We're not debating wheter jammers are illegal (they are) but rather if they should be, and you seem to support keeping them illegal, hence you are, in a way, telling a theatre owner how to run his business...

 

[Perfection]

That's me, a real pushing the envelope kind of guy.

I'd put the term at criminal or liar.

@KaeptnOvi, you may wanna take a look at my discussion of the problems with these jammers on properties.

There's a significant difference between a faraday cage and installing a jammer. That is a jammer can affect people off the property. Your cafe jammer can't be allowed to disrupt the signal of everyone who passes in front of the store or are at thier neighbors. As such it is important that if these things are to be used they must be installed properly and inspected through a tightly regulated government certified process. You shouldn't be able to purchase and install these devices from the home depot.

 

[Grisu]

@KaeptnOvi, you may wanna take a look at my discussion of the problems with these jammers on properties.

must have missed that post

I do agree, though. It must be ensured that the jammer is only effective within the premises of the business.

 

[Mathilda]

Use a bloody normal phone like people did before or something.

The only person with a landline I know is my grandmother, so to use one I'd have to drive an hour and a half.
Not very practical.
A mobile phone is cheaper than a landline, and there's no point in having both.

 

[MobBoss]

Thus bringing the world one step closer to solving overpopulation.

I know, I shouldn't have said that, but I couldn't resist. Especially after he has the nerve to call other people self-righteous after that little speech of his. Say he does get that call, then him and his wife will annoy me even more with their loud cries of jubilation.

You don't have to tell me, I already know I'm going to Hell. But, since I don't believe in Hell, Iguess I'm just fine.

After reading this, I, for one, most sincerely hope you get caught with that thing Commodore, and sent up the river for a very, very long time.

Thats making the very large assumption you havent been bs'ing your way all through this thread.

 

[Bamspeedy]

A mobile phone is cheaper than a landline, and there's no point in having both.

Has cell phone charges changed dramatically in the last couple years? When I had one, it was way more expensive to have a cell phone. I guess if the majority of your calls are long distance, but now I get free long distance with my landline and if you happen to go way over your allowed minutes with a cell phone, the bill will be astronomical.

 

[Mathilda]

Might depend on where you live

 

[warpus]

I pay $40 CDN a month for unlimited long distance to North America and parts of Europe. No extra costs, ever, and I get voicemail, 3-way calling, free *69, and all the other goodies.

A cellphone is cheaper than this, for all that?

 

[El Koeno]

Oh, and nice ad hominem El Koeno.

I'm sorry, I don't mean to use inappropriate debating techniques in here, but I got tired of how pointless this whole discussion is, and I found Commodore's post quite offensive, so I kind of crossed my own line.

 

[Mulholland]

I personally hate cell phones. I see their utility, but I would like nothing more than to slap self important 'business men' blabbing on about the "slut" that they banged last night. But whatever, the world can be a very annoying place and if we can't learn to deal with minor inconveniences caused by technological progress in a constructive way then we might as well head back to the dark ages.

And If what Commodore says is true (which it probably isn't) he is no better than those self important 'business men'. In fact, he is probably worse, as he's putting public safety at risk. And commodore, that world population comment really pissed me off. Grow up man. You're not a revolutionary you're just a brat.

 

[Perfection]

I'm sorry, I don't mean to use inappropriate debating techniques in here, but I got tired of how pointless this whole discussion is, and I found Commodore's post quite offensive, so I kind of crossed my own line.

I think he meant that as a compliment. I know I woulda meant it that way.

 

[fishlore]

Jammers should be built into every car on the planet. I turn red with rage when I see a woman in her SUV holding up the passing lane while she weaves back and forth chatting away like she's at home. If you have an emergency in a case like this, turn off the car and make your call. Either something like this happens, cops actually enforce the law or I'm going to start running more people off the road. Something has to give.

Another cool scenario would be to buy a beater car, find a woman on her cell phone, get in front of her, block her call and then slam on the brakes. She hits you and it's her fault. Couple that with a picture of her on her cell phone and get her another ticket on top of the accident.