Does GPS work through glass?

cor Fred your not gonna buy a whole new chart are you ? steady on now

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The phone transmits, where the GPS only receives.

You may remember on "9/11", people in the planes were calling home on their cellphones. So although you can do it, I understand that the cellphone system doesn't like it, as it can have you log onto several cells at once, whereas when you are on the ground it logs on to only one cell at a time, and of course wasn't the cause of the crashes.

Chat to Moose. He can probably tell you all you need to know.



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Alistairr, whilst being no expert, I am sure that the reason for the non-use of mobiles is down to the fact that whilst a mobile is turned on, it is always in a send & receive mode and can be interrogated by the cell system at any time. This how they can trace people's whereabouts. However, I am not sure of what altitudes the mobile system can reach out to. Mobiles are not satellite systems however, but work on a microwave basis. GPS on the other hand, are satellite based but only in a receive mode. They do not have the capability to interrogate satellites, but 'read' all the information beamed to them by the satellites they can see. This being the case, they are passive systems, and are of no hazard to aircraft systems at all. All IMHO of course, being a non-expert.

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Simple answer to several questions

You can use GPS on some airlines, others won't allow it.; I've used handheld GPS on commercial airlines for years, and have only been asked to turn it off once. Typically they will only work if you are in a window seat, and hold the unit quite close to the window

GPS receives quite low powered signals from satellites. It does not transmit. Transmission is what causes the problem, as it could interfere with sensitive electronic systems on board. As GPS does not transmit, this isn't a problem.

Mobile phones do transmit. They don't transmit to satellites, they transmit and receive to local aerial masts. This is why mobile phone coverage is not complete as it depends on having aerial masts all over the country, and it's not cost effective to put these in to remote areas where there is little use.

There are some mobiles which use satellite coverage, but these are very different to the ones the general public use, and a lot more expensive.

<hr width=100% size=1> I asked an economist for her phone number....and she gave me an estimate
 
Thankyou all for your answers. I understand Now.

BUT WHY?????

Why do you take them anyway?, just for the sheer hell of it? Or in case the pilot loses his way?

Why?



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Flying over Greenland, Canada even UK, I Love to be able to look down and identify exactly which village, town, blob of light I'm looking at, as you can be hundreds of miles out if trying to do it purely visually

<hr width=100% size=1> I asked an economist for her phone number....and she gave me an estimate
 
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