I would guess that this device works on the same principal as vibrating belt clips, which require no connection to the phone. As to weather it would work with digital as well as analog phones, I have no idea.

Ted

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Nside
Lance-

So you're saying that it would work for PCS or just normal digital?

There is no such thing as PCS or just normal digital. There are several digital formats, CDMA, TDMA and GSM. There are a few more, but these are the top three. Cellular is considered a frequency, which is 800 Mhz. PCS is also a frequency, which is 1900 MHZ.

Verizon uses cellular as well as PCS. They operate digital on both frequencies and analog in the cellular frequency. Most of the digital area is CDMA, but they have a few area that are TDMA but are converting them to CDMA.

Sprint uses CDMA and only use the PCS frequency. When you leave their area and are on analog mode, you are the cellular frequency. There are only two cellular carriers per market.

AT&T uses TDMA, which is what GSM is based off of. AT&T is mainly a PCS carrier, but had cellular assets in McCaw Cellular(owner of the cellular one name.)

Cingular uses TDMA and analog. Their TDMA is on PCS or cellular frequencies and analog on the cellular.

Voicestream uses GSM and has a much smaller coverage area. They are operating on the PCS band only.

The CDMA technology is also used by Global Star which uses satellites and a different frequency then PCS or cellular. The phones can also work on the cellular and I believe the PCS band as well and then talk to the satellites when you are out of the coverage area. This reduces cost to the customer.

GSM uses a different frequency band then the GSM uses here in the states. But, the GSM technology is exactly the same. If the phone could be setup to use both bands, they would be able to be used in both areas.

Analog, CDMA, TDMA and GSM is just how it transmits the signal, as well as how it is encoded and decoded. It is independent of the frequency used.

Analog is only used in the cellular frequency as 800 mhz can travel farther then the 1900 mhz can. In rural areas where towers are spread far apart, it makes much more sense to use the cellular band.

What does this all mean, PCS is just hype. They have nothing more then the cellular carriers do, they are equal in terms of technology. The cellular companies have a larger area though.

There is much, much more but I think you get the point.

Lance

 

Lance, that is a great post.

It is my understanding that analog cellular phones always listen, but do not constantly transmit. I believe they transmit their ESN when turned on, and then again periodically when queried by the tower.

I can't believe my Vader 3620 (90 grams) phone would stay in standby for 24 hours if it were transmitting constantly.

In addition, I believe the transmission power of handheld analog cellular units is 600 milliwatts or 200 milliwatts depending on whether the phone is programmed for "battery saver" (200 milliwatts) or "regular" (600 milliwatts) mode. I wasn't aware that the tower regulated the phone's transmit power.

Car phones and bag phones transmit at 3,000 milliwatts. Handhelds are limited by the FCC to 600 milliwatts to keep rf away from the user's brain. Hams (who are supposed to be smart enough to keep their antennas away from their brains) often transmit at 6,000 milliwatts with handheld two way radios.

Also, I think the phones can be set for "always transmit during a call" or for "vox controlled transmit" during a call.

In any case, I think the CD-CM1 would fill the bill for me.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Barry WY Silver/Black '01
[B]Lance, that is a great post.

It is my understanding that analog cellular phones always listen, but do not constantly transmit.

 

I don't know about all the cellular info, but I do remember that my old Sony cd player (CDX-2180) and, I'm pretty sure, my current Kenwood, KDC-415S, have jacks on the back for a cellular phone mute. I think that if you buy a car installation kit (ie, your phone can be hardwired into your car, but you can remove the phone; there are plugs or outlets or whatever to connect your phone to in the car), part of the kit is a lead from the phone to the stereo, to mute or cut it off when receiving a call. You might call your cell phone's manufacturer to see about buying or getting the lead from phone to head unit. Good Luck

 

HondaGuy347, you are right. What I like about the CD-CM1 is that it works without wiring. My habit is to place the phone in the car's cup holder but not hard wire it.

I don't spend THAT MUCH time in the car when I'm on call. In fact, hard wiring it into my daily driver Prelude has never been that strong an urge either.

But to have the phone on my belt or in the cup holder and have the mute work, that would be TERRIFFIC!

[Edited by Barry WY Silver/Black '01 on 05-16-2001 at 05:38 AM]

 

Barry been there done that. It does work with my mod. I did one guys radio just like that and he says it works perfectly!(almost) Just once and a great while it will mute for a second for no good reason! Other than that he loves it and works.

You just have to wire it so that it will output the (-) pluse between the relay and the radio.

Good luck! Its a pretty simple operaton. If you need help let me know.

 

Pinky, does that mean that I could buy a CD-CM1 and a Pinky's mod and a stereo head ALL - From - YOU , and choose whatever stereo head I wanted, and you'd put it together?

Or would I be limited to Pioneer heads designed to interface with the CD-CM1?

Barry

 

I wouldn't say limited in a bad way....I think its a great product line. Though far as I know it should work with any stereo that has a mute lead off the radio. Its just a activated (-) neg trigger. So YES you could buy it from me and choose any stereo you wanted(I believe) and use the CD-CM1 with it. Though of course IM BIASED and love Pioneer's line. I have no problems saying that im biased but hay its track record and quality without question puts it #1 in my book.

 

Pinky, I agree with you about Pioneer, although I have much less experience with it.

I kind of like the idea of an MP3 player simply to allow me to take a large number of purchased cds condensed down to a few cdr disks. For my own situation, the CD-CM1 would be fantastic and probably much more important than the MP3 capability.

I like the DEH P730 very much. I am also considering the Alpine CDA-7876 and CDA-7878(vaporware). If the Alpine adapter KCE-865B works instead of your Pinky's Mod, I'll probably just go with the Alpine setup and buy it locally.

Best to you and thanks for being so good about answering all my questions.

Barry