Part 2

Cellphones, it seems they are everywhere, people chatting away in pursuit of fulfilling their personal agenda. I must make one observation now!

There are people WHO SHOULD NOT OPERATE a vehicle of any kind WHILE ON THE PHONE! You know who you are! There need be no shame; many people cannot provide focused attention to multiple tasks as required when driving and trying to hold an involved conversation. I am not ashamed to admit that I fall into that category. So I do not use the phone while operating a vehicle for more than a "I'll be late" call. Now that I've vented that, lets get on with it.

You must have seen the Ad that touts the superiority of digital cellular. Nowadays it is the belief that if it's digital it's better. That is not accurate. Digital is no better nor any worse than analog forms of communication. Whoa you say "analog"? I've heard of digital this and digital that but what's analog? Analog is the way nature works. We speak and our vocal cords vibrate the air. Our ears pick up the vibrations and mechanically translate the vibrations into chemical/electro impulses that our brain translates into speech. Traditional phones worked on the analog principal. You spoke into the mouth piece vibrating the air, the air would vibrate a diaphragm in the microphone that moved a small magnet which turned the air vibration into a corresponding electrical current. This current was then modified to suit the particular transmission format and then the process is reversed at the receiving end. The electrical current moves a magnet in a speaker that vibrates the air that our ears can hear.

People operate in analog, even digital equipment has to convert from digital to analog and vice versa if a human being is to use it. Analog devices only converted one from of energy (Mechanical) to another (Electrical) and back again. It is a one to one relationship. (Like two tin cans and a string) Digital devices take it further. Digital can be considered as a representation of speech not speech itself. After speech is converted into electrical energy , the current is sampled and a collection of those samples are measured and converted into periods of current and no current. Redundant samples are discarded and now you are in the world of computer communication. The signal has lost any relationship to the energy used to create it. In a nut shell that is the difference. A well designed analog phone can perform as well as a well designed digital phone. Both have to convert electrical signals back to mechanical energy in order for a person to use it. So if a phone has a lousy speaker, microphone or a volume level too low for the environment, analog or digital has nothing to do with it. In real world environments most people would not notice the difference.

The only difference the service providers can sell to end users is the elimination of static. Analog communications are more prone to noise. Noise is a analog signal, boost the level of the speech you boost the noise as well. Digital communication has no analog component so the noise is effectively removed. This is what all of the service providers try to make this sound like the next coming. What they do not tell you is that digital cellular is a all or nothing proposition. While it is noise free, either you hear something or you don't. Either you can hold a normal conversation or you can't hear at all. A bad digital connection (and they do happen) goes like this.

"ello __is is Fi___ _ational ___k. Th__ is to __ify __u __at y___ __count _s ______awn."

That is if you hear anything at all. On a bad analog call you would have to put up with a bunch of static but you may be able to filter out a useful conversation. That is because we are used to operating in a analog world and our brains are accustomed to filtering out unwanted sounds. I can see the techies hopping up and down saying things about "additional features and special services, but, but, but". Those subjects are for a different article I am just discussing basics here. So any special features and deals aside. It does not matter weather you have a analog or digital phone with you when you go riding, as long as you have one that works.

For emergency purposes alone you do not even have to be signed on to a service. It is required by law, that all cellular telephone carriers provide free access to emergency numbers. That means that even if you haven't paid your cell phone bill in 5 years you still are able to dial 911 or *FHP etc Carriers cannot block you from these numbers.

*** Do Not Test your phone by calling 911!!*** They do not appreciate this. If you want to see if your phone works, dial any local number. If it is working you will get a ring and if the phone is disconnected (Not currently signed up with a service) You will still get a recording. As long hear the ring and or the recording, you can call 911 *CHP etc.

Well that wraps up part two. In the next installment we'll explore the new technologies that make the cell phone a more useful tool for the motorcyclist. Keep the round part down.

Pete "The tech weenie" Nevai