[Scan-DC] Ramsey passive air-band monitor?

[Andrew Clegg]

Technically, the general category of "radio receivers" is still not allowed on planes at any time, despite the recent relaxation on the use of portable electronic devices. (Nevermind that everyone's Wi-Fi equipped PDA obviously has a radio receiver in it, and many planes now have Wi-Fi available, so people are clearly using radio transmitters and receivers.) A scanner or other normal and obvious radio receiver would not be allowed. This Ramsey device (or equivalent circuits) is a radio receiver, but it doesn't have an LO, so they don't radiate, so, in theory, there should be no problem using them on planes, because the origin of the prohibition on receivers is rooted, apparently, in concern over radiated emissions from the LO. 
I would like to use one of these Ramsey devices (or equivalent circuit) to listen to the transmissions from the plane I am sitting on. That's their main purpose. I recognize that these devices will only pick up very strong (and therefore very close) transmissions, but I'm wondering how well they do that. If instead of sitting on the plane, if I'm sitting in the terminal near a window, will I hear the planes right outside on the tarmac? If so, from how far away? 20 ft? 200 ft? 1000 ft? Will I hear the tower? What if I'm hanging out at Gravelly Point Park. Will I hear anything? I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with the Ramsey unit in these respects.

By the way, my interest in radio started when I built a Radio Shack crystal radio kit when I was about 12 years old. Those were the days  -- when Radio Shack was actually exciting.
73!Andy
Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2014 11:33:31 -0400
Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] Ramsey passive air-band monitor?
From: dewey3 at gmail.com
To: daniel.h.brown at gmail.com
CC: andrew_w_clegg at hotmail.com; scan-dc at mailman.qth.net

Sorry, also should have clarified the below 10,000 feet rule, which also recently went away... unless that is what you meant they no longer do.
Dewey


On Fri, Jun 6, 2014 at 11:27 AM, Dewey3 <dewey3 at gmail.com> wrote:

Ahh, thanks, I was looking forward to that!!!  I know about the very recently lifted electronics ban, but I just knew that the airlines would be very slow to relax the rule.  Glad to see that I was wrong.  I still LOVE flying but do most of my travels now by Class A motorhome so the retirement investment does not go to waste.  I also did a little Googling and found a picture of the daddy of the project kits at http://craphound.com/images/2729474646_0daed9668f.jpg.  Before that one came out, the kits were single function limited, aircraft receiver, fm radio, vhf receiver, etc.  That one was the daddy because you configured the wiring to which kit you wanted.


Thanks again,Dewey

On Fri, Jun 6, 2014 at 11:18 AM, Daniel Brown <daniel.h.brown at gmail.com> wrote:



Dewey - 

Not sure when you last flew but most airlines aren't telling people to turn off devices any longer. They ask you to stow larger ones, such as laptops and cd/DVD players, but ipods and the like are generally OK these days. 









On Fri, Jun 6, 2014 at 11:14 AM, Dewey3 <dewey3 at gmail.com> wrote:



Hi Andrew...



Opinion only.  Reminds me of the old (1960's and 1970's) Radio Shack

solderless project boxes where **everything**, battery, wires, diodes,

resistors, crystal, and tuner were connected by trapping the stripped ends

in the springs that were pressed into the project board... but now come

full circle and completely assembled with HIGH dollar price tag.  (My

favorite one just happened to be the aircraft receiver).  Only "problem" is

when the flight deck says "turn off all electronic devices", they are not

going to get into the semantics of oscillators when they tell you to TURN

IT OFF.



Just an opinion,

Dewey





On Fri, Jun 6, 2014 at 10:56 AM, Andrew Clegg <andrew_w_clegg at hotmail.com>

wrote:



> Has anyone used one of these? Any opinions? The selling point is that

> since it's not a superhet receiver (therefore no LO), it's legal to use on

> planes.

>

> http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/Passive-Air-Band-Monitor-Assembled/dp/B00B88L8JU

> 73 de W4JE

>

>

>

>

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