[Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
[Main General Bulletin Board | BBFAQ |
Prev by Date | Next by Date | Post Followup ]
Member Login / Signup - Members see fewer ads. - Latest Member Gallery Photos
For real, no exageration! Posted by Bill Homer [Email] (#3427) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Bill Homer) on Thu, 14 Apr 2005 12:16:45 In Reply to: Wait a minute..., Yaofeng, Thu, 14 Apr 2005 10:48:28 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
The original spec for AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System), the analog version of cellular, was developed in the 1970's. Somewhere in a box in my basement I have a copy of the Bell System Technical Journal from then, detailing the spec and AT&T's development work. I worked for Motorola on their version of cellular infrastructure (systems), started in development in 1979, worked on their field trial system in Baltimore/Washington starting in 1981, and commercial service opened in December 1983 (AT&T's first commercial system in Chicago started October 1983, two months earlier). In retrospect, this was the best/most fun job I ever had, the satisfaction of getting something to work properly made up for the midnight - 6am lab slots that I sometimes drew - the lab systems were booked 24hours/day.
Cellular was orignally "car phones", not handheld units like today. Somehow I lucked out and had one of the first test phones for the development system. The transciever in the trunk of my car was the size of a fat briefcase, with a big cable running to a fixed handset and cradle installed on the center console, antenna on the trunk lid.
Motorola was the pioneer in handheld cell phones. The cellphone that you describe, "The Brick" (because of its size and weight), was already a few generations into development when I started, we had later examples (handbuilt!) in use as part of the original commercial system in Baltimore/Washington. As I recall, they cost about $3000 - $4000 in 1983 money - yes, a toy for the rich then, but a demonstration of the utility in having the FCC allocate frequency spectrum for its use.
posted by 136.182.2...
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.