Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1711468
PaulB wrote:So... If I dial 999 or 112 now:-

- will the handset jump networks if it needs to?


Yes. If your subscribed network isn't available, but another one is, it'll come up with "Emergency calls only" on it.

PaulB wrote:- would an existing call be disconnected to allow the emergency call or would the emergency call get an engaged tone?


It's a bit of a moot point now with 3G voice capacity being so large, but theoretically yes, another call could be dropped.

There are also different classes of SIM card which are given priority in the network, so, for instance, if emergency workers were issued with phones, they could have a class which takes priority over other phones regardless of whether an emergency number is being called or not.
Last edited by Paul_Sengupta on Thu Aug 08, 2019 3:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
By PaulB
#1711470
HaHa....

I had both an engaged tone on 999 (on a land line - no mobile signal in the area - it was a while ago) and 999 ring out unanswered for maybe 20 rings. All a bit disconcerting when the patient is in a collapsed state.

When the ambulance arrived my Mum had come round a bit and they offered her patient choice ("Do you want to go to Hospital X or Hospital Y?") She chose X on the basis that she could get the bus home from there on discharge!! :shock:
By riverrock
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1711471
You can send SMS messages to 999, although you have to register for the service first.

1. Register your mobile
Text the word 'register' to 999.

You'll need to register again if you change your phone number.

2. Read the message
You’ll get an automatic text reply. Please read it all.

3. Reply to the message
Read the message and then reply by texting ‘yes’.

4. Get a 'success' text
You'll then get a text telling you that your mobile is now registered - or if there's been a problem…

5. Check it
Text 'register' to 999 and you'll get a message telling you if it's registered or not. Don't text anything else - there's no need to make a test call. You're now set up.
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By matthew_w100
#1711515
But if i dial 999 on my mobile, whether camping-on or not, do the emergency services get my gps coordinates, and if so, how? Or do i have to read them out and hope not to make a mistake?
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By Charliesixtysix
#1711560
matthew_w100 wrote:But if i dial 999 on my mobile, whether camping-on or not, do the emergency services get my gps coordinates, and if so, how? Or do i have to read them out and hope not to make a mistake?



Last time I called 999 the operator asked me to confirm I was at the location showing on her system, which was accurate to within a very few yards, so presumably they received it automatically on that occasion.
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By GrahamB
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1711565
I would imagine that was done by triangulation/multilateration from the base stations that your mobile was in contact with - the more masts, the more accurate the location will be.
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By Charliesixtysix
#1711635
She certainly knew in which layby and on which side of the A17 I was at the time.

However it was generated , the position information she had available was immediate and accurate.
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By Irv Lee
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1711637
@Charliesixtysix probably picked up the system from some Parisienne Madame bringing new technology to the Bois de Boulogne or Fôret de Moulin-Senart. It wouldnt be the first thing picked up there, but maybe the best.
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By riverrock
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1711652
GrahamB wrote:I would imagine that was done by triangulation/multilateration from the base stations that your mobile was in contact with - the more masts, the more accurate the location will be.

If your phone implements Advanced Mobile Location (and most now do), it will send an SMS of your location to the emergency services transparently to them when you call an emergency number.
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By Genghis the Engineer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1711788
Irv Lee wrote:Some of us get phoned by D&D just after we have landed in a field. 8)

When I put the Auster in a field, the owner had been called by D&D well before he heard from me.

G
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By neilmurg
#1711796
The thought that a busy network would need to 'drop a call' to connect a new one is a bit misleading when it's not a point to point connection but discrete packets of data with gaps in between.