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WHITBY FREE PRESS AUTO GUIDE, WEDNESDAY JUNE 6, 1984, PAGE 15 Phone on the Go Car phones keep drivers in touch Americans spend an av- erage of 15 hours a week in their automobiles, yet the car is the one place where it is still nearly impossible to communicate with the outside world. Although car phones have been in existence for many years, the systems currently available cost be- tween $2,000 to $4,000 and carry a high monthly, service charge. In additon, the number of phone chan- nels are limited, resulting in long waiting lists. Some people have waited 10 yearsor longer for the privilege of making and re- ceiving calls in their auto- mobile. This situation will change rapidly if the Fed- eral Communications Commission in Washing- ton, DC approves a new mobile communications system that has been pro- posed by General Electric. "With the GE system, people will be able to pur- chase a mobile telephone system for about $400," says John V. Kese, man- ager of General Electric's Communication and Infor- mation Systems and Ser- vices department. The proposal is referred to by General Electric as the Personal Radio Communi- cations System (PRCS). PRCS is similar to a cordless telephone in oper- ation. The system consists of a base unit,hwhich con- nects to the home tele- phone, and an in-car mo- bile unit. Unlike cordless phones, which have a maximum of up to 1000 feet, the PRCS mobile units have a range of from three to five miles from the base station. This can be extended to approximatley fifteen miles with the use MODEL FOR PROPOSED PERSONAL RADIO Communications Service (PRCS) mobile unit (left); and base station (right). The mobile unit will be installed in motor vehicles while the base station connects to the home or office telephone. Together, the units will provide private, addressable mobile communications at consumer-oriented prices. GE's PRCS system should be available by January, 1985 pending approval from the Federal Communications Commission. t of a repeater service. The repeater amplifies the sig- nal coming from the phone and rebroadcasts it from antennas. Monthly cost for subscribing to a repeater service is expected to be about $10. General Electric's PRCS telephones are intended to augment, not replace, ex- isting mobile communica- tions technology. With the system, motorists can call base stations at their home or office, or within range make and receive calis to any telephone in the coun- try. Additionally, calls to the base station can be automatically forwarded to the in-car mobile unit. Another benefit of PRCS is that unlike citi- CONSUMER BEAT Car Repair Tips Pay Off Whether you've just fin- ished paying ail your bills, or you're trying to budget them from month to month, car repairs are never wel- come. They always manage to create that sinking feeling in your stomach. But it doesn't have to be that way. Car repairs should be viewed like dental work: you have to expect some occasionally, but you can prevent much of it with good maintenance. Car repairs can be very frustrating, particularly since many people don't know what's wrong or where to go for competent help. That's why car repairs are a major area of consumer complaints ail over North America. The Ministry of Consum- er and Commercial Relations offers a few simple tips that may help motorists prevent car problems and cope with the aggravation of car re- pairs. Preventive maintenance If you see your car as a major financial investment. you probably treat it with care and respect. You realize that regular maintenance and occasional repairs will keep it running smoothly and virtually problem free. With careful attention. your car can grow old gracefully. or earn you a better resale price. Your owner's manual should be your driving bible: consult it whenever some- thing feels wrong, and at least once every season. As an instruction booklet writ- ten specifically for your car. it tells you when to have tune-ups. how much air pres- sure your tires need, when to change the oil, and a vari- ety of other important things. In fact. if you don't follow the suggestions in your owner's manual (usual- ly found in the glove com- partinent), your new car warranty could be invalidat- ed. Whether you are a do-it- yourselfer or have your car serviced at full service sta- tions periodically. (remem- ber, self-service gas stations don't service your car). make sure the following items are checked regularly: motor oil level. windshield washer fluid, coolant level in radiator (only when en- gine is cold), tire pressure. power steering fluid. lights and turn signals, transmis- sion«fluid, brake and battery fluids. battery cables, wiper blades. drive belt. and hoses. In addition. your car should get a complete tune-up at least once a vear. Personal driving habits are an important part of car maintenance. Drive at rec- ommended speeds avoid ,overworking your car at high speeds. Avoid jack-rah- hit starts and abusive brak- ing. Keep your tires properly inflated to get~more mileage out of both the tires and the car. Keep your car clean in- side and out to avoid occur- rence of rust. zen band radios, calls are made in privacy. With the exceptiondof one channel designated for emergency use, PRCS has no party line. "Even though we are in the midst of a communica- tions revolution," says Kese, "the need for per- sonal communications from car-to-car and car-to- home has been largely overlooked." But according to two in- dependent research sur- veys commissioned by General Electric over the last two years, a device such as the Personal Radio Communications Service would satisfy many of the communications needs of today's motorists. The sur- veys were conducted by the Opinion Research Cor- poration, a division of Ar- thur D. Little, Princeton, NJ, and the Giedman Re- search Group, Incorporat- ed, of Stamford, CT. Of those who responded to the Opinion Research survey, 41 percent stated a need to communicate while in their vehicles. The most common reasons cited were traffic tie-ups, car emergencies and the need to contact or be con- tacted by others. Nearly 60 percent of these drivers re- main in the operational limits of the PRCS system while on the road for com- muting, business or per- sonal reasons. The Giedman study in- dicates that 70 percent of the respondents reacted fa- vorably to the overall ser- vice concept, while 30 percent said they would ac- cept the PRCS system. When projected nationally, the research shows that over 12 million households are potential users of PRCS. t Canada's Largest Transmission Speciallsts FREE Road Test & Inspection with this advertisement "NEY"M47zmn7rasion ")9Rk EA FR/NOOF M/NE* SAME DAY SERVICE (IN MOST CASES) --------COUPON------ SUMMER SPECIAL Inflation Fighter 50 Tune-up your transmission now fur summer trouble free driving. Regular price $32.50 WITH COUPON L------ -- ------ ----- (Band Adjustment Included) Where Applicable Offer Good Until June 30,1984 Good at these locations only. j-me 132 Brock St. N. (WHITBY) 66 Bond St. W. (OSHAWA) 669-0737 579-0700 ATTENTION ALL CAR OWNERS KEEPS IT BEAUTIFUL S ELECTRONIC TUNE.UP INCLUDES COMPLETE SCOPE ANALYSIS *On starting, charging and engine system •Applies to most domestic cars, Im- porta and light trucks *Non-electronic Ignition $8.00 extra. eincludes pluge 459 5 4 CYL. 58 "5 6CYL. 3 V-6 Aà8-CYL. 'f j,, *f ,-.~ . -- FRONT WHEEL ALIGNMENT We'il inspect wheels, correct air pressure, adjust camber, casterând toe n to proper allgnment specifications. Inspect suspension and steering systems. Parts extraIf required MOST CARS 5 5 Due to popular demand, we continue our. BRAKE SPECIAL: Front & Rear Includes front pada, turn rotors, repack bearings, rear shoes, turn drums, service brake cables. Most cars. 129.9 IMR-T Complete CollisIon Repair Centre ! SAFETY INSPECTION DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CERTIFICATION MOST CARS19a LUBE, OIL & FILTER Includes: eName brand oil flter and up to 5 litres 10W30 motor oil *Plus a complete chassis lube. T.R 1395 MOST CARS13 AIR CONDITIONING INSPECTION Freon extra Parts & labour extra TOTAL AUTO SERVICE LTD. 282 MONARCH AVE., AJAX 686-3200 Mon "FREE ESTIMATES' $3495 i.Thurs. 8 a.m..9 p.m. Fri.8 a'.m.. 68p.m. Sot.8,a P.m. pm Bat. Sa.m. .5 p.m. LINE UPOR WEAR OUT ý «. .. - .1ý% lu. v^- s