[10m] WHAT BPL CAN DO

Sun, 14 Mar 2004 11:36:46 EST

Len Anthony, Progress Energy Regulatory Affairs

cc:
Bill Godwin, Progress Energy
Anh Wride, FCC
David H.Solomon, FCC
James R.Burtle, FCC
Riley Hollingsworth, FCC (FYI)
Ed Hare, ARRL
Frank A. Lynch, ARRL

Saturday, March 13, 2004

This e-mail letter is a formal complaint of interference received from=20
several Broadband over Power Line (BPL) installations operated by
Progress=20
Energy in the Wake County, North Carolina area.

I am:

Gary Pearce KN4AQ
116 Waterfall Ct.
Cary, NC 27513
919-380-9944
[email protected]

I encountered all of this interference while mobile, or visiting the=20
stations of other amateur radio operators.=A0 I do not hear any BPL=20
interference at my home in Cary at this time.

November 16, 2003.=A0 I first encountered BPL interference on this date,
near=20
the Wakefield subdivision in north Raleigh, along Falls of the Neuse
Road=20
near Wakefield Pines Rd.=A0 The interference appeared as a series of
closely=20
spaced RF carriers, approximately 1 kHz apart, covering the lower half
of=20
the 10 meter amateur radio band, from 28 to near 29 MHz (and some
spectrum=20
below that band, including the 40 CB radio channels near 27 MHz).=A0 Some
of=20
the carriers had a little "tik-tik-tik" sound at about a 2 Hz rate.=A0 The=20
interference was strong - S-9 - for about a half mile along Falls of the=20
Neuse Road, and obliterated several amateur radio signals that I was=20
monitoring.

I understand this was the Phase I trial area, and the test has been=20
discontinued.

January 15, 2004.=A0 On this and several subsequent dates, I received=20
interference while driving along Holland Church road between 1010 Road
and=20
Pagan Rd. in southern Wake County, specifically in the vicinity of
Feldman=20
Dr.=A0 The signature of the interference was the same: closely spaced=20
carriers, about 1 kHz apart, some with a tik-tik-tik modulation, and=20
occasionally a longer burst of what sounded like data.=A0 The interference=20
covered two blocks of spectrum, from 23.44 - 26.08 MHz (including the=20
amateur radio 12 meter band) and 27.9 - 31.7 MHz, (including the amateur=20
radio 10 meter band).=A0 The interference was strong - S-9 - for about a
half=20
mile along Holland Church road, and audible in places along Pagan Rd.=20
It=20
obliterated several amateur radio signals that I was monitoring as I
drove=20
through the area.

I also received interference with the same signature in several spots
along=20
Feldman Dr., in various other segments of the high-frequency spectrum -=20
near 11 and 15 MHz in particular.=A0 The signals were weaker, but plainly=20
audible.=A0 Onc caused a "beat note" against the 15 MHz WWV time and=20
frequency reference signal.

I have subsequently been through this area several times, and the=20
interference is still present.=A0 My last visit was on February 28th.

February 20, 2004.=A0 On this and several subsequent dates, I received=20
interference while driving along NC Highway 55 and James Slaughter Rd,
just=20
north of the town of Fuquay-Varina.=A0 The interference was strongest
along=20
James Slaughter Road, opposite the Woodchase subdivision.=A0 Again, the=20
signature of the interference was RF carriers, about 1 kHz apart, with a=20
bit of digital modulation now and then, including the tik-tik-tik at
about=20
a 2 Hz rate.

This interference was across 21.9-25.7 MHz (including the amateur radio
12=20
meter band) and 27.5-30.0 MHz (including the amateur radio 10 meter=20
band).=A0 The interference was S-9 along James Slaughter Road, and S-5 in
the=20
Food Lion parking lot at NC-55, and obliterated several amateur radio=20
signals that I was=A0 monitoring.

In the Woodchase subdivision, I also heard the "BPL signature" signals
on=20
several other points in the high frequency spectrum.=A0 The signals were=20
weaker, but plainly audible.=A0 I also heard signals in the 7 and 24.5 MHz=20
area about a mile further north on James Slaughter Road, near the=20
Whitehurst subdivision.=A0 These signals were S-6 to S-9 for about 1/4
mile=20
along James Slaughter Road.

I most recently heard this interference on March 5th, 2004.

Finally, on February 28, 2004, I personally visited the homes of three=20
amateur radio operators who live in the vicinity of the Progress Energy=20
Phase II BPL trials, and observed interference as received at their=20
stations as follows:

Mike Payne KM4UT
5813 HEATHILL CT
Raleigh, NC
Mile lives .7 miles south of the trial site on Holland Church Road.=A0 He
is=20
using a dipole antenna at about 30 feet.=A0 I observed that he was
receiving=20
a clear but weak BPL "signature" in the top half of the 10 meter band,=20
above 28.8 MHz, and many smaller clusters of individual carriers in the=20
band below that.

Ted Root N1UJ
509 WYNDHAM DR
Fuquay-Varina, NC
Ted is about a half mile southwest of the James Slaughter Road site.=A0 He
is=20
also using a dipole antenna at about 40 feet.=A0 He was receiving weak but=20
clear BPL signature signals across the 25 and 28 MHz areas.

Roland Erickson WA0AFW
201 WILBON ROAD 301B
Fuquay-Varina, NC
Roland is about a half mile south of the James Slaughter Rd. site.=A0 He
is=20
using a dipole antenna in the attic of a retirement village building.=20
He=20
has a very high ambient noise level (S-6) across the 25 and 28 MHz
bands,=20
but was receiving the BPL signature signals clearly above that noise
level=20
across those bands.

You might ask if my complaint of interference while mobile, some
distance=20
from my home, is justified.=A0 I contend that it is, for several reasons.

First, amateur radio is a very "mobile" service.=A0 Tens of thousands of=20
amateur radio operators have and use high frequency mobile equipment,
and=20
we can be found anywhere, using all hf bands, at completely
unpredictable=20
times.

Second, the Progress Energy Phase II trials are in very limited area=20
tests.=A0 There are no amateur radio operators living inside the=20
neighborhoods being served, though there are several within interference=20
range - about a mile.=A0 We are justified in traveling to the sites with=20
normal amateur radio equipment, operated in a normal manner, to observe
and=20
complain about interference we receive.=A0 This observation must be=20
extrapolated to a wider geographic area to anticipate the kind of=20
interference that would be received if BPL were to be widely deployed,=20
especially in denser suburban and urban neighborhoods.

You might also ask if weak BPL signals constitute harmful interference.=20
I=20
contend that they do.=A0 Amateur radio operation is unlike most other
radio=20
operation, in that amateurs tune across their band segments looking for=20
signals.=A0 Often we are looking for weak signals from distant parts of
the=20
world.=A0 Our predominant modes are single sideband and cw.=A0 In those
modes,=20
a series of carriers 1 kHz apart presents a most irritating series of
"beat=20
notes" - tones that vary in pitch as the spectrum is tuned.=A0 At 1 kHz=20
spacing, they are continuously present in a receiver using customary=20
bandwidth filters.=A0 And even weak BPL signals can make weak amateur
radio=20
signals difficult or impossible to receive.

The presence of any BPL signal of any strength at either a home or
mobile=20
station at any location is an unwarranted incursion in the amateur radio=20
bands, and is also a problem for anyone tuning shortwave broadcast or
other=20
radio services.

Thanks for your consideration.=A0 I look forward to hearing the results of=20
the investigation into my complaints.

Sincerely,

Gary Pearce KN4AQ

__________________________________________________________________________
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Gary Pearce KN4AQ=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 editor, SERA Repeater Journ=
al
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Cary, NC=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0=A0 www.sera.org
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 919-380-9944=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0=A0 [email protected]
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 [email protected]
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