[AReU] Receiver Interference Immunity Inquiry

[w4tas]

This is an excerpt from the ARRL letter on the FCC's inquiry on how to 
effectively reduce receiver interference. I would assume from the 
introduction that this applies to all types of receivers including 
amateur units. It might be a good thing to think about all the times 
that you have been overloaded by pagers on your 2 meter unit and 
how many times your 20, 15, 10, and 6 meter transmitters have 
interfered with your portable phones, stereo receivers and even 
your computer speakers (never happens to me-hi-hi). 

73

Tony

From: ARRL Letter Mailing List <letter-dlvy@arrl.org>
To: w4tas@gte.net <w4tas@gte.net>
Subject: The ARRL Letter, Vol 22, No 15
Date: Friday, April 11, 2003 9:58 PM

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 22, No. 15
April 11, 2003
***************

IN THIS EDITION:

* +FCC seeks input on receiver interference immunity

==>FCC OPENS RECEIVER INTERFERENCE IMMUNITY INQUIRY

The FCC wants to know how it can incorporate receiver interference
immunity specifications within its overall spectrum policy. In a Notice of
Inquiry (NOI) in ET Docket 03-65, released March 24, the FCC seeks public
comments on possible methods and means of improving receiver performance.
The Commission suggests that these could include incentives, guidelines or
regulatory requirements--or a combination of all three.

"From a technical standpoint, a radio receiver's susceptibility to
interference is largely dependent on the interference immunity of the
device, particularly with regard to its rejection of undesired radio
frequency (RF) energy and signals," the FCC said in its introduction to
the NOI. While expressing its reluctance "to implement a new regulatory
regime" of mandatory receiver standards, the Commission said it believes
incorporating receiver performance specifications could "promote more
efficient utilization of the spectrum and create opportunities for new and
additional use of radio communications."

The FCC said the NOI builds upon the recent work of its Spectrum Policy
Task Force, which looked at ways to improve overall radio spectrum
management. The ARRL commented on the Task Force report and plans to
comment in the receiver interference immunity NOI as well.

While the NOI does not specifically address interference from Amateur
Radio transmitters to consumer TV and radio receivers, the FCC does seek
information describing the interference immunity characteristics of
"receivers used in the various radio services." With respect to broadcast
sets, the FCC suggests in its NOI that set manufacturers have been doing a
pretty good job all along.

The FCC seeks comments on "the desirability of developing minimum
interference immunity performance specifications for broadcast receivers."
But it added that the Commission has no plans to reverse its "longstanding
practice of allowing the market to determine the performance of broadcast
receivers, with the Commission stepping in only where obvious deficiencies
appear" that could disrupt reception.

FCC Chairman Michael Powell said he'd prefer that the Commission "rely on
market incentives and voluntary industry programs to establish receiver
immunity guidelines."

The FCC Notice of Inquiry in ET Docket 03-65 is available on the FCC Web
site <http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-03-54A6.doc>.
Although it has not formally been posted for the filing of comments via
the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), the system is accepting
comments. The formal comment period concludes 75 days from publication of
the NOI in the Federal Register, which has not yet happened. The FCC does
not post such dockets for electronic comments until publication occurs.