[Elecraft] BPL - Observed first hand - if you're not worried - you should be

[Steve Holton]

I had the opportunity to observe BPL first hand this week. It's scary. I 
was using my mobile ICOM706 - I didn't have my K2 with me, but I believe if 
I lived in this test area under actual loads I'd be off the air on HF with 
my K2 and antennas. (it apparently only has few Utility Co. employees in 
the test area using it)
Here are my observations:
73
Steve N1NB

Observations in the Briarcliff Manor N.Y. BPL Test Area 13 August 2003

One of the test areas for BPL is in Briarcliff Manor N.Y.. As best we 
understand it the test area is quite small consisting of about a 1 mile 
stretch of Pleasantville Road and 3 side street segments extending 0.5-0.7 
miles off of Pleasantville Road
I made a series of tests between 9:30 and 11:30 AM EDT today - 13 August 
2003. I was using my mobile HF rig - a Icom 706MkIIG transceiver and a High 
Sierra HS-1800DX antenna.
First I drove along the main section and 2 of the three side segments (I 
was unaware of the third side segment at the time) listening on 20M (14.040 
MHz). Throughout the test area and extending a least a short distance 
beyond very noticeable bursts of noise we heard. I then drove over the main 
segment again listening on 15M (21.350 MHz) and heard a very loud continuos 
noise signal.
I then stopped a three locations and made more detailed observations.
At the first location near the center of the main segment:
  I listened to 12 frequencies on 20M (14.003-14.350 MHz) and heard bursts 
of noise the measured S7 to S9 on my S meter. Similarly I listened on 
another 12 frequencies on 10M (28.056 - 28.983 MHz) and heard similar 
signals that were even stronger, S8 to S9+20dB! It should be noted that you 
could hear these bursts across the entire band not just at the frequencies 
where I stopped to capture the S Meter readings! I understand that these 
bursts represent burst of activity on the BPL network and I presume the 
frequency of their occurrence would increase significantly if in a larger 
more heavily used environment.
I listened to 9 frequencies on 15M (21.085 - 21.438 MHz) and it was much 
worse a steady S9 to S9+20dB signal. This noise was clearly heard across 
the entire Band. 15M is unusable in this environment.
At this point I was beginning to think is this my radio?? So I drove about 
5 miles away and listened across all three bands. Silence - no 
noise/interference heard across all 3 bands!
I then returned and stopped at three other locations in the test area. The 
observations at each of these were essentially identical to the first 
measurements on 20M and 15M. On 10M two locations were also the same but at 
third is also had a steady S8-S9 signal.
These steady signals on 15M and 10m (at one locations) sounded like solid 
noise with some slight clicking/wavering but not anything that would cause 
the S Meter to deviate from the intolerably loud constant interference level.
At one location on 20M I tuned into two phone and one CW QSOs. I could copy 
them 100% between bursts, but the interference bursts totally wiped out 
each of them - even the CW one.
As soon as I departed the area all bands were observed to be quiet and free 
of interference.
As this setup in neither my most sensitive receiver nor the most efficient 
antenna, I can only imagine what this would sound like at my home if BPL 
was active in my immediate neighborhood using my standard, more sensitive 
equipment. It would appear that HF would be unusable.