[KCDXC] BPL Attn Johnny!

[N0UF]

> Don't panic, people.  We've all been hearing how BPL causes interference 
> to our service.  Well, guess what, IT GOES BOTH WAYS!
> 
> Their big network of wires not only operates as a transmitting antenna, 
> but it acts as a receiving antenna.  The local radio club (Rochester, 
> MN) got TOGETHER with the local power company to do co-operative 
> testing.  They taped signals off the air while the power company 
> switched things on and off.  Did it cause interference?  Oh, yeah.  It 
> even totally blocked WWV.  No suprises there.
> 
> What was very interesting, and what I had heard nothing about before, 
> was the effect of ham radio on BPL:
> 
> A 25 watt 40m signal transmitted 2 blocks away into a mobile vertical 
> caused a complete (100%) blockage of packet flow on the BPL network!  A 
> 10 watt 80 signal in a multiband dipole 65' away completely blocked BPL 
> network traffic.
> 
> Think about that!  A kw into a beam would probably block BPL for miles 
> in whatever direction the beam is pointing.
> 
> You can see more details at:
> http://www.io.com/~nielw/BPL/RF_susceptibility.htm
> 
> -- Bob Meyer, KB0GT