[Lowfer] No LF ham band in US

[lowfer@mailman.qth.net]

At 11:20 PM 05/14/2003, John D. wrote:
>Any
>thoughts from the group on exactly what I should ask them at next week's
>meeting while we're standing around gawking at the pretty displays in
>Georgia Power's Distribution Control Center in Macon?

Ask them if they are really conversant with current "minimal" usage of PLC
by utilities?

The negative comments appear to be mainly "knee-jerk"
responses without much deep thought or research on the subject.

It's likely that even UTC (Utility Telecomm Council) members, after
being notified of the proposal, decided that it would be better to
oppose the proceeding instead of spending some man-hours actually
looking into the subject.   After all, time is money....  and really, PLC
is such a minor thing in todays Utility structure...  Microwave and Fiber
are the big mediums today and get most of the telecomm folks attention.
Not many of them even know they have some leftover PLC facilities.

And most of what little remains is for "trip blocking," not actual
tripping of breakers.  (Signal sent to opposite end during "fault" to
keep "good" lines of the grid from tripping)  Any so-called
"interference" to these devices would serve to aid, not impair,
system integrity.    Those systems that use PLC for actual tripping
of breakers use (at minimum) a two channel FSK arrangement
that requires one signal to shift high and the other signal to
shift low, thereby practically ensuring excellent reliability since random 
interference
would not likely have this pattern.

Utilities "serious" use of PLC (including telemetering and telephone comms)
lasted up into the 1970's.... It has been on a downhill slide ever since.

It's obvious the FCC itself is not aware of PLC modes of operation
and has relied on bum data from users too lazy to think deeply about
the subject.

Tell them they should be ashamed....!

Regards,

Perry   (w8au)     (recently retired Tlcm engr/First Energy Corp)

ps=  (to say I'm mad about this development is an understatement!
            this decision is incredulous!)