[PCR-1000] HF reception

Fri, 23 Jan 2004 09:24:11 -0500

> Broadband over power lines ??

Hard to say. I know of no BPL system up and running right now in Texas, =
but they could come up with one any time.  The BPL signals in use right =
now in US trials in several cities will either sound like broadband  =
noise across entire bands, or will be a series of modulated carriers, =
spaced about 1 kHz apart or so.  The noiselike signals are typically =
about 15 MHz wide, sometimes notched in the ham bands. (The HomePlug =
specification offered about 30 dB of protection for amateur radio, but =
not for any other HF use). The carrier-like signals are in blocks at =
least 2.5 MHz wide and can appear over 2.5 to as much as 15 MHz width of =
spectrum, from 2 to as high as 46 MHz, from the few systems I have =
looked at closely.=20

As one tunes a receiver, the onset of BPL is rather abrupt.  For =
example, 4.0 MHz could be clear, but by 4.1 MHz, the noise is loud and =
clear. At a higher frequency, it disappears just as suddenly.  In the =
testing I did in Potomac, MD; Emmaus, PA; Whitehall, PA and Briarcliff =
Manor, NY, the noise to a mobile HF receiver with a short loaded dipole =
antenna as "S9" on the receiver's S meter, across many MHz continuously.

For info, see http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc.   If any of you =
suspect BPL noise, first look at the video ARRL made to document BPL =
interference.  See http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc#video. If it =
sounds like BPL interfernece, you can contact me here at ARRL HQ for =
more info.

Some of you SWL types may have some interest in ham radio. If so, go to =
the http://www.arrl.org main page and follow the links to "learn about =
amateur radio."

Ed Hare, W1RFI
ARRL Lab
225 Main St
Newington, CT 06111
Tel: 860-594-0318
Internet: [email protected]
Web: http://www.arrl.org/tis
   Member: IEEE C63 - Accredited Standards Committee on Electromagnetic =
Compatibility
      Chairman: C63 SC-5, Immunity
      Chairman: C63 ad hoc PLC/BPL Working Group
   Member: SAE EMC/EMR committees
   Member: ICES/IEEE SCC-28 International Committee on Electromagnetic =
Safety
   Member/staff: ARRL, The National Association for Amateur Radio
   Member/Board of Directors: QRP Amateur Radio Club  International

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected]
> [mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of Tim Sanders
> Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2004 11:44 PM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: [PCR-1000] HF reception
>=20
>=20
> Broadband over power lines ??
> ----- Original Message -----=20
> From: "David Carr" <[email protected]>
> To: <[email protected]>
> Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2004 9:39 PM
> Subject: Re: [PCR-1000] HF reception
>=20
>=20
> > I hear similar sounds on 10m but that is the only other=20
> band I have an=20
> > antenna for.  I'll try other bands with these two antenna=20
> and report=20
> > back.  Unfourtunately I have no other HF gear to compare it=20
> with.  Many=20
> > not-strong signals are subject to this effect.  The=20
> affected signals are=20
> > often on even tens of kilohertz which leaves me to believe=20
> that it might=20
> > be QRM.  Thanks for your ideas---I'll experiment some more...
> > -David Carr
> > KD5QGR
> >=20
> > Robert A. Poff wrote:
> >=20
> > >Do you hear the same thing in another receiver?
> > >Or on another band?
> > >Or on other strong signals?
> > >______________________________________________________________
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> > >Post: mailto:[email protected]
> > >
> > > =20
> > >
> >=20
> >=20
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> >=20
>=20
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>=20