[South Florida DX Association] BPL Interference
Richard M. Gillingham
[email protected]
Fri, 8 Aug 2003 08:14:25 -0400
Note to those of us who plan to 'reply' to the FCC..
This is the period provided to REPLY to comments previously submitted to the
FCC by others. You'll need to see what BPL advocates have said to the FCC
in support of BPL and refute their claims. NOT just a statement decrying
BPL. Otherwise your comments will be disregarded... You'll have to do some
research first. We're hoping ARRL will post some of the others claims so we
can pinpoint out replies.
Gil, W1RG
----- Original Message -----
From: "William Shirley" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, August 08, 2003 12:21 AM
Subject: Re: [South Florida DX Association] BPL Interference
> My God... I thought it was hype till I saw / heard this video!!
>
> I'm typing up my comments to the FCC tonight!
>
> Thanks guys for bringing this to my attention!
>
> Randy
> N4QV
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Fred Kleber" <[email protected]>
> To: <[email protected]>
> Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2003 10:15 AM
> Subject: Fw: [South Florida DX Association] BPL Interference
>
>
> > As a follow-up to W2CQ's/NA2Ms earlier messages regarding BPL, and the
> field
> > tests of W1RFI, a video has been posted on the ARRL's website showing
test
> > receiver audio & video. The result of BPL (Broadband over Power Lines)
> > would be disastrous for ALL amateur enthusiasts, including DXers.
> >
> > The direct link to the video is:
> >
> > * High speed connection - http://216.167.96.120/BPL_Trial-web.mpg
> > * Dial-Up connection - http://216.167.96.120/BPL_Trial-small.mpg
> >
> > If you would prefer to click on the video link from the article:
> >
> > * Go to the article http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/08/08/2/?nc=1
> > * Scroll down a page or so to the blue box in the center of the screen.
> > * Click on high speed or dial-up link to video.
> >
> > If this gets your attention PLEASE, PLEASE let the FCC know how you feel
> > about it. (As of typing this e-mail, 2138 others have filed their
> comments)
> >
> > Here's how to file a comment on BPL.
> >
> > * Go to the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System page at
> > http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/
> > * In the "EFCS MIAN LINKS" box in the upper right hand corner click on
> > "SUBMIT A FILING"
> > * In Box #1 type in "03-104", the number assigned to the BPL Proceeding
> > * (No need to check box #11)
> > * In Box#12, "DOCUMENT TYPE" is be "COMMENT", which should be the
default.
> >
> > Comments may be typed into a form or you may attach a file containing
your
> > comments. Do not include links to information not contained in your
> > document as the server will reject your comment.
> >
> > It would be a sad day for amateur radio if BPL were allowed to move
> forward.
> > I have submitted my comments to the FCC. HAVE YOU?
> >
> > Very 73,
> > Fred, K9VV
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Bill Marx
> > To: aSFDXA
> > Sent: Monday, August 04, 2003 6:18 PM
> > Subject: [South Florida DX Association] BPL Interference
> >
> >
> > Here is an interesting note sent to me by Bill NA2M of the NNJDXA
> > -Bill W2CQ
> >
> >
> >
> > This may be a repeat of the message I sent this past weekend.
> > Bill - NA2M
> >
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
> > ------------------------------------------------
> > From: Joel Gilly
> > Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2003 11:41 AM
> > Subject: BPL in Emmaus, PA and My Meeting with Ed Hare.
> >
> > Gentlemen,
> >
> > As I had mentioned previously, Ed Hare W1RFI and ARRL Lab Manager, was
> > stopping over in the Lehigh Valley, PA on Wednesday as part of a three
> > state
> > sweep to monitor and collect data about BPL. I had the pleasure of
> meeting
> > and spending time with Mr. Hare on Wednesday morning and had the
> > opportunity to witness the effects BPL has on the Amateur HF bands.
> >
> > On Tuesday night, my cell phone rang and when I answered, it was Mr.
> Hare.
> > He was in the Valley, in Dorneyville, and wanted to touch base with me
> > before our meeting the following morning. I was in West Chester at the
> > time
> > visiting my son, but Mr. Hare had mentioned that he had already swung
> > through Emmaus that evening to make a preliminary assessment of the
area.
> >
> > On Wednesday morning, I met Mr. Hare at the Comfort Suites in
> Dorneyville.
> > After the introductions, during which he presented me a copy of the
> "ARRL
> > RFI Book", we discussed a rough agenda, then loaded into his well-used
> > Subaru wagon replete with measuring equipment and a Buddi-pole portable
> > compact dipole strapped to the roof rack, and headed off towards
Emmaus.
> > The area in Emmaus that is being used by PPL for the BPL test is in the
> > area
> > of Pine St. just behind Emmaus High School and the East Penn School
> > District
> > Administrative building. We drove around to find a spot were we could
> > setup
> > to do some measurements. Mr. Hare had selected a spot the previous
> evening
> > that he thought might be a good area to listen to and measure BPL's
radio
> > signature. We parked outside a residence and he began setting up his
> > equipment.
> >
> > Mr. Hare is using a very simple set-up in order to make an estimate of
> the
> > field strength of signals that he is interested in. Strapped to the
back
> > seat of the Subaru was a wooden palette that contained a deep cycle
> > battery,
> > an inverter, a step RF attenuator, an ICOM PCR-1000 receiver, and his
> > laptop
> > computer running custom data acquisition and processing software that
Mr.
> > Hare
> > authored. As mentioned before, he used a Buddi-Pole compact loaded
> > dipole mounted in a tripod strapped to the roof rack as the antenna.
The
> > measurement process involves using the sound card in the laptop PC as
an
> > audio voltmeter. It is first desirable to calibrate the system by
first
> > measuring the noise generated by the soundcard and the receiver without
> the
> > antenna attached. The antenna is attached, and the attenuator is
> adjusted
> > until the desired signal is audible just above the noise floor. The
> > software is then
> > used to sample the audio an that is processed to determine the RMS
value
> > based
> > on the 9 kHz bandwidth that the FCC specifies for emissions from Part
15
> > devices
> > in the HF band. A calculation is then performed against this value
> taking
> > into account the
> > parameters of the receiver system (radio, feed line, and antenna) to
> > determine the dbuV/M
> > fields strength of the signal. It is a simple and elegant system that
> Mr.
> > Hare feels will
> > produce the consistent and high quality data that will be needed to
> address
> > the Amateur Radio
> > communities about BPL to the FCC.
> >
> > The real eye-opening part of the day was to listen to BPL in action on
> the
> > HF bands. Mr. Hare disconnected the PCR-1000 and replaced it with a
> > Kenwood TS-440 and we listened to several amateur bands. The type of
BPL
> > used
> > in the Emmaus area (there are several "flavors" which Mr. Hare showed
> > later) creates an impulse type noise on the bands. It sounds very much
> > like a
> > Geiger counter. The noise generated is very broad banded and can be
> > heard continuously up-and-down the bands. It seemed to be strongest on
> 21
> > MHz
> > and faded below 5 MHz and a little above 24 MHz, but this may have been
> due
> > to our receive antenna not being optimized for those frequencies. BPL
> > created
> > a consistent S5 to S7 noise level on the bands. We listened for a
while
> > to 14.060 Mhz to hear what it would sound like on a popular frequency.
> > Some faint CW stations in the background could be heard, but the
opinion
> > was
> > that they would be "un-copyable" under the circumstances. We then got
> back
> > in the car and began driving around the area listening to the radio and
> the
> > noise. As we got farther away from the test area, the noise faded
> > dramatically. A few blocks from our initial location, the noise level
> had
> > dropped dramatically to S1 to S2, the typical "quiet band" conditions.
> >
> > We then drove to an area that had BPL, but had it's electrical service
> > delivered through underground feeds. In this case, we pulled up
outside
> > a residence that was owned by an engineer Mr. Hare had contacted about
> BPL
> > and who had an Amateur Radio operator living near him. In this case,
the
> > noise generated was somewhat reduced, but still around the S5 level
> outside
> > the residence. It was clear from this example, that if you were a ham
> > living next door to this person, your operating conditions would be
> greatly
> > compromised.
> >
> > Later, we drove around again to attempt to find a "hot spot". In the
> areas
> > that had BPL, it was interesting to note the changing profile of the
> noise
> > as we roved around the area. Every time we passed a utility pole, the
> > noise
> > level peaked dramatically. We arrived at one area that exhibited a
> > significant increase over neighboring areas. This area happened to be
a
> > pole that contained a BPL injection point. The noise present at this
> > location was unprecedented. On the Kenwood, I noted a consistent S9 to
> > S9+10 noise level. I tuned up to around 14.200 and found a 5 call area
> > station in QSO with CY9A. The five was copyable, but CY9A was much
> > weaker, and the noise would have rendered a QSO with the station
> > unmanageable.
> > Mr. Hare then disconnected the TS-440 and made some field strength
> > measurements. His measurements revealed field strengths well in excess
of
> > FCC limits.
> >
> > We then packed up and stopped for lunch. During lunch, we discussed
the
> > ARRL ARIA project and BPL. Mr. Hare explained that while the aim of
the
> > ARIA project is much broader than BPL, it will be instrumental in
> gathering
> > evidence to support the ARRL's position on BPL. He also touched on
some
> > ancillary issue regarding BPL. On of the interesting points regarded
the
> > limits on conducted signals versus radiated signals from BPL. He
> explained
> > that some BPL systems are looking to use very high power levels and
that
> > these levels could exceed the design limits of other devices plugged
into
> > electrical outlets. Another point was that the FCC mandated field
> strength
> > levels were specified under certain conditions. The vagaries of the
> > various
> > BPL schemes and implementations can provide "wiggle room" for BPL
> > implementers pass the FCC requirements while still creating systems
that
> > will adversely affect amateur communications. As Mr. Hare pointed out,
> > an overhead electrical line is just a large radiator of an arbitrary
> size.
> > The radiation pattern developed by such a line could take the main lobe
> > outside of the test measurement area, but still present a significant
> > problem
> > for amateur radio signals. Therefore, an integral part of the project
is
> > to
> > gain "real world" experience about the affects of BPL on amateur
> > communications. Still another question is how BPL will affect other
> users
> > of the HF radio spectrum. Right now, the Amateur Radio community is
the
> > only organized response to BPL. Mr. Hare hopes that when the data he
and
> > others are gathering is made public, other organizations will come
> on-board
> > and voice their concerns about BPL.
> >
> > After lunch, we went out to the parking lot of the hotel and talked
some
> > more. Mr. Hare showed me a video tape he had made of his visit to
Briar
> > Cliff Manor, NY (near White Plains), another BPL test site. In that
> > video, he is shown driving around with the TS-440 tuned to the 20m
> amateur
> > frequencies. As he drives around the area, he tunes around the band.
> > It can be heard clearly that on frequency after frequency, block after
> > block, the band is filled with extremely loud "birdies". It almost
made
> > the
> > Emmaus experience seem bearable. The frightening thing about what I
saw
> > was
> > that the situation will only get worse. The interference that I heard
in
> > Emmaus is directly related to the amount of internet activity. As more
> and
> > more users come on-line, the crackling of the "Geiger counter" will get
> > more
> > and more persistent. We saw BPL in the day at low usage levels. I can
> > only
> > imagine what it might be like at peak usage hours.
> >
> > All-in-all, it was on of the most enlightening experiences I have ever
> had.
> > I am extremely thankful to M. Hare for inviting me along. I hope that
> > in the near future, I can organize my material for the purposes of
making
> a
> > presentation to the DLARC and possibly the LARC.
> >
> > If you have any comments or questions, please do not hesitate to
contact
> > me.
> >
> > Thank you for your time.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Joel M. Gilly
> > AKrion, LLC.
> > (610) 530-3213
> >
> >
> >
> > ____________________________________________________________
> >
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> >
> >
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