[Yaesu] RFI / Power line

[Mike Urich, KA5CVH]

I generally don't forward very many msgs' but just to piggy back on Chris,
WB5ITT, we've (the amateur community & AM broadcast band listeners) been
having real problems with Reliant / HL&P.  In many parts of Harris County
(Houston) you can't even listen to your AM car radio because of the RFI, and
these are 10,000+ watt commercial broadcasters.  If you have been following
this case and have read some of the original doc's, Mr. Gerber, W5GCX, in my
opinion, made some allegations that were erroneous to the case and gave HL&P
some wiggle room.  However, Mr. Hollingsworth set 'em straight none the
less.

Mike Urich,   KA5CVH
www.ka5cvh.com
LaPorte TX   EL-29

If you receive an email saying,
"Forward this to everyone you know"
Pretend, you don't know me.





FCC Spells Out Utility's Obligations to Eliminate Interference to Amateur
Service

NEWINGTON, CT, Aug 12, 2002--Electric utilities must correct equipment
problems that cause harmful interference to stations operating in the
Amateur Service. Following up on a recent pledge to get tougher on electric
utilities that fail to promptly fix faulty gear that generates interference,
FCC Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth made that point doubly clear August
9 in an letter to Reliant Energy Company of Houston. The case involves
unresolved interference complaints from Edward J. Gerber, W5GCX, of Houston.

"Reliant must do all things necessary, and bear any and all necessary costs,
to comply with its obligations as an operator of unlicensed devices pursuant
to the Commission's Part 15 regulations," Hollingsworth reminded the
utility's attorneys. He asked for Reliant to provide a written report in 30
days detailing steps taken to eliminate the interference to W5GCX.
Hollingsworth said he'd hold off on enforcement action until he has the
report in hand but added that the FCC "expects a complete solution without
further delay."

In its reply to a May 23 letter from the FCC, Reliant had suggested that the
interference Gerber was experiencing had come from an otherwise properly
operating 250 kVA step-down transformer. The utility had proposed to
relocate the transformer away from Gerber's residence at his expense.

Hollingsworth pointed out that the utility may not pass on the cost of
fixing the problem to the victim of the interference. "It is exclusively the
obligation of the operator of the unlicensed device," Hollingsworth wrote,
referring to the FCC's Part 15 rules.

In responding to the initial FCC letter, the utility's attorneys--Baker
Botts LLP of Houston--had attempted to deny any obligation on the utility's
part to avoid interference to amateur stations by declaring that individual
amateur stations did not constitute a "service" under Part 15. In his August
9 reply, Hollingsworth called the attempted distinction "baseless." He
further emphasized that not only manufacturers but operators of Part 15
devices are required to cease operation if harmful interference occurs to
authorized radio users.

A copy of the letter went to the office of Texas Public Utility Commission
Chairman Rebecca Klein.

ARRL Electromagnetic Compatibility and Radio Frequency Interference Engineer
John Phillips, K2QAI, applauded Hollingsworth's tenacious approach to
dealing with interference complaints involving power companies. "Amateur
Radio is very fortunate to have someone like Riley Hollingsworth in our
corner," he said. "There is no way that amateurs could ever hope to resolve
some of these problems with out the backing of the FCC." The League has
worked with the FCC and utilities to resolve dozens of interference
complaints.