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RE: [RFI] Broadband over Power Line (BPL) radio interference

To: <rfi@contesting.com>, <bplandhamradio@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: RE: [RFI] Broadband over Power Line (BPL) radio interference
From: "Hare,Ed, W1RFI" <w1rfi@arrl.org>
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2004 16:43:37 -0400
List-post: <mailto:rfi@contesting.com>
> To end on a more constructive note, I'd be happy to donate 
> the time required to help you organize and maintain an effective 
> anti-BPL web site. 

I appreciate the offer, but your word choices in your exchange with me show me 
that, as a minimum, you and I will not be able to work well together. As a 
maximum, it shows that you may not be capable of stating things in an 
"effective" manner.

I agree that the web site can use some work, and ARRL is working towards 
getting more of its pages done by outside volunteers, but I will see if I can 
find someone else who has a more positive outlook.

Ed Hare, W1RFI
ARRL Laboratory Manager
225 Main St
Newington, CT 06013
Tel: 860-594-0318
Internet: W1RFI@arrl.org
Web: http://www.arrl.org/tis
Member: ASC C63 EMC Committee
   Chairman: Subcommittee 5, Immunity
   Chairman: Ad hoc BPL Working Group
Member: IEEE SCC-28 RF Safety
Member: Society of Automotive Engineers EMC/EMR Committee
Member: IEEE 


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dave Bernstein [mailto:dave.bernstein@comcast.net]
> Sent: Friday, July 16, 2004 3:30 PM
> To: Hare,Ed, W1RFI; rfi@contesting.com; bplandhamradio@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: RE: [RFI] Broadband over Power Line (BPL) radio interference
> 
> 
> The purpose of my posts has been to argue for more effective 
> action against
> BPL. That should have been apparent to you from the first.
> 
> Your rationale for not seeking out BPL pilots, publicizing 
> their locations,
> and aggressively organizing local hams to monitor them is lame:
> 
>    - there are undoubtedly many hams willing to help, but 
> unaware of BPL
> pilots in their area; their potential contribution is going untapped.
> 
>    - the point of providing leadership is to organize 
> resources in a way
> that avoids cross-purposes.
> 
>    - your fear of isolated misbehavior by individual hams 
> should not prevent
> us from making a concerted effort to monitor every BPL pilot
> 
> You did not respond to my questions about HF-dependent public service
> agencies or hams that work in their communications departments.
> 
> I did traverse a number of hyperlinks on the ARRL's BPL web 
> page, but never
> found the up-to-date FCC list. Frankly, this web page is a 
> chaotic mess. My
> hopes were briefly raised when I found the hyperlink to "the 
> ARRL's Secure
> BPL Web Site", but it resolves to
> https://www.arrl.org/forms/development/donations/bpl/, which is what
> prompted my acerbic final comment.
> 
> As for donations, "The alternative is that ARRL could not do 
> some of the
> work it has been doing, or would have to curtail something 
> else instead."
> implies that you are being maximally effective with the 
> funding you already
> receive. From what I've observed, you're not even close.
> 
> To end on a more constructive note, I'd be happy to donate 
> the time required
> to help you organize and maintain an effective anti-BPL web site. 
> 
>      73,
> 
>         Dave, AA6YQ
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rfi-bounces@contesting.com 
> [mailto:rfi-bounces@contesting.com] On
> Behalf Of Hare,Ed, W1RFI
> Sent: Friday, July 16, 2004 2:47 PM
> To: rfi@contesting.com; bplandhamradio@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: RE: [RFI] Broadband over Power Line (BPL) radio interference
> 
> 
> > I guess my meta-question is "what is the ARRL doing to effectively 
> > organize those hundreds of thousands of amateurs?". Asking for 
> > donations doesn't count.
> 
> You had me up until the end, when the real purpose of your post became
> apparent, but I will answer your questions anyway. :-)  
> 
> I will point out that I am not publicizing the specific 
> information I have
> on BPL locations, for pretty obvious reasons. Those hams that 
> are willing
> and able to help should do so through the local amateurs that 
> are working
> with their local utilities and BPL providers across the country. To do
> otherwise could well be working at cross purposes with those 
> local efforts,
> and with local hams donating hundreds of hours collectively, 
> no one should
> make things any harder. The few posts I have see from hams offering to
> "solve" the BPL problem by parking 500-watt mobile stations 
> under the lines
> or engaging in some good old target practice should alert 
> anyone that such
> information should not be published openly. There are no BPL 
> trials taking
> place in New England. The nearest in is Briarcliff Manor, NY.
> 
> I likewise do not publish the list of the hams who are 
> working on these
> issues locally. They have their hands full right ow, and 
> those that want to
> get involved with answering questions from hams across the country are
> probably reading one or both of these lists. 
> 
> I have been in regular contact with each of these groups and 
> am just now
> setting up a reflector@arrl.org to help them all better 
> communicate with
> each other. Those that have done the doing can offer a lot of 
> good advice to
> those that are looking to do it.
> 
> ARRL's DC team has been holding regular meetings with some of 
> those that are
> concerned about BPL, ensuring that our information is 
> available to them.
> However, it is equally important that they reach their own independent
> conclusions about BPL, and file accordingly. Unfortunately, 
> in some cases,
> the concern is less than it should be, IMHO.  This has been 
> discussed in a
> number of the articles in the URL you cited.
> 
> Yes, the list of experimental licenses is not up to date. I 
> figure that
> would happen, so the very first thing I put on that section 
> of the page was
> the link to the FCC page where all of the current 
> experimental licenses are
> found.  Did you miss that?
> 
> And asking for donations counts a lot.  The alternative is 
> that ARRL could
> not do some of the work it has been doing, or would have to curtail
> something else instead.  Last week, I was at a meeting in our 
> DC office with
> some of those other agencies and next week I am off to the 
> exciting ville of
> Piscataway, NJ to attend a BPL industry meeting.  
> 
> Ed Hare, W1RFI
> ARRL Laboratory Manager
> 225 Main St
> Newington, CT 06013
> Tel: 860-594-0318
> Internet: W1RFI@arrl.org
> Web: http://www.arrl.org/tis
> Member: ASC C63 EMC Committee
>    Chairman: Subcommittee 5, Immunity
>    Chairman: Ad hoc BPL Working Group
> Member: IEEE SCC-28 RF Safety
> Member: Society of Automotive Engineers EMC/EMR Committee
> Member: IEEE 
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Dave Bernstein [mailto:dave.bernstein@comcast.net]
> > Sent: Friday, July 16, 2004 2:23 PM
> > To: Hare,Ed, W1RFI; rfi@contesting.com; 
> bplandhamradio@yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: RE: [RFI] Broadband over Power Line (BPL) radio 
> interference
> > 
> > 
> > Re "There are a few of us working this issue within ARRL, but
> > hundreds of
> > thousands of amateurs out there. Guess which group can get 
> > the most done!"
> > 
> > 1. where would I find a list of all active and planned BPL
> > pilots and their
> > grid squares?
> > 
> > 2. where would I find the list of hams the ARRL has organized
> > to monitor
> > these pilots so I can contact them and take advantage of 
> what they've
> > learned?
> > 
> > 3. where would I find the list of public service agencies
> > that depend on HF
> > communications?
> > 
> > 4. has the ARRL sought out hams in these agencies and alerted
> > them to be on
> > the lookout for BPL-generated RFI?
> > 
> > 
> > Buried in the middle of
> > http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/ , I found a
> > list of 8 experimental BPL licenses granted by the FCC, but 
> > this list is
> > clearly incomplete (Cedar Rapids IA and Menlo Park CA are 
> > both missing, for
> > example) and is in some cases too vague to be actionable, 
> > e.g. "Southern
> > Telecom WC2XZG AL, FL, GA, MS, unspecified locations". There 
> > is a later
> > reference to "This UPLC/PLCA joint paper reports that 
> successful field
> > trials have taken place in the US in AL, MD, MO, NY, OH, PA, 
> > and VA" with
> > the implication that no amateurs were aware of their existence.
> >  
> > I guess my meta-question is "what is the ARRL doing to
> > effectively organize
> > those hundreds of thousands of amateurs?". Asking for 
> > donations doesn't
> > count.
> > 
> >     73,
> > 
> >         Dave, AA6YQ
> > 
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: rfi-bounces@contesting.com
> [mailto:rfi-bounces@contesting.com] On
> Behalf Of Hare,Ed, W1RFI
> Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2004 8:17 PM
> To: rfi@contesting.com; bplandhamradio@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: RE: [RFI] Broadband over Power Line (BPL) radio interference
> 
> 
> > We should aggressively seek to replicate this scenario; this is an
> > area
> > where the ARRL's anti-BPL efforts have been well-executed 
> and effective, 
> > but we need more.
> 
> ARRL gets only part of the credit here.  The dedicated and 
> correct work of
> the local hams in Cedar Rapids was the most important 
> component to this
> success.  ARRL supported that work, and provided a jump start 
> with the FCC,
> but as more of these cases develop, the success stories will 
> come from those
> that are most directly affected.  
> 
> There are a few of us working this issue within ARRL, but hundreds of
> thousands of amateurs out there. Guess which group can get 
> the most done! 
> 
> Let me publically extend my congratulations and thanks for 
> the volunteerism
> that we saw coming out of Cedar Rapids!  Every one of us 
> benefitted from
> their work and I, for one, appreciate the time they spent to 
> help amateur
> radio. 
> 
> Ed Hare, W1RFI
> ARRL Laboratory Manager
> 225 Main St
> Newington, CT 06013
> Tel: 860-594-0318
> Internet: W1RFI@arrl.org
> Web: http://www.arrl.org/tis
> Member: ASC C63 EMC Committee
>    Chairman: Subcommittee 5, Immunity
>    Chairman: Ad hoc BPL Working Group
> Member: IEEE SCC-28 RF Safety
> Member: Society of Automotive Engineers EMC/EMR Committee
> Member: IEEE 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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