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Re: [RFI] Another Solar Panel RFI System

To: David Eckhardt <davearea51a@gmail.com>, "N5KM - Kris" <n5kilomike@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [RFI] Another Solar Panel RFI System
From: Dale <svetanoff@earthlink.net>
Date: Sun, 25 Dec 2022 09:04:59 +0000
List-post: <mailto:rfi@contesting.com>
Dave and Kris,

Dave, you are correct - the "fix" is in hardware, but NOT in amateur radio 
equipment.  The fix lies with the FCC and the solar system manufacturers.  
Alas, many manufacturers are not going to do something that involves cost on 
their own.  The FCC has proven to me that time and again, they do not have the 
guts to put it to the manufacturers of many devices and systems.  (Yes, 
financial clout wins over technical logic.)  Keep in mind that the FCC's 
inaction to control emissions in the MF spectrum has wreaked havoc with AM 
broadcaster listeners.  There is a case in which the financial clout of one 
group (manufactures of digital systems) outweighed the apparently lesser clout 
of the AM broadcast industry.  (The FCC's suggestions for an "AM revival" are, 
to me, hilarious and are all based upon increasing costs to the broadcasters as 
opposed to curing the sources of RFI.)     

When there is a SOURCE of interfering emissions, the best lasting cure is to 
kill (or at least suppress) the interference AT the source.  Getting amateur 
radio equipment to become "immune" to the solar panel RFI puts the cost of 
correcting the problem on all who wish to buy the radio, even those who have no 
such RFI.  If radio manufacturers make such a system an option for their 
radios, then they must cover the R&amp;D expense of such an option and charge 
accordingly.  What would be the size of such a market?  While many hams are 
affected (including me just recently), what actual market size would support 
such special devices?

I fully agree that the chances of the FCC adding radiated emission requirements 
to these systems is somewhere near zero (or less!)  One thing that hams can do 
is if they wish to add a solar panel array to their house, they MUST insist 
that the system not interfere with their radio systems, including in the HF 
spectrum.  They've got to push to get a contract that places the solar system 
manufacturer and/or installer to either bear the cost of RFI remediation or 
refund the price of the system to the property owner.  Yeah, that's kinda 
extreme, but I can't think of a better way to put financial pressure on the 
manufacturers as customers.  Sadly, there is no good way to get neighbors to 
apply the same pressure to their solar system providers.  

Guys, back in the bad old days of the first decade of this century, we hams got 
lucky when BPL self-imploded on financial grounds.  I doubt that home solar 
panel array systems are going to do the same, so it would seem that we hams try 
to work with our neighbors to minimize the problems from their systems, or to 
apply contract terms for RFI suppression to any systems we wish to have 
ourselves.

73 and Happy Holidays,

Dale, WA9ENA

             .  
-----Original Message-----
From: David Eckhardt <davearea51a@gmail.com>
Sent: Dec 24, 2022 5:01 PM
To: N5KM - Kris <n5kilomike@gmail.com>
Cc: rfi@contesting.com <rfi@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [RFI] Another Solar Panel RFI System

Software: "It's in the hardware".......
Hardware: "It's in the software"........

NOT.........

This one needs to be fixed in HARDWARE......... PERIOD.......

Dave - W &Oslash;LEV

On Sat, Dec 24, 2022 at 10:09 PM N5KM - Kris wrote:

> I think it will be up to the radio manufacturers to solve the interference
> problems we are facing. By that I mean developing algorithms that target
> specific RFI types. As processing technology advances these algorithms will
> be able to execute in realtime such that processing delays won&rsquo;t be
> noticeable.
>
> For instance, we&rsquo;ll see filter algorithms that can automatically take 
> out
> interference from solar arrays, variable speed motors, SMPS&rsquo;s, etc. and 
> be
> able to track drifting noise sources. And, of course, the advancement of
> digital modes will improve SNR.
>
> Kris N5KM
> _______________________________________________
> RFI mailing list
> RFI@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi
>


--
*Dave - W&Oslash;LEV*
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