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

[Dave Bernstein]

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 at contesting.com [mailto:rfi-bounces at contesting.com] On
Behalf Of Hare,Ed, W1RFI
Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2004 8:17 PM
To: rfi at contesting.com; bplandhamradio at 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 at 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