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

[Hare,Ed, W1RFI]

> 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stations under the lines or engaging in some good old target practice should alert anyone that such information should not be published openly.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I likewise do not publish the list of the hams who are working on these issues locally.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 at 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 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 


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dave Bernstein [mailto:dave.bernstein at comcast.net]
> Sent: Friday, July 16, 2004 2:23 PM
> To: Hare,Ed, W1RFI; rfi at contesting.com; bplandhamradio at 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 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