[RFI] when to apply mitigation techniques to solar array RFI

[Chuck Gooden]

I am sorry but there are no BUTS here.  Jim Brown is 100% correct in his 
statement.  Fixing issues out in the field requires considerable 
resources spent in personnel, travel expenses, and labor to fix the 
issues.  A few dollars in the design and development stages can save 
millions.

As I see it,  the real issue is that hams are not bringing these issues 
to the attention of the FCC with enough factual evidence that will cause 
the FCC to act.  There are too many hams that will fire off an email to 
the FCC and expect them to do something, but they do not provide any 
details in what they did in an attempt to resolve the issue or provide 
any details that will assist the FCC Personnel in resolving the issue.

When I was working we attempted to categorize the issues that caused 
problems with our products then we kept track of how many times the 
particular issues occurred.  When the count got too high for an issue, a 
team was appointed to look into the issue and come up with a remedy.  It 
doesn't take too long to fix the vast majority of the issues that are 
causing the most problems.

I suspect the FCC works in the same fashion.  When enough people submit 
problems with enough factual evidence of the issues, the FCC will act.  
This may even result in recalls being issued to get manufactures to fix 
the issues like the Takata  air bag inflator recall.  Once they act on a 
few, the others will fall in line and start correcting issues too.

Collecting the factual evidence is a difficult process that takes a lot 
of time and will usually involve other individuals or companies.  This 
may include images of the spectrum, recordings of the interference, DF 
bearings to the interference, copies of letters and other 
communications, a daily log book, a list of other nearby hams that are 
also experiencing the issues, time of the day the interference is 
occurring, etc.  The key here is to document the facts and leave any 
assumptions, and guesses out of the details.  Just because the 
interference appears to be coming from the house on the corner that just 
installed a solar panel does not mean the solar panel is causing the 
interference.When the FCC does decide to act, then it is an easy process 
for the FCC Field agent to do a quick verification and get the person or 
company responsible to resolve the issue or pay penalties.  I am 
confident that the solar power companies would not like it known they 
are being fined by the FCC for producing defective equipment.

Chuck K9LC


On 3/18/2017 11:23 AM, Jim Spears wrote:
> Jim Brown is certainly 110% correct in stating that the design and
> manufacturing stages are the right place to implement RFI mitigation
>
>   
>
> BUT
>
>   
>
> Those of us who have to deal with the downstream effects of manufacturers
> who failed to do so through ignorance or calculated omission of needed
> components can only deal with them after design, manufacture and
> installation are complete.
>
>   
>
> Perhaps and we can only hope that the pendulum is starting to swing the
> other way toward "encouraging" manufacturers to take RFI to others into
> account.
>
>   
>
> Jim Spears
>
> N1NK
>
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