[RFI] Power outages and RFI

Charles Plunk af4o at twc.com
Wed Mar 31 10:11:26 EDT 2021


It is a shame RFI does not get more attention legally. I wonder if a 
situation that inhibited golf to the extent RFI inhibits ham radio were 
to occur, how long would it be before laws were changed? And yes I know 
there are laws now. But if you have been there, you will probably admit 
they do not have much bite. There is much wiggle room for those causing 
to stall, delay, etc.

RFI is like a big net inhibiting radio waves that lingers for months 
(years) until its fixed. Go put up a big net on a golf driving range 
today and see how long it takes to be taken down. Your wife will be 
visiting you in the pokey this evening.

73

Chuck
AF4O




On 3/31/21 5:47 AM, Rob Atkinson wrote:
> This explains what I've been predicting for a few years, that
> ultimately, ham radio on HF and 160 at least, will become a hobby for
> the well heeled who have a lot of land in rural areas only.  Complicit
> with RFI are all the antenna restrictions in more populated areas.
>
> It also explains the futility, in my opinion, of QRP.  Sure, you can
> backpack to some remote location, but the only hams who will hear you
> will be other hams in remote locations.   And I might CQ on top of you
> because I don't hear you.  Sorry, but you have to put an audible
> signal into my QTH for me to realize the frequency is in use.  Finding
> noise sources and eliminating them, a time consuming losing battle in
> cities and towns, and noise reduction methods, get you only so far.
> Apart from decent antennas, about the only thing a ham can do is run
> high power.  It becomes a courtesy to other operators.  I believe the
> US legal limit should be doubled or tripled, or done away with.
> Shocking?  Not really, because very few hams will run crazy high
> power.  That's because the money and knowledge to do that are limited,
> along with the cost of electricity and availability of 3 phase
> service.  But many hams will bump up to maybe 4 or 5 KW.  It's the
> only immediate way to overcome the noise floor.  But relax, the
> chances of FCC raising the legal limit are slim to none.
>
> As for me, I will continue to operate.  Once in a while I get bitched
> at in an email by some piss weak ham because I CQed on top of his QSO.
>    Too bad; get some power and a decent antenna.   I will refuse to let
> appliance RFI take away my license to operate, especially on 160 m.
> because some ham wants to run 100 w. and a dipole 20 feet high.
>
> 73
> Rob
> K5UJ
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