[RFI] Another Solar Panel RFI System

Dale svetanoff at earthlink.net
Sun Dec 25 04:04:59 EST 2022


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&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 at gmail.com>
Sent: Dec 24, 2022 5:01 PM
To: N5KM - Kris <n5kilomike at gmail.com>
Cc: rfi at contesting.com <rfi at 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 ØLEV

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’t be
> noticeable.
>
> For instance, we’ll see filter algorithms that can automatically take out
> interference from solar arrays, variable speed motors, SMPS’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 at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi
>


--
*Dave - WØLEV*
_______________________________________________
RFI mailing list
RFI at contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi




More information about the RFI mailing list