[RFI] Another Solar Panel RFI System

[Dave (NK7Z)]

Hi Dale,

For the most part that is not going to work well...  No matter how much 
you talk to your next door neighbor if you interfere with their <insert 
device name here>, it is almost always your fault in their minds... 
The logic goes like this:

"I have a <insert device name here>, it works 99% of the time, but when 
you transmit it does not work..."

How do you think most people are going to react to that situation...  So 
as Amateurs, we start out handicapped, because the consumer is not 
educated in how RFI responsibility is parsed out.  The consumer is sure 
it is you, not them...

Now lets reverse the victim status...

The consumer installs a multi thousand dollar <insert device name here>:

"I paid thousands to to install this, and had professionals install 
it...  I bought it from a manufacturer we all know and love.  It can't 
be my equipment..."

Again-- education of the consumer is the driver here.  If the consumer 
is happy, and the system is in place, the Amateur is already behind the 
8-Ball, and again, the Amateur is handicapped as a result of lack of 
education on the consumers part, with regards to parsing RFI responsibility.

This places an installer, or manufacturer, in the position of telling 
the consumer that their newly installed multi thousand dollar widget, 
may interfere with the amateur next door, and they, (the consumer), will 
have to pay more to fix the issue...

Again, the consumer is going to whine about this state of affairs, and 
neither the  the manufacture, or the vendor, are going to tell the 
consumer this, as they may lose the sale...  Again, education issues for 
the consumer, and maybe penalty's for the vendor if they don't tell the 
consumer might help...

Until the consumer, not the Amateur, is directly affected by RFI, the 
RFI nightmare we all live in, (if we are a city), will continue.

Part of the RFI "fix" MUST include education beyond the Part 15, or 18, 
stickers on equipment to consumers...  The consumer views these stickers 
like the tags on mattresses that say "DO NOT REMOVE UNDER PENALTY OF 
LAW", they are ignored, and removed, for the most part.

I really don't see how this will get solved in my lifetime...  At 70, I 
have perhaps 15 to 20, (if I am lucky), years left...

It will take that long just to cycle out most of the old gear, if a 
mandate were to be put in place today.

I applaud the efforts of the ARRL, the only way to work this issue is to 
educate everyone involved, and get standards in place...

Maybe the next generation of hams will see less RFI...

With regards to contracts...  You are dead correct Dale!

I was lucky, I got my HVAC installer to put in his contract that if RFI 
were to occur at a level I was not happy with, they would fix the issue, 
or remove and replace the HVAC system.  I doubt I could get that 
concession again today...  No RFI, occurred however, as we discussed 
this with the vendor prior to install, (no PWM motors were used), and 
the vendor contacted the manufacturer BEFORE starting on the project.

What next door neighbor is going to tell a vendor, you had better be 
ready to charge me more, if the ham next door complains...

Consumers MUST be educated about RFI responsibilities, as part of an 
overall fix, if RFI is to be reduced...

73, and thanks,
Dave (NK7Z)
https://www.nk7z.net
ARRL Volunteer Examiner
ARRL Technical Specialist, RFI
ARRL Asst. Director, NW Division, Technical Resources

On 12/25/22 01:04, Dale wrote:
> so it would seem that we hams try to work with our neighbors to minimize the problems from their systems