Topband: Power line communication (PLC) - Trends in Holland

[Ulli Grunow]

Hi topbanders,
Here in Holland consumer electronics discounters are already selling
complete PLC systems to use your home electric 230V AC wiring for your
computer network... they are especially promoting that this PLC equipment on
sales is much easier to install, than usual Ethernet or optical wiring for a
high speed network - they promote this PLC home system to be you
home-intranet...

Oh dear !!! 
Can you imagine the radiation of such a high speed networks in a 10 story
appartment building, where everyone has his individual PLC installed ?!!?
And then by accident a ham radio amateur moves to such a "infected"
neighborhood, and becoms claiming to his TRX manufacturer, because he thinks
that there is a noise generator installed at the frontend of his Rx... 

Actually:
- to install private PLC is legal in holland
- To my idea unfortunately there are very few Dutch amateurs, who care...
Question: how many topbanders from Holland you know, working from city
locations... I am sure there is nobody... these hams work VHF repeaters only
and will never show up on shortwave at all !
- Power companies are at the same time heavily promoting PLC for internet
access (WAN-applications)
- I am very afraid about the following situation in the near future: After
the first million of sold units of the mentioned "closed PLC systems" for
home use, it will be practical impossible to claim against a widely used
technology by your own, whether you are right by law or not... what will
happen, if you claim is, that the law is changed in favour of the million
people, not in favour of the single amateur...this is fact and has happened
veru often in the past here in dense European countries...
This is the (marketing) strategy of the PLC suppliers I guess: don't make a
lot of noise, but sell as many home systems as possible before there are too
many claims against the technology... when you have sold enough units you
can much better negotiate about it...

So - for the Europeans:
- come on the band and use the QRG's as long as you are allowed to use them
! Keep in mind that otherwise before you wake-up the spectrum will be used
by others... (mainly PLC thread here !)
- keep communicating and stay active against any try to steal the spectrum
used by amateurs, discuss within your club and be active against any plans
of your local authothy to weaken the rights of ham radio. The authoroties
always tend to just favour the commercial industry requests... (by the way:
PLC is very very old technology and by principle much less powerful than
todays "state of the art" alternative infrastructures - the point is only
that power companies like to earn more money....the bill will be payed by
radio amateur, SWL, so only very few people !)
- tell your meighbor about the big problems of the PLC technology

For USA people:
- I guess, it is wise to keep communicating with the FCC and other
authorities and keep promoting ham radio also.....
- Enjoy the silence of the wide wide country for very silent lowband
qrg's... don't claim, that you are living in the "black hole of the
mid-west"... just enjoy the s1 noise you may have there.... we are every
morning looking for your transmissions to catch inside our transceivers
here... however have to fight against S9+ noise sometimes, with digital
transmissions in between...

So - even it becomes more and more difficult to practice low-band
communication here (80m but especially topband) - lets keep trying with as
high power as possible (or as allowed) to keep PLC equipment on    " T   I
L   T  "     forever !

Ulli, PA5AT (also DF8MQ)
A real lowband enthousiast
low-band OP at PI4COM M/M contest station