Topband: The Quest to save AM radio

[Tom W8JI]

> But we should clear up a potential for misunderstanding here.  When we 
> talk
> about allowing the noise floor noise to rise, this suggests broadband 
> noise
> emissions limits would be raised.  Typical sources of this kind of noise
> are switching power supplies, digital devices, and UWB communications
> devices.  Last time I checked, Ultra-WideBand systems are required to be
> bandwidth-limited (using simple filters), and they typically raise the
> noise floor in the UHF and higher parts of the spectrum.  So power 
> supplies
> and digital devices (computers, routers, etc.) would be the main culprits,
> but I don't understand how you could exempt ham receivers from a rule
> concerning them.  Nothing can be exempted from noise that covers up
> everything.

The linked article does not make much sense to me in perspective of HF down 
to the AM band and lower.

The most common sources of noise, by far, are switching power supplies.
A distant second are digital devices connected to long cables or large 
wiring systems.

Of all the devices that cannot bother 160 or HF, or especially AM BC, smart 
phones and other digital handheld devices are near the very top. They are so 
small and have such low power they would not likely be noticed if hanging 
right on our antennas.

I agree with other comments that the real issue, and it has been an issue 
since the 1980's, is lack of enforcement. We wanted deregulation and the 
Government out of our business, and certainly we got what we wanted with the 
FCC. :-)

73 Tom