[TowerTalk] Noise and WANs

[Dave N6NZ]

Is this perhaps built out of hacked 802.11 equipment?  I'm not sure how 
they could do
things at 2.4 GHz on the cheap without leveraging an existing technology 
like 802.11.
A lot of guys run amps and/or pre-amps on otherwise part 15 compliant units.
-n6nz

At 10:49 PM 9/16/01 -0500, Ford Peterson wrote:

>Monday night I am sponsoring a picnic for the local ham radio club.  One of
>the members works for the WAN company (ISP) and is bringing his mobile 2.4
>GHz Wide Area Network setup in his pickup truck to demonstrate 500MB/Sec WWW
>interconnect from the vehicle.
>
>Deep Background:
>This WAN is operating in southern Minnesota.  It is apparently the largest
>RF based WAN in the world.  It goes from Central MN to the IA border (about
>125 miles square--just a guess).  This company has been suspected of causing
>unusual noises on the bands, including lots of falsing of repeaters near
>nodes (nodes are located on a 5-7 mile grid throughout the area).  It is an
>ethernet based structure.  A technician for the company has admitted that
>some of the equipment does not (and may not) meet FCC rules but I couldn't
>get him to elaborate as to how.
>
>The Plan:
>They don't know it but while they are demonstrating their blazing fast
>transfer rates right on my property, I am going to be in the shack taking
>notes off the screen of my spectrum analyser and radios (HF, VHF,
>UHF)--located only 150 feet from the demonstration.
>
>Question:
>What tests should I (can I) perform to identify possible noise signatures
>eminating from their equipment?  Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
>
>Ford-N0FP
>ford@cmgate.com
>
>
>
>
>List Sponsored by AN Wireless:  AN Wireless handles Rohn tower systems,
>Trylon Titan towers, coax, hardline and more. Also check out our self
>supporting towers up to 100 feet for under $1500!!  http://www.anwireless.com
>
>-----
>FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/towertalk
>Submissions:              towertalk@contesting.com
>Administrative requests:  towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
>Problems:                 owner-towertalk@contesting.com


List Sponsored by AN Wireless:  AN Wireless handles Rohn tower systems,
Trylon Titan towers, coax, hardline and more. Also check out our self
supporting towers up to 100 feet for under $1500!!  http://www.anwireless.com

-----
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/towertalk
Submissions:              towertalk@contesting.com
Administrative requests:  towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems:                 owner-towertalk@contesting.com