[VHFcontesting] Another confrontation of interest

[Bill Burgess]

One week ago yesterday I was the guest speaker at the Tri-County ARC in Deloro, north-east of Marmora.  The subject was 10 ghz ham communications.

After the talk session, a demo ensued, using a pair of wbfm rigs made up with 30 mhz if's.  Antennas were 17 db horns.  I was in the building, second floor, pointing out to 3 hams under a streetlight on the near side of the road and the demo was proceeding well.  I then noted another person engaged in chat with the 3 hams out on the street.  He lived in the house across the street, and told them he was hearing them loudly on his portable phone.  He also indicated he knew they were sent to monitor his phone conversations.

This man was under the influence of alcohol, and known by local hams to have mental problems.  It was then decided to abort the demo and engage in some light and friendly chatter with him, in case he got angry and stomped on the rig on the ground.  He went away happy.  The house was 30 degrees off my horn, and most phones operate at 5.8 ghz and lower.  I regret not knowing what phone he was using, to know the possibilities of this happening in the future, trusting he really did hear it in the first place.

TVI is being replaced by other interference possibilities, with the changing consumer electronic devices.  We must anticipate them, and know the best approach in dealing with them.

73,

Bill   VE3CRU

Email: ve3cru at rac.ca