Speaking of Interferrence (BPL)

[Roger Halstead]

I don't know how many are aware of the current push to implement
Broadband Power Line (BPL) high speed internet connections, but is has
some interesting ramifications.

Perhaps Jim has looked into this.

BPL as I understand it caused a good deal of interference from a bit
above the AM broadcast band to the lower VHF frequencies where it was
tested. The companies pushing BPL claimed they had no interference
(in some carefully selected areas, some with only 10 homes), yet
independent testing showed that they did.

My concerns are: Should we as pilots be concerned as to what this can
do to our nav radios? What about an ILS which is on the bottom of the
aviation frequencies.. NDBs which are at the other end of the
spectrum?

Roger Halstead (K8RI EN73 & ARRL Life Member)
www.rogerhalstead.com
N833R World's oldest Debonair? (S# CD-2)

[Phil Sisson, Litchfield Aerobatic Club]

Roger Halstead wrote:

> I don't know how many are aware of the current push to implement
> Broadband Power Line (BPL) high speed internet connections, but is has
> some interesting ramifications.
>
> Perhaps Jim has looked into this.
>
> BPL as I understand it caused a good deal of interference from a bit
> above the AM broadcast band to the lower VHF frequencies where it was
> tested. The companies pushing BPL claimed they had no interference
> (in some carefully selected areas, some with only 10 homes), yet
> independent testing showed that they did.
>
> My concerns are: Should we as pilots be concerned as to what this can
> do to our nav radios? What about an ILS which is on the bottom of the
> aviation frequencies.. NDBs which are at the other end of the
> spectrum?
>
> Roger Halstead (K8RI EN73 & ARRL Life Member)
> www.rogerhalstead.com
> N833R World's oldest Debonair? (S# CD-2)

The power companies around here have let their systems get so bad that it
is hard to listen to AM broadcast stations. The insulators are cracked and
leaking evrywhere and they will not put any effort into PM work.
If this is any indication of what they will do with that Broadband system
you are talking about, I think we are all in for a surprise. I am
surprised that government let them do it. It is going to be a mess.

Phil

[Roger Halstead]

On Fri, 07 Nov 2003 17:16:27 -0800, "Phil Sisson, Litchfield Aerobatic
Club" > wrote:

>Roger Halstead wrote:
>
>> I don't know how many are aware of the current push to implement
>> Broadband Power Line (BPL) high speed internet connections, but is has
>> some interesting ramifications.
>>
>> Perhaps Jim has looked into this.
>>
>> BPL as I understand it caused a good deal of interference from a bit
>> above the AM broadcast band to the lower VHF frequencies where it was
>> tested. The companies pushing BPL claimed they had no interference
>> (in some carefully selected areas, some with only 10 homes), yet
>> independent testing showed that they did.
>>
>> My concerns are: Should we as pilots be concerned as to what this can
>> do to our nav radios? What about an ILS which is on the bottom of the
>> aviation frequencies.. NDBs which are at the other end of the
>> spectrum?
>>
>> Roger Halstead (K8RI EN73 & ARRL Life Member)
>> www.rogerhalstead.com
>> N833R World's oldest Debonair? (S# CD-2)
>
>The power companies around here have let their systems get so bad that it
>is hard to listen to AM broadcast stations. The insulators are cracked and
>leaking evrywhere and they will not put any effort into PM work.
>If this is any indication of what they will do with that Broadband system
>you are talking about, I think we are all in for a surprise. I am
>surprised that government let them do it. It is going to be a mess.

Couple things: Over here the FCC is getting strict with the power
companies and has levied some 6 figure fines for not getting them
cleaned up. I think the last one I read about was down in Tennessee.

I think too that to use BPL the powerlines will have to be fairly
clean.

The confusing part is that they have to tap off a broadband feed about
every city block (or less) so the broadband has to be there any way
for it to work. I'm having a bit of a problem with the logic here,
except with BPL they don't have to make a broadband run into each
house, BUT they still have to do an install.

I don't really see an upside to BPL, but I do see the potential for a
lot of interference, much of which is not really known.

Roger Halstead (K8RI EN73 & ARRL Life Member)
www.rogerhalstead.com
N833R World's oldest Debonair? (S# CD-2)

>
>Phil
>

[Ernest Christley]

Roger Halstead wrote:

> The confusing part is that they have to tap off a broadband feed about
> every city block (or less) so the broadband has to be there any way
> for it to work. I'm having a bit of a problem with the logic here,
> except with BPL they don't have to make a broadband run into each
> house, BUT they still have to do an install.
>

Maybe this will clear things up. The power companies want more money,
and will try any fool scheme to get it.

There's a big push to push out broadband using existing installations.
I saw one telecom project that was going to attempt to push broadband
and voice over existing telecom wires. To power the wall mounted box at
the home was going to require 200 volts!! 200 Volts over existing,
insulation cracking, half corroded wire running through rusted out
pillow boxes!!

Naw, it's not confusing at all. It's not logical, but it makes all the
sense in the world. It's stupid, but it makes sense.


--
http://www.ernest.isa-geek.org/
"Ignorance is mankinds normal state,
alleviated by information and experience."
Veeduber