Here's something which will get a few of us on our soapboxes:

ARRL President says BPL would represent Spectrum Pollution

Your feelings?


[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 08-16-2003).]

Not being into amateur radio, but into the internet I think you can guess where I come out on this.

As with everything in our society the minority always comes out suffering for the benefit of the majority.

I do not like to fly, but I have to put up with the noise and danger of the airline industrie because it is good for the majority.

I do not understand about the interference, but the benefit of having the internet at every power outlet sounds pretty good.

Is it possible that the interference issues can be controlled?

Bob

Paul,
Being a "Ham" myself, Interference is always something that I am concerned about.
But, the question that I would like to ask, is this, just going to play Devils Advocate, for a moment!.
How much more Interference to HF/VHF communications is this going cause, than is already caused by the bad connections, motors, fluorescent lights and Neon Signs already in Electrical Installations?.
What sort of power level (dB) are we talking about here?, with respect to the signal level being sent down the lines?
How does this sort of Interference differ from the hash put over power lines by Hams using a Computer to access Packet Radio?.
Does BPL have Harmonics, like a poorly tuned Ham Xmitter?.
Mike Trump ZL3TPQ

Once again, Amateur Radio is the underdog.

WG3T

I see this as a step backward in many ways. The ARRL article is obviously looking at the issue from the hams' perspective, but the interference is going to be so wideband that it will affect all communications in the HF and low VHF ranges: That includes shortwave broadcast stations, marine bands, CB, and sveral other point-to-point services.

I don't know what sort of signal levels are going to be driven into the lines, but the article is quoting interference registering S9 on a nearby receiver over large parts of the spectrum. S9 is a good, strong signal, so we're talking about a pretty high level of noise.

I guess I'd be a little more impressed with ARRL if they had actually done some scientific testing using, say, a spectrum analyzer that acually measures signal strength across a range of frequencies. I'm sorry but, "Gee my reciever was noisy in that town" just doesn't cut it for serious evaluation.

Big Jim,
That's quite true.
I was always told that without, actual numerical values to back a statement like this up, it would be pretty-much meaningless.
Paul,
With respect to an S9 signal reading, it really depends on what sort of reciever is being used and how well the Signal Strength meter has been calibrated, as in, no two recievers are the same.