(Len Over 21) wrote in message ...
What "help" did the ARRL do in Cedar Rapids, Iowa?
Filed a complaint with FCC that helped get the system shut down.
Identify that "help."
From "Amateur Radio Newsline" of July 2, 2004: (Note that ARN bills
itself as an alternative to ARRL, and is hardly a cheerleader for the
League.)
Quoting:
"BPL: SCORE ONE FOR THE GOOD GUYS"
"A major broadband-over-power line pilot test by Alliant Energy in
Cedar Rapids, Iowa is shut down after local hams document the harmful
interference and the Federal Communications Commission gets a formal
complaint from the A-R-R-L."
(some snipped)
"It took nearly three months to accomplish the mission, but amateurs
in Cedar Rapids - armed with ample data and the muscle of the American
Radio Relay League - convinced Alliant to prematurely halt their B-P-L
test."
"Jim Spencer, W0SR, first discovered the interference on his HF radio
right after Alliant launched its B-P-L testing March 30. Spencer, who
quickly mobilized other Cedar Rapids hams to form a technical
committee, says the interference was so severe that it wiped out his
and others' ability to use their radios."
"Spencer says the group worked with Alliant officials to try to
resolve the interference and conducted several test measurements with
the utility's cooperation."
"Spencer tells Amateur Radio Newsline the group appealed to Alliant to
shut down the system and stop the interference on several occasions."
"But it was clear the B-P-L industry was telling Alliant's managers
something else."
(more snipped)
"Spencer says communications between his technical group and Alliant
officials were civil, but they accomplished little action. He says he
and others filed complaints with the FCC. "I think in 21
communications I received one simple response basically told me to go
back to the power company - the operator of the system," Spencer says.
"And, of course, I had done that all the time."
"So, we had been asking the utility company to close it down, we had
been asking the FCC to help us and then the ARRL went and escalated
that.""
"Wade Walstrom, W0EJ, is the ARRL's Midwest Division Director.
He says the league's FCC complaint finally got the utility's
attention."
""The thrust of the complaint was that they were now aware that the
system was causing interference and didn't shut the system off so now
that makes it willful interference," Walstrom said... Alliant stopped
the B-P-L pilot test on June 25 saying it had gathered the necessary
data to make a determination on whether a general rollout of B-P-L
would be worth pursuing, according to Spencer."
(rest snipped)
The Cedar Rapids group WENT OUT AND DID IT BY THEMSELVES.
No, they didn't. It was a team effort, and ARRL was on the team.
You're just plain wrong about the "did it themselves" part, Len.
They TOOK ACTION.
And it wasn't effective until ARRL filed the complaint.
They didn't go around mumbling catechisms for the league and do
nothing. THEY DID SOMETHING.
So did ARRL.
What have you done, Len, except stuff the FCC's inbox with spam? ;-)
---
Here's another bit of news you may find interesting, Len:
http://www.qrz.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard...ST&f=3&t=65515
They're the Reply Comments of a young radio amateur. Just graduated
from high school. Very well written, to the point, and hopefully
effective. And he's just 18. You would never guess it from the writing
style.
But he's not a newcomer. According to his QRZ.com profile, this ham
was licensed at the age of 10 and has been an active radio amateur
ever since.
If Len Anderson (a life-long non-radio-amateur) made the rules, that
young ham would have not been allowed to hold any class of amateur
license until he was at least 14 years old.
Kinda says it all.....