"James Wilson" wrote in message ...
What does BPL sound like? Can someone post a wav file somewhere so it can
be identified?


The ARRL website is loaded with video and/or audio files which will
clearly demonstrate what the various forms of BPL signals sound like
and the havoc they generate throughout the HF spectrum.

http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/#Video


Is it worse that the Pennsylvania QSO party?

If BBL is broadly implemented you won't have to worry about the PAQP.
There won't be a PAQP.


BPL, at least for Michigan. I don't know when it will be an actual
reality,
as opposed to being in the planning stages, but will keep current with
their
project!

w3rv

"Carl R. Stevenson" wrote in message
...

"Dee D. Flint" wrote in message
om...

"Ryan, KC8PMX" wrote in message
...
Just found out today listening to a local, reputable radio station
that
Bay,
Saginaw and Midland Counties in Michigan are going to be "test sites"
for
BPL, at least for Michigan. I don't know when it will be an actual
reality,
as opposed to being in the planning stages, but will keep current with
their
project!


Ryan KC8PMX
Midland, Michigan



Go to the sites. Check out the interference. If it's as bad as they
say,
write the local commercial radio stations to say they are being
interfered
with, write your congressman, and write the FCC.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE


Ryan, et al, PLEASE coordinate with Ed Hare, ... and don't
"write/contact your local commercial radio stations" UNLESS they ACTUALLY
ARE being interfered with AND you are ABSOLUTELY SURE it's BPL.

Yes and no Carl.... if it makes it impossible to RECIEVE our local broadcast
stations, I would think that the local broadcasters would be VERY interested
to know that nobody is getting thier signal, except cable subscribers.


--
Ryan, KC8PMX
FF1-FF2-MFR-(pending NREMT-B!)
--. --- -.. ... .- -. --. . .-.. ... .- .-. . ..-. .. .-. . ..-.
... --. .... - . .-. ...

In article ,
says...
What does BPL sound like? Can someone post a wav file somewhere so it can
be identified? Is it worse that the Pennsylvania QSO party?

The ARRL web site (www.arrl.org) has a video that can be downloaded that
shows how severe this interference can be. They took a vehicle equipped
with HF equipment and drove around areas where BPL is in use as a test
program. The noise levels are horrendous.

--

-- //Steve//

Steve Silverwood, KB6OJS
Fountain Valley, CA
Email:
Web: http://home.earthlink.net/~kb6ojs_steve

After having gone to the ARRL site and listened to the examples, all I
can say is it sounds just like precipitation static and/or loose
connections. No way would I be able to identify one from the other.
I'm just going to have to complain every time I hear noise and make
recordings. If it's noisy enough to be a problem it should be fixed.

Any hope of us non-arrl members getting something to listen to?

"Brian Kelly" wrote in message
om...
"James Wilson" wrote in message
...
What does BPL sound like? Can someone post a wav file somewhere so it
can
be identified?


The ARRL website is loaded with video and/or audio files which will
clearly demonstrate what the various forms of BPL signals sound like
and the havoc they generate throughout the HF spectrum.

http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/#Video

That helps a lot. I see what was meant by "geiger counter" sound now, as
well as the other sort of noise.

I do have a spectrum analyzer here, so that will help, when the day comes.
At the moment, the only broadband available here is DSL or cable modem,
which have been well-behaved neighbors. I'm using a cable modem now, and I
don't notice anything from it, even when I tune into the bands that it uses.
We have regular overflights scanning for leakage, so it appears that Comcast
is making the effort.

Any hope of us non-arrl members getting something to listen to?

Nevermind, a later post answered this.

"Dick Carroll" wrote in message
...


I seriously doubt the economics of BPL will ever bring it where I
live, even if it is approved, but others need to know.


That may indeed be true. However it will certainly make it tougher for you
to communicate with someone in an area that is trashed by BPL.

Dan/W4NTI

"Dave VanHorn" wrote in message
...

After having gone to the ARRL site and listened to the examples, all I
can say is it sounds just like precipitation static and/or loose
connections. No way would I be able to identify one from the other.
I'm just going to have to complain every time I hear noise and make
recordings. If it's noisy enough to be a problem it should be fixed.

Any hope of us non-arrl members getting something to listen to?



I wasn't aware you had to be a member to go klik on the link to the BPL
file. Go check and see.

Dan/W4NTI

"Dick Carroll" wrote in message
...
Carl R. Stevenson wrote:

"Dick Carroll" wrote in message
...

[snip]

You raise an interesting question, Carl. How exactly should the
average ham go about proving that the RFI is indeed BPL, when the BPL
people say
"That's not us!'??



BPL has a unique "signature" (in the spectral/time domains) that can be
used to ID it.

Since there are different systems (SS from main.net and OFDM from
Amperion,
for example) they have different signatures, which are distinct from
other
sources
of interference and more traditional power line noise (of course the
utilities are
responsible for fixing the latter, too ... though their record is poor).


So to repeat, how does the average ham, whom you have exhorted to
"make sure it's BPL that you're complaining about", go about detecting
and sorting which is what, given that spectral analysis gear, and the
training to use it if it was available, is virtually nonexistnt in the
average hamshack? Is there a aural signature or more than one for the
different BPL modes? Is the Emmaus test site video/audio clip
reresentative enough to make the call, or is something more needed?

The Emmaus test site video (test area #3) should be pretty representative
of the "main.net" system ... test area #4 is the Amperion OFDM system.
There could be others that might have different "signatures" ...


I expect that if it was indeed BPL RFI it would follow the power grid
pretty closely with signal strength highest when close, and tapering off
with distance away from the lines. But from the one report posted here
of a ham who said he heard it from a distance of 60 miles, seems like
propagation will play into the picture-to be expected at HF as all
experienced HF ham operators know. Or maybe *he* mis-identified it!

I suspect that may be the case ... though it's not impossible that under
ideal conditions of terrain, propagation, with good antenna, etc. that
it *might* be detectable at some distance ... whether current levels of
deployment would cause truly "harmful interference" at such a distance
requires further study.

So who do hams call for assistance, the ARRL? I haven't seen anything
from them suggesting that.

My recommendation would be to e-mail a .wav file or other common
audio file format to Ed Hare, , and give him the particulars
of time, location, if you *know* that your utility is doing a BPL trial,
etc.
(I'd appreciate a cc: of the audio file and particulars to my main e-mail
address as well, just for my own information and
analysis.)

The MAIN thing is to NOT have a bunch of false "BPL interference
complaints."
The BPL industry is trying to paint the ARS as "exaggerating the potential
for
interference" and doing a lot of hand-waving ... inaccurate claims of "BPL
interference" at this point will do more harm than good.

Carl -wk3c

"Dave VanHorn" wrote in message
...

After having gone to the ARRL site and listened to the examples, all I
can say is it sounds just like precipitation static and/or loose
connections. No way would I be able to identify one from the other.
I'm just going to have to complain every time I hear noise and make
recordings. If it's noisy enough to be a problem it should be fixed.

Any hope of us non-arrl members getting something to listen to?

Dave,

The ARRL video is not in the "members only" part of the site ...
it's easy to find from the articles on BPL in the public area.

Carl - wk3c