On 28 Feb 2007 22:58:35 -0500, Pat Cook wrote in :
Hi everyone:

"Mike Andrews" wrote in message
...
On 28 Feb 2007 14:30:08 -0500, Richard Crowley wrote
in :
wrote ...
I have the (incredible fast and reliable) Verizon fiber optic into the
house for my internet connection. So far so good. However at the
access point there is a battery backup unit for the fiber-Copper
converter. This battery unit is kept charged by a powersupply that
makes an ENOURMOUS amount of RFI that radiates onto the (15 feet) lead
into the unit and from there into the shack. (S6)

Does anybody have any suggestions on how to silence this? Or... a
suggestion for a cheap and 'quiet' powersupply? (It's output is a
regular 12v)

Seems to me that their power supply is interfering with a licensed
service, and that it's Verizon's problem to solve. In addition, if
you do anything to their hardware, however well-intentioned and
skillful you are, you're giving them an excuse to blame any of your
future problems on you.

I'm afraid I have to respectfully disagree Mike.

While it's EASY to blame Verizon and accuse them of interfering with a
licensed service, you're forgetting one thing. Their technicians, just like
that of any major broadband provider (Be it Verizon, Time-Warner, Comcast,
QWORST, etc),.ARE NOT trained to handle Ham Radio Operators as customers nor
are they trained to customize the installation so it doesn't interfere with
Amateur Radio. They are only required to troubleshoot (Or at least attempt
to) problems with the equipment and/or anything it's connected to. If no
problems exist within the equipment or anything it's connected to, then the
problem(s) lie with the Ham station itself.

That can only be corrected by the Ham.

Richard....Did you do a full diagnostic on your station to see if the
problem might somehow be in your Ham equipment that might be receiving
excessive amounts of RF, thus causing the problem?

At least they *have* a battery backup for their FIOS.

This may be true Mike, but as I said IF the problem is not with the
provider's equipment and/or anything it's connected to, then Richard is the
one with the problem and only he can solve it. Verizon can't do a thing
about problems with his Ham station because, again assuming there are no
problems with Verizon's equipment or anything it's connected to, they're not
responsible.

Just my $.02 worth

"Assuming there's no problem with Verizon's equipment ... ."

Richard wrote explicitly that there *was* something wrong with it --
that "his battery unit is kept charged by a powersupply that makes an
ENOURMOUS amount of RFI that radiates onto the (15 feet) lead into the
unit and from there into the shack. (S6)"

Looks like it's not justifiable to assume that there's no problem with
Verizon's equipment.

Ah, but ... The FCC sends out enforcement letters to folks with noise
generators -- unintentional radiators -- with some frequency. The
ones I've seen have included fence chargers with problems, aquarium
heaters, televisions that were leaking signal, power line transformers
and insulators, and a great many more classes of sources.

If it's Verizon's equipment, then it's Verizon's problem, and a
letter to them -- outlining the problem and suggesting that they do
something to fix it before a letter gets sent to the FCC -- probably
should be sent. And, of course, it is not Richard's equipment, but
Verizon's equipment. While their run-of-the-mill techs may not be
qualified to deal with this, VZ will have some higher-level techs who
*are* so qualified.

VZ is *required* to not interfere, just as the folks with the aquarium
heater, the folks with the bad fence chargers, the folks with the leaky
TVs, and the folks operating the power transmission system are required
to not interfere. The enforcement letters tell them what will happen if
they continue to interfere, and it's generally pretty pricey.

If the power supply is radiating enough to interfere, then it's also
radiating enough that VZ is required to fix the problem. Whether they
have techs trained to do so isn't germane to the issue; the FCC has in
the past just told the folks responsible for the interference to stop
it. Or else. Period.

--
Mike Andrews, W5EGO

Tired old sysadmin