K0HB wrote:
"Kim W5TIT" wrote

Gosh, those are just a few questions people may encounter, and I am probably
now going to be lambasted for thinking about the majority.


No, I think you will be lambasted for not doing your homework and
understanding the issue.

"BPL" is an unlicensed service which proposes that it be allowed to
inject RF (radio signals) into the AC distribution grid. This RF will
extend across the MF/HF spectrum, and up into the lower VHF spectrum,
and the power lines will act not as a transmission line, but as an
antenna. The interference will potentially affect EVERY RADIO
COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE (not just hams) who use the affected spectrum.

That includes Homeland defense, defense, broadcasting, lots of people
besides hams.

In fact, BPL is a single unlicensed service which would presume to
pollute the spectrum used by the "majority" (your word, not mine) of all
long distance radio communications services.

BPL seems like one of those diminished performance systems that have
been foisted on the public more and more. If a person is tempted to
disagree, I'd ask how many of us would accept the performance on our
home telephones that we accept on cellular- "can you hear me now?"

People seem to forget that the power lines make a recieving antenna as
well as a transmitting antenna. My suspicion is that with the error
checking that will have to take place a lot on any BPL system, we will
be lucky to get to 56K modem speeds.

Anyone care to take bets on how BPL performs to say cable modems? DSL?

- Mike KB3EIA -