Brenda Ann wrote:

*makes mental note to tell friends to dump DirecTV*

Brenda,

Glad you are on the side of the hams and SWLs...but before you are too
harsh with DirecTV, please note the following that was posted on the
ARRL web site:

quoted from www.arrl.org on 16 Aug 07:

ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, said "There is no reason to panic [over
this decision]. ARRL's only concern about BPL is the interference
potential. In that regard, the approach that Current has taken to
date -- limiting its use of the medium-voltage lines to 30-50 MHz and
using the HomePlug standard to avoid the HF ham bands on the
low-voltage drop -- has been satisfactory. If the FCC mandated what
Current has been doing, we would be quite happy."

Sumner continued: "We can be glad that DirecTV chose to align itself
with a BPL company that has taken the interference problem seriously
and has a good track record of avoiding interference in the amateur
bands."

ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, commented, "ARRL and Current
have communicated regularly over the past few years. Current has been
an early leader in carefully choosing its design to avoid
interference to Amateur Radio. They don't operate below 30 MHz on
overhead lines at all, and use HomePlug technology, which doesn't use
the ham bands, in customers' premises. To date, ARRL has no Amateur
Radio interference reports involving Current or HomePlug equipment."