Amateur Radio Marginalized by FCC on BPL Issue

Gee,

I have an old CB radio converted for 10mtr AM. Maybe this old jewel could serve this purpose. Actually, I think it would be silenced quickly by a call to the local constabulary. I think they could declare it a local nuisance.

Seriously, it's going to be a while before this stuff becomes wide spread. This gives us plenty of time to develop an appropriate strategy to attack this problem.

Ken

 

some of these solutions being aired here are starting to sound silly. Anyway if your going to jam some imaginary signal from the powerpoles At 28 mhz. why then won't log trucks and other truckers with 100 watt c.b.'s just tear it up too? Most of them stop under the powerlines at the stoplighe and in traffic holdups and jabber away their whole shifts. I don't know, anyone have an answer for that possible episode? 73

 

Now, that Michael Powell's dad has stepped down, there's no reason for Michael to continue to placate Bush.
And, no reason for Bush to keep him as Chairman, since his dad is out of the Administration.

And, with Evans gone from Commerce, we could see a change or two in BPL cheerleading enthusiasm.

Just a thought or two.

Lee
W6EM

 

In 1966, a squirrel climbed on top of our power pole transformer and got fried. Unfortunately, his charcoaled body served to conduct the full line voltage into our home. Boy was I surprised when I flipped on the TV and observed an arc dancing 20ft across the room from the picture tube anode to a metal railing. We were fortunate that no one got injured. Unfortunately, stories like this will become more common when lightning damages the capacitors linking the BPL signals between the transformer primary and secondary windings. Such capacitors will be obviously be necessary for the BPL signals to reach into our neighbor’s homes. One lightning strike and you could end up with full line voltage in every wall outlet!

In case you’re wondering, the TV survived. Vacuum tubes were much less susceptible to voltage spikes than modern transistors.

Ed AE4TM

 

now I have heard everything! TWICE! Oh brother........

 

Of course, the reason Michael Powell will stay at the FCC is the very reason he is there in the first place: He is a bright, hardworking, public servant, with excellent judgement, acting on behalf of the people of the US, and not some activist groups--such as we've seen, in part, in these ham objections to BPL.

Chip N1IR

 

Boy, someone's nose sure is brown!  

 

I can understand the squirrel causing a problem in the configuration you describe, but BPL that's another issue entirely.

First off, there will be no capacitors employed to bypass transformers. This will be accomplished with extractors. The extractors consist of broadband transfomers with sufficient insulation to avoid this problem.

Now, lightning is another problem. The voltage from a lightning stroke could really cause some problems. The IEEE will be working on appropriate standards to insure the safety of the public and those working on these systems.

There will a significant amount of time spent to insure the safety of the public and the linemen charged with maintaining these system. In addition, there will be work done to promote interference mitigation in the final product.

I'm not sure that what I've said will placate you concern, but trying to use this type of scare tact to combat a system is not helpful.

Ken

 

Ken:  Your analysis is somewhat off the mark.

First off, any transformer has to have its primary winding terminated in some way.  So, its simply ludicrous to say that capacitors are not involved in "extractors".  There wouldn't be sufficient self reactance in such a 'broadband transformer' to enable its connection at between 2.4kV and 12kV at 60Hz to ground.  Or, correspondingly, 4.16kV, or 21kV, phase to phase.  So, guess what?  I'll bet they will use capacitors to make such a termination possible.

Secondly, isolation between the primary and secondary of such a device, must be capable of the Basic Insulation Level of the AC system.  95kV, 110kV or 125kV for most distribution systems.  That literally means, an impulse voltage impressed upon the system at the above levels must not cause ANY failure of any insulation systems.  Whether capacitors, transformers, insulators, surge arresters or cable terminations.

His example is a good descriptor of what will happen unless the BPL add-ons, whatever they consist of, can meet the insulation level of the respective distribution systems.  This is because they do make a connection from the primary of distribution transformers to their respective secondary windings.

Due in part to "noise" made by some of us, the appropriate power system committee of the IEEE is now, belatedly, attempting to devise BIL standards for "extractors" and such BPL devices that have been or are intended for installation.

Without such a standard, technically the devices violate the National Electric Safety Code, ANSI/IEEE C1, which many states have established as law concerning the maintenance, construction and operation of high voltage systems.

It doesn't take a vivid imagination to see the ramifications of a failure of an "extractor" to residential and commercial property and to public safety.  The sacrificed squirrel is, in reality, a good example of what can happen when a failure occurs which involves connecting the distribution primary directly to service voltage systems that enter residences and commercial buildings.

It will be quite stimulating to see the trial lawyers litigate the first of perhaps many such claims.  And, the derivative effects on all of the Registered Professional Engineers from the responsible utilities that allowed the installations of the "extractors" without an established BIL.


Lee
W6EM
Bradenton, FL

 

Yeah, what he said.

 

Administrative sanctions against frivilous complaints?
Sounds like an unconstitutional threat to me!
How can we be fined for filing a complaint?
How can this REALLY be legal?
Whatever happened to due process?
Looks like we need a class action lawsuit going on behalf of ALL Ham Radio operators.

 

the fcc is going to find themselves out of the CONTROL business as more and more sattelites are privately owned and i just pay the owner for the privilage to use the thing to talk around the world on. No more terrestrial radio. AHH! BOLD NEW HORIZONS. What will we think of next. Free at last, onward worthless techs! The repeater gods have failed as well as the codies. There is no stopping us now. 73 the future is NOW! just follow the dust............BPL hahahahah.