Hams Map Powerlines for Low Frequency Interference

I don't remember whether or not I used the slash format for the coordinates when I submitted mine, just copied and pasted the results I got off Google Maps but I got a return message saying the submission went through. If I don't hear anything from them within 30 days, I'll give myself the benefit of doubt and transmit as soon as I get something to transmit with. My quarter-wave 160m vertical and 120 ground radials should work as an antenna, albeit less efficiently.

 

Thanks Bonnie , i retyped the line and used google earth for stanislaus county ... looks like my house is in the clear
Bonnie you already have some radios you use for splunking so your ready to go in the bands ?
please keep up updated on your activities.

map for Stanislaus county area below

 

Even if power lines are near, if you submit your info to the UTC website, and they do not respond within 30days you are good to go, right? It is also innocent until proven guilty....??

 

so would this amp work as LF amp with for the ts-590 tiny DRV 1 mw output ... funny there are like 100 add's for this little RF amp on ebay now like someone saw the markit coming...

https://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_...+power+amplifier&_trksid=p2047675.m4100.l9146

 

I wonder if the Utilities Technology Council has figured out the terrorism risks of exposing both the maps of the lines and the control frequencies?

anyways they are not part 15 accepting and demand part 15 TX accomodation and have "secret frequencies". can't have it both ways. I really doubt that 1W EIRP is going to "interfere" with anything. heck, we hams have trouble receiving an overnight integrated signal.

 

I don't know what the rest of you are doing, but, I saved my "application/request/notification/ect before I submitted it

so in a few years, the old "we don't have any record" routine won't work

 

to K6CLS,

You're right.
It also isn't possible to keep a huge visible electric grid a secret... it is out there in the open for the public to see.
The maps of it are completely public and open source.

Any citizen with a portable low frequency SDR waterfall display can simply drive near their local power line and scan for which frequencies of power line carriers are in use.

They refused the ARRL's offer to manage and map the potential for interference.
Now, it seems that it will be crowd-sourced and open-sourced

 

In a post 9/11 world it's probably going to be hard to leverage any info out of the power utilities that they don't want to give out, as they'll just go crying to Homeland Security if the FCC ever disagrees with them.

Personally I have local distribution power lines running across the back yard, then big HV a couple hundred yards in parallel beyond that, and I'm sitting here trying to figure out how I can load those suckers up as passive elements or something

 

I just received the Operation Approved Letter from UTC ! ! !

Now to build an antenna for one or both bands.
RX we have...the TX...we will see.
Looks like a Winter Project

 

Congrats! Surprised the UTC actually issued such a letter. I was expecting that no response would be tacit approval. That puts me on edge until monday when my 30 days runs out.

73 de John - WØPV

 

Me too, one hour ago!

 

Anyone who gets rejected by UTC for proximity to a power line should post to this thread.

 

Received my approval today too. I filed the same day Bonnie posted this article.

 

Approval received today too, both bands. Application sent day before OP (9-16-17).

 

The whole notion that UTC has the power to "APPROVE" or "NOT APPROVE" is wrong.
Also, the UTC's email reply is self-serving, erroneous, and probably violates the FCC ruling.
They don't have the power to approve.
They no force of law or rules to empower them to regulate ham radio.
Their email response tries to wrap themselves with the air of authority that they are not authorized to invoke:

"...amateur operators will be subject to FCC enforcement for unauthorized operations, as well as potential legal liability for damages that result from interference caused by amateur operations to PLC systems."​

The UTC's only duty under the FCC rule is to notify the radio operator, upon request, if they are within 1 kilometer of a PLC powerline. Period.
There is no duty or cause for UTC to threaten licensed amateur radio operators with liability or enforcement.
Only the FCC can do that.

UTC is not a government agency.
UTC is really nothing more than a club which has members, similar to ARRL.