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[RFI] Tongia BPL business case study

To: <rfi@contesting.com>, <bplandhamradio@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [RFI] Tongia BPL business case study
From: "Hare,Ed, W1RFI" <w1rfi@arrl.org>
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2004 16:59:00 -0400
List-post: <mailto:rfi@contesting.com>
A Professor at the University of Michigan had done a nice business study report 
on BPL.  The URL turned up busted, so for those that may link to it, here is 
the new URL:

http://tprc.org/papers/2003/246/Tongia-PLC.pdf

For those that haven't seen it, it is a good read that may be of some interest 
to your local utility.

Ed Hare, W1RFI
ARRL Laboratory Manager
225 Main St
Newington, CT 06013
Tel: 860-594-0318
Internet: W1RFI@arrl.org
Web: http://www.arrl.org/tis
Member: ASC C63 EMC Committee
   Chairman: Subcommittee 5, Immunity
   Chairman: Ad hoc BPL Working Group
Member: IEEE SCC-28 RF Safety
Member: Society of Automotive Engineers EMC/EMR Committee
Member: IEEE 


> -----Original Message-----
> From: rfi-bounces@contesting.com [mailto:rfi-bounces@contesting.com]On
> Behalf Of Hare,Ed, W1RFI
> Sent: Friday, July 16, 2004 4:44 PM
> To: rfi@contesting.com; bplandhamradio@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: RE: [RFI] Broadband over Power Line (BPL) radio interference
> 
> 
> > To end on a more constructive note, I'd be happy to donate 
> > the time required to help you organize and maintain an effective 
> > anti-BPL web site. 
> 
> I appreciate the offer, but your word choices in your 
> exchange with me show me that, as a minimum, you and I will 
> not be able to work well together. As a maximum, it shows 
> that you may not be capable of stating things in an 
> "effective" manner.
> 
> I agree that the web site can use some work, and ARRL is 
> working towards getting more of its pages done by outside 
> volunteers, but I will see if I can find someone else who has 
> a more positive outlook.
> 
> Ed Hare, W1RFI
> ARRL Laboratory Manager
> 225 Main St
> Newington, CT 06013
> Tel: 860-594-0318
> Internet: W1RFI@arrl.org
> Web: http://www.arrl.org/tis
> Member: ASC C63 EMC Committee
>    Chairman: Subcommittee 5, Immunity
>    Chairman: Ad hoc BPL Working Group
> Member: IEEE SCC-28 RF Safety
> Member: Society of Automotive Engineers EMC/EMR Committee
> Member: IEEE 
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Dave Bernstein [mailto:dave.bernstein@comcast.net]
> > Sent: Friday, July 16, 2004 3:30 PM
> > To: Hare,Ed, W1RFI; rfi@contesting.com; 
> bplandhamradio@yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: RE: [RFI] Broadband over Power Line (BPL) radio 
> interference
> > 
> > 
> > The purpose of my posts has been to argue for more effective 
> > action against
> > BPL. That should have been apparent to you from the first.
> > 
> > Your rationale for not seeking out BPL pilots, publicizing 
> > their locations,
> > and aggressively organizing local hams to monitor them is lame:
> > 
> >    - there are undoubtedly many hams willing to help, but 
> > unaware of BPL
> > pilots in their area; their potential contribution is going 
> untapped.
> > 
> >    - the point of providing leadership is to organize 
> > resources in a way
> > that avoids cross-purposes.
> > 
> >    - your fear of isolated misbehavior by individual hams 
> > should not prevent
> > us from making a concerted effort to monitor every BPL pilot
> > 
> > You did not respond to my questions about HF-dependent 
> public service
> > agencies or hams that work in their communications departments.
> > 
> > I did traverse a number of hyperlinks on the ARRL's BPL web 
> > page, but never
> > found the up-to-date FCC list. Frankly, this web page is a 
> > chaotic mess. My
> > hopes were briefly raised when I found the hyperlink to "the 
> > ARRL's Secure
> > BPL Web Site", but it resolves to
> > https://www.arrl.org/forms/development/donations/bpl/, which is what
> > prompted my acerbic final comment.
> > 
> > As for donations, "The alternative is that ARRL could not do 
> > some of the
> > work it has been doing, or would have to curtail something 
> > else instead."
> > implies that you are being maximally effective with the 
> > funding you already
> > receive. From what I've observed, you're not even close.
> > 
> > To end on a more constructive note, I'd be happy to donate 
> > the time required
> > to help you organize and maintain an effective anti-BPL web site. 
> > 
> >      73,
> > 
> >         Dave, AA6YQ
> > 
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: rfi-bounces@contesting.com 
> > [mailto:rfi-bounces@contesting.com] On
> > Behalf Of Hare,Ed, W1RFI
> > Sent: Friday, July 16, 2004 2:47 PM
> > To: rfi@contesting.com; bplandhamradio@yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: RE: [RFI] Broadband over Power Line (BPL) radio 
> interference
> > 
> > 
> > > I guess my meta-question is "what is the ARRL doing to 
> effectively 
> > > organize those hundreds of thousands of amateurs?". Asking for 
> > > donations doesn't count.
> > 
> > You had me up until the end, when the real purpose of your 
> post became
> > apparent, but I will answer your questions anyway. :-)  
> > 
> > I will point out that I am not publicizing the specific 
> > information I have
> > on BPL locations, for pretty obvious reasons. Those hams that 
> > are willing
> > and able to help should do so through the local amateurs that 
> > are working
> > with their local utilities and BPL providers across the 
> country. To do
> > otherwise could well be working at cross purposes with those 
> > local efforts,
> > and with local hams donating hundreds of hours collectively, 
> > no one should
> > make things any harder. The few posts I have see from hams 
> offering to
> > "solve" the BPL problem by parking 500-watt mobile stations 
> > under the lines
> > or engaging in some good old target practice should alert 
> > anyone that such
> > information should not be published openly. There are no BPL 
> > trials taking
> > place in New England. The nearest in is Briarcliff Manor, NY.
> > 
> > I likewise do not publish the list of the hams who are 
> > working on these
> > issues locally. They have their hands full right ow, and 
> > those that want to
> > get involved with answering questions from hams across the 
> country are
> > probably reading one or both of these lists. 
> > 
> > I have been in regular contact with each of these groups and 
> > am just now
> > setting up a reflector@arrl.org to help them all better 
> > communicate with
> > each other. Those that have done the doing can offer a lot of 
> > good advice to
> > those that are looking to do it.
> > 
> > ARRL's DC team has been holding regular meetings with some of 
> > those that are
> > concerned about BPL, ensuring that our information is 
> > available to them.
> > However, it is equally important that they reach their own 
> independent
> > conclusions about BPL, and file accordingly. Unfortunately, 
> > in some cases,
> > the concern is less than it should be, IMHO.  This has been 
> > discussed in a
> > number of the articles in the URL you cited.
> > 
> > Yes, the list of experimental licenses is not up to date. I 
> > figure that
> > would happen, so the very first thing I put on that section 
> > of the page was
> > the link to the FCC page where all of the current 
> > experimental licenses are
> > found.  Did you miss that?
> > 
> > And asking for donations counts a lot.  The alternative is 
> > that ARRL could
> > not do some of the work it has been doing, or would have to curtail
> > something else instead.  Last week, I was at a meeting in our 
> > DC office with
> > some of those other agencies and next week I am off to the 
> > exciting ville of
> > Piscataway, NJ to attend a BPL industry meeting.  
> > 
> > Ed Hare, W1RFI
> > ARRL Laboratory Manager
> > 225 Main St
> > Newington, CT 06013
> > Tel: 860-594-0318
> > Internet: W1RFI@arrl.org
> > Web: http://www.arrl.org/tis
> > Member: ASC C63 EMC Committee
> >    Chairman: Subcommittee 5, Immunity
> >    Chairman: Ad hoc BPL Working Group
> > Member: IEEE SCC-28 RF Safety
> > Member: Society of Automotive Engineers EMC/EMR Committee
> > Member: IEEE 
> > 
> > 
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Dave Bernstein [mailto:dave.bernstein@comcast.net]
> > > Sent: Friday, July 16, 2004 2:23 PM
> > > To: Hare,Ed, W1RFI; rfi@contesting.com; 
> > bplandhamradio@yahoogroups.com
> > > Subject: RE: [RFI] Broadband over Power Line (BPL) radio 
> > interference
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Re "There are a few of us working this issue within ARRL, but
> > > hundreds of
> > > thousands of amateurs out there. Guess which group can get 
> > > the most done!"
> > > 
> > > 1. where would I find a list of all active and planned BPL
> > > pilots and their
> > > grid squares?
> > > 
> > > 2. where would I find the list of hams the ARRL has organized
> > > to monitor
> > > these pilots so I can contact them and take advantage of 
> > what they've
> > > learned?
> > > 
> > > 3. where would I find the list of public service agencies
> > > that depend on HF
> > > communications?
> > > 
> > > 4. has the ARRL sought out hams in these agencies and alerted
> > > them to be on
> > > the lookout for BPL-generated RFI?
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Buried in the middle of
> > > http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/ , I found a
> > > list of 8 experimental BPL licenses granted by the FCC, but 
> > > this list is
> > > clearly incomplete (Cedar Rapids IA and Menlo Park CA are 
> > > both missing, for
> > > example) and is in some cases too vague to be actionable, 
> > > e.g. "Southern
> > > Telecom WC2XZG AL, FL, GA, MS, unspecified locations". There 
> > > is a later
> > > reference to "This UPLC/PLCA joint paper reports that 
> > successful field
> > > trials have taken place in the US in AL, MD, MO, NY, OH, PA, 
> > > and VA" with
> > > the implication that no amateurs were aware of their existence.
> > >  
> > > I guess my meta-question is "what is the ARRL doing to
> > > effectively organize
> > > those hundreds of thousands of amateurs?". Asking for 
> > > donations doesn't
> > > count.
> > > 
> > >     73,
> > > 
> > >         Dave, AA6YQ
> > > 
> > > 
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: rfi-bounces@contesting.com
> > [mailto:rfi-bounces@contesting.com] On
> > Behalf Of Hare,Ed, W1RFI
> > Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2004 8:17 PM
> > To: rfi@contesting.com; bplandhamradio@yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: RE: [RFI] Broadband over Power Line (BPL) radio 
> interference
> > 
> > 
> > > We should aggressively seek to replicate this scenario; this is an
> > > area
> > > where the ARRL's anti-BPL efforts have been well-executed 
> > and effective, 
> > > but we need more.
> > 
> > ARRL gets only part of the credit here.  The dedicated and 
> > correct work of
> > the local hams in Cedar Rapids was the most important 
> > component to this
> > success.  ARRL supported that work, and provided a jump start 
> > with the FCC,
> > but as more of these cases develop, the success stories will 
> > come from those
> > that are most directly affected.  
> > 
> > There are a few of us working this issue within ARRL, but 
> hundreds of
> > thousands of amateurs out there. Guess which group can get 
> > the most done! 
> > 
> > Let me publically extend my congratulations and thanks for 
> > the volunteerism
> > that we saw coming out of Cedar Rapids!  Every one of us 
> > benefitted from
> > their work and I, for one, appreciate the time they spent to 
> > help amateur
> > radio. 
> > 
> > Ed Hare, W1RFI
> > ARRL Laboratory Manager
> > 225 Main St
> > Newington, CT 06013
> > Tel: 860-594-0318
> > Internet: W1RFI@arrl.org
> > Web: http://www.arrl.org/tis
> > Member: ASC C63 EMC Committee
> >    Chairman: Subcommittee 5, Immunity
> >    Chairman: Ad hoc BPL Working Group
> > Member: IEEE SCC-28 RF Safety
> > Member: Society of Automotive Engineers EMC/EMR Committee
> > Member: IEEE 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
> > RFI mailing list
> > RFI@contesting.com http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi
> > 
> > 
> > 
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