Amateur Radio/Scanner & Linux blog

Two local hams Jerry, K3FKI, and Frank, N3FLR, both talked with a reporter from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette over the weekend and Jerry was kind enough to email me with comments on the meeting. Here is what Jerry had to say.

"Frank, N3FLR, and I met with the reporter and tried to explain,
in simple terms, that there is no such thing as BPL without spurious
emissions. He was referred to numerous web sites, including
ARRL and the company that makes the equipment.
We showed him some of the information from the web site of the
company making the BPL equipment, wherein they acknowledged
certain problems and tried to indicate they were not important. We
told him they were putting up a "smoke screen."

We showed him some video of tests and he saw the marked increase
in noise level, in the tests. To do this, we had to explain S meter
readings.
We demonstrated these to him on Frank's HF transceiver. He seemed
to understand.

He will do the research that Frank and I recommended. As it stands now,
we will be meeting with him, again, before the next article is published.
73,
Jerry"

And here is an email that I received from Frank latter in the evening.

"We met with him for 2 hours at my place.
He has only a little understanding on how BPL works, so we spent a lot of time educating him with what we know from what we saw mounted on the poles in Monroeville, and information from Amprion's web site.
We also showed him the videos from the ARRL page from drive through of the BPL areas in different test sites.
Showed him the FCC rules change regarding part 15 devices. He had no idea what a part 15 device was until I pulled out 2 on my key chain, one for my car alarm and a (faub) to get into the fire hall. Happens he had one in his pocket for his car alarm also.
I let him know these devices cause interference somewhere, but for about a half second, BPL is 24/7 nonstop.
Also showed him the exemptions that the FCC put in the part 15 rules change to protect certin things.
Therefore they know there is interference.
I beleve he is on our side and he knows money and politics are driveing BPL.
The ARRL video shows Pres Bush's speech where he promices to give rural america Broadband by lessining government regulations.
I likend it to polluteing the HF Spectrum.
Also showed him that we are not the only people on HF.
Turned on my HF rig so he could hear some conversations going on, only band that was not dead was 40 Mtrs.
Showed him WWV that no one will be able to hear in the BPL areas.
He also sat the list of orginizations that officialy were aginst BPL.
Also told him we are at the bottom of the solar cycle, in 5 years BPL polution may propigate around the world.
You know at the top of the cycle how it is possible to talk to England with 5 watts at times.
We may hear BPL interference here from other states or countries at the top of the cycle.
Anyway he is coming back in the future with a photographer when he gets closer to finishing the article.

We also keep sending him web sites to look at for information.
We will keep with him, he is the only media outlet that contacted me.
Got no response from BPL Global, WTAE, KDKA, WPXI, Tribune Review, Rick Santorium, only the PG responded.

I hope his article really stirs the pot, we have to educate the public on this matter, the PG could be great PR for us.
73
N3FLR - Frank"



Thanks to Jerry and Frank for their efforts. I will try to keep the blog updated with any additional information that I receive.