30. January 2010 by admin.

Here’s another interesting web site about Power-Line Noise: http://www.powerlinenoise.com/ I just found that one on 02/01/2010. I’ll check it out some more, note: The sound that you hear (turn your speakers on) is very much LIKE what I hear on my radio gear here. He has some videos up on this site of his Power Line Noise Tracking Sessions. It’s interesting to me, his use of the Arrow Antenna Yagi + small handheld ham rig with AM capability. (Time to start finding, tagging, and bagging some noisy power poles. I would at least like to tag and report those poles / hardware that cause noise that affect my Ham Shack (1.5Mhz to 53Mhz) but I have this funny feeling after watching videos on powerlinenoise.com that it will be more than one pole, in other words more than one interference source. At my location it has already proven to be up to a 2 count as of now.) Hey maybe we can start a new sport - similar to WiFi War Driving (which derives from the old War Dialing in the Telephone Modem days) and WiFi War Chalking. Yah you can get in for a couple hundred bucks or so. $60 for the Yagi antenna … Ham Radio guys probably already have the rig (note: it has to be capable of AM reception) because they often already have a dual-band handheld portable (handi-talky or walkie talkie) - but some scanners might even work for this, especially if the have some kind of S-Meter.

Anyway back to the original post that was here:

The powerline RFI that was located by FP&L when they came here awhile back (pulsing very strong RFI) seems to have gone away … but now it reveals what I think was the original RFI that I experienced before the stronger pulsing one came.

I may post more video showing how this sounds and where it is found soon. It still pretty much ruins my use of most of the HF/SSB Ham Bands (especially 3.8 Mhz and 7.175 - 7.300 Mhz ranges.) I wish FP&L would pay attention to me and solve this one as well. It’s very likely something else arcing AC high voltage somewhere on a power pole. It’s surprising that it doesn’t fry some of their own equipment or cause a fire somewhere. You almost want to say you wish it would burn itself out and fall down. But we wouldn’t want anyone to be hurt by falling powerlines or power distribution components. Somethings wrong… something shouldn’t be sizzling and pumping out RF signals that probably travel for miles (or further?)

 Here’s W8JI on Powerline Noise: http://www.w8ji.com/power_line_noise.htm (Definately see it there with pictures! Nice info!)

Power line noise is generally a raspy buzz modulated at some low harmonic of the power line frequency.  Power line noise is  frequency insensitive, having only a very gradual change in level with frequency. Power line noise can be band specific, but it is never frequency specific. CB operators sometimes mistakenly call line noise land noise or ground noise, very unusual slang since neither the ground nor the land is a source of noise.

Power line noise is from the following causes, each of which has subtle but unique characteristics:

Pin or hardware arcs on insulators, generally bell insulators
Arcs from loose clamps or bolts that join wires
Arcs in hardware, like lightning arrestors
Arcs in hardware near, but not connected directly to, power lines
Poorly wrapped or insulated tie wires that secure power lines to knob insulators
Arcs inside equipment, like internal arcs in transformers or lightning arrestors
 

 Insulator Pin or Hardware Arcs
This type of noise is a higher pitch raspy noise. It almost always goes away in wet weather. It also “breaks up” when the wires wiggle or move. When I did noise investigation for a few utility companies I would strike the suspected pole with a large hammer and listen for the noise to “break up”, or (after looking to see the guy wires were well clear of any hot lines) shake or push on the guy wires. You should not do this without permission of the pole owner. I had permission.

Insulator pin arcs are one of the most common sources of broadband noise on power lines. This noise is caused by low tension on bell insulators, allowing them to hang with visible sag or slack. The noise is generally a medium to low level noise with a higher sounding smoother pitch because the arc is weak with very low current, but like all noises it can propagate a long distance along the lines.

The pins on each end of insulators can be a common source of noise. The long insulator above is a newer Polymer type. It does not have the leakage capacitance of older ceramic bell insulators, and is not as noisy when span tension is low. The pins however are the same in almost all insulators. With low tension the pins corrode and make poor contact. This can cause a very tiny arc. The arc excites the power line through the insulator’s stray capacitance and the power line acts like a giant antenna. A few milliwatts of energy can radiate a long distance when using a long wire antenna like a power line!

The problem is rooted more in the capacitance of the insulator than actual leakage across the insulator surface, although both can be involved.

The longer polymer insulators on the pole above have a long fiberglass rod core and a very long external leakage path around the ribs. Ceramic bell insulators have a very large metal casting capping the low voltage or grounded end, and have an interlocked center pin and body cap separated by ceramic. Spacing is small and parallel surface areas are large in the more compact ceramic insulators, causing very high capacitance between the metal cap and the center pin of the ceramic insulator. The longer multi-ribbed polymer insulators have very low capacitance and a long leakage path, so they do not couple from end-to-end nearly as well as the ceramic bell insulators. A span might have to be left slack if the pole can not be back-guyed. Polymer insulators are preferred when a span has to be left slack.

Pins that secure the insulator to the hardware will  corrode and build up a thin layer of insulation. When a span is slack (under low tension)  the insulator metal end cap, the floating pin that locks the end cap to the eye bolt or mounting hardware, and the mounting hardware will arc across the thing layer of corrosion in the joints. This is because the pin is not pulled tightly against the mounting hardware and a small arc develops across the corrosion in the joint. In wet weather the arcing will often stop and the line become quiet. Slack spans with bell insulators are mostly a dry weather problem.

Loose Clamps and Hardware on Poles
Loose hardware on poles and wires is a common problem. It is also a safety issue! This type of problem generally makes a severe raspy strong noise over all bands. This type of noise is generally unaffected by moisture, although it can get get either louder or quieter in rain. If it is arcing from something being ungrounded, noise will generally go away in the rain. If it is a loose connection on a through connection, like a loose nut on the transformer primary connection, it will come and go, being largely independent of moisture.

All metallic hardware should be solidly bonded to the ground wire on the pole or it should be well-insulated from anything else. This is important for minimizing radio noise as well as protecting utility workers. It also reduces the chances of lightning damage.

The bracket above, for example, should be securely grounded to the ground wire running down the pole. Notice this utility let the bracket float. While that won’t make noise, it does create a hazard. If the disconnect switch insulator should ever arc through, develop leakage, or crack the bracket would become hot. If the ground wire was close but not touching the ground wire, it could arc from normal leakage and cause radio noise. It either needs to be a long ways away from the ground wire, or it needs to be bonded to the ground wire. Best would be to bond it into the ground wire.

The eyebolt holding the polymer insulator should also either be solidly grounded, or it should be kept away from the ground wire.

Hot clamps and other line hardware should be tight. Some of the most severe noise sources are loose hot clamps and corroded disconnect switches. Loose connections can actually start fires in dry weather. 

(end quote. There must be a LOT of lose hardware hanging around on power poles. That stuff could fall down and injure someone. But then again people shouldn’t be walking around outside anyway… they should be inside writing a check to the power company :-) ) 

After all air travel is safe … your more likely to be injured or killed walking around and getting hit by powerline hardware, errr, I mean getting in a auto accident, than getting injured or killed in airline travel. That was a pun, intended

Power-Line Interference from: NR6CA http://www.nr6ca.org/powerline.html

POWER-LINE INTERFERENCE

As we all know, power lines are everywhere. Even in communities where power lines are laid underground, they are still above ground at some nearby location. Even with buried lines, transformer still abound in small bunkers dug into the ground and one of them may be right in front of your house. In addition, there are almost certainly street lights in your neighborhood that could also be a source of problems. And then we have traffic lights, internal home wiring just to mention a few other sources of potential power-line noise.

First you need to know that if, for example, your local power company has a problem near you that causes harmful interference, they are responsible for correcting it. They would clearly be in violation of FCC rules if they do not locate and correct the problem. From previous cases the FCC has gotten involved with a 30 day period to diagnose and repair seems acceptable to the FCC. The ARRL can also assist with these problems if it turns out the local power company is reluctant to diagnose and subsequently correct the problem.

Lower frequencies are more affected by power-line noise then VHF and above.  If you have a potential power-line noise problem in your area it will most likely be fairly localized. That is not to say that a problem many miles from you can not be heard at your location. It only means that if you have a high noise level on 160, 80 or 40 meters (and even higher) that the source is fairly close by. Now a true FM radio will not be affected by this type of noise source since noise in amplitude modulated and not frequency modulated. Some modern radios though have both an active AM and an active FM detector working all the time. This is easier to do (read lower cost) for the manufacturer then designing in switching circuits that are selectable. What this means is you might have a wideband receive FM handheld transceiver (HT) that hears the noise. Rest assured it is the AM detector hearing it, not the FM detector.

So what causes power-line noise? Weather exposure is a major cause of problems. Dirt can build up across an insulator and then along comes some rain. Now all of a sudden there is a small arc across the insulator and 40 meters has an S9 noise level. You call the power company, they send out a technician on a nice dry day and he finds nothing. But then you say that it has been quite for the last few days.  Sure enough, he leaves and a few days later along comes another rain storm and the noise is back. So if you pay attention to different conditions when the noise exists write them down and over time see if there is some correlation. If you have one of those nifty all mode, multiband handhelds (such as the Icom R-3), listen to the AM broadcast band in AM mode and start walking around the neighborhood. As you get closer to the source of the noise, it will get louder and stronger. You may even be able to pinpoint it to a specific power pole. Write down the power pole number from the power company label fastened to it.

Another common source of power-line noise is loose, cracked insulator or oxidized clamp, defective fuse and even a damaged lightning arrestor. These can all produce arcing across or within them that results in a very high HF noise level.

Not all power-line noise is limited to HF frequencies though this is where they are most common. It is rare to have power-line noise bother 2 meters or higher yet it does occur.  Think about it, power-lines are very long, transformers are big and even the high voltage insulators can be massive. These things tend to generate noise at lower frequencies.
If you experience this type of interference, do yourself and favor, and the power company one as well and try to isolate the source as close as possible. Write down as much information specific to the time and conditions of the noise as you can. Don’t omit what may seem like an insignificant detail since that one small piece of the puzzle might potentially lead the power company technician to the actual source of the problem. But you do need to help yourself and go out and do some nosing around. Just NEVER, EVER, try climbing a power pole to get a “closer look.” It is not worth the risk. Leave that to the professionals. If you can narrow the noise source down to something like that pole or behind that fence, let the power company take it from there. You also need to be aware of any potential tresspassing. The power company has right-of-way in all locations where they have equipment, you don’t.

—

Alan Spicer - KA4UDX

Alan Spicer Telecom / Marine Telecom

http://www.marinetelecom.net and http://www.wifiyacht.net

+1 954-683-3426

communications (at) marinetelecom.net

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30. January 2010 by admin.

A customer of mine just pointed out to me that the Ericsson W35 doesn’t work for 3G Internet Connectivity on T-Mobiles Network here in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

He further told me that T-Mobile advised him that they use 1700/2100 Mhz for 3G in the U.S. but that 2/2.5G and voice would work on this unit.

* I just sent the following information in an email message to him:

The W35 uses the MC8587V module

I don’t even find that one on Sierra Wireless web site. I had this discussion with Paul back when the Ericsson W35 first came out … over how an Ericsson W25 could be made into (what I called) a W25 Plus - by putting a different Sierra Wireless GSM module into it.

I just found the following in an ANSWERS thing on Sierra Wireless:

http://sierrawireless.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/606/kw/1700%20Mhz/r_id/166

My wireless operator is using the 1700 MHz frequency band. Would I be able to use a Sierra Wireless device?

Sierra Wireless GSM devices support the following frequency bands:

On 3G  (3rd generation data services- UMTS, HSDPA, HSPA)

• 850 MHz
• 1900 MHz
• 2100 MHz

On 2G (second generation  data services -GPRS/EDGE)

• 800 MHz
• 900 MHz
• 1800 MHz
• 1900 MHz

Sierra Wireless GSM devices do not currently support the new North American 1700 MHz frequency band. You would still be able to use a Sierra Wireless GSM device, but only on supported frequency bands. This may limit your connection speed to 2G only (if your carrier requires 1700 MHz support on 3G).

The 1st link on here: http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=+Embedded+Mobile+%E2%80%93+Competition+Requirements+and+Invitation+to+&aq=f&aqi=&oq=

seems to have been removed by GsmWorld … and replaced with a different document. The Quick view available on Google from the search has the old one. It says:

10.2.7 Frequency Bands supported
To ensure global applicability of the module, support for multiple GSM frequency
bands will be required. As a minimum the following bands (MHz) must be supported:
-
GPRS: 850, 900, 1800, 1900
-
EDGE: 850, 900, 1800, 1900
-
3G HSPA/WCDMA: 800, 850, 900, 1500, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2100
It is obvious that not a single module would be able to support all required frequency
bands. The participant may indicate the breakdown of the different frequency bands
into sub-modules.

* I guess nobody is following that suggestion, which might explain why it was removed from GSMWorld. It might have been removed for business-politics reasons

http://www.cellular-news.com/story/28070.php

Growing Support for GSM/HSPA in 1700/2100 MHz Band

The trade group, 3G Americas has expressed confidence in the growing ecosystem of leading wireless technology manufacturers that will support UMTS/HSPA for the 1700/2100 MHz spectrum band. This band is known in the USA as the Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) frequency band. Not only is this band important in the USA, but there is great potential for the continued allocation of 1700/2100 MHz spectrum throughout the Americas, with several auctions scheduled in 2008 in other countries in the region. 

3G Americas says that the combination of a large ecosystem with broad use of the 1700/2100 MHz band in many countries throughout North, Central and South America will continue the success of the GSM family of technologies.

“The two elements that will create success for the 1700/2100 MHz band are a large ecosystem of leading manufacturers and the harmonization offered by more countries in our Americas region adopting 1700/2100 MHz for advanced wireless services,” noted Chris Pearson, President of 3G Americas. “These elements are now becoming evident, heightened by the focus of regulators on reserving this band for next generation mobile services.”

Operators in the Americas who adopt the 1700/2100 MHz band plan will also partially benefit from the commonality of band structure between Europe and the United States. The USA specifically identifies AWS I as 1710-1755 MHz and 2110-2155 MHz, i.e. 90 MHz of spectrum. Both the USA and Europe utilize the 2110-2155 MHz bands for mobile transmit. In September 2006, the 1700/2100 MHz spectrum auction was concluded in the USA T-Mobile and AT&T were among the GSM operators who acquired spectrum, and it is anticipated that T-Mobile will be announcing the launch of their 3G network in the near future.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) endorsed the 1700/2100 MHz spectrum band, also known at 3GPP as UMTS Band IV, and this band is marked for auction or reserved in many countries in the Western Hemisphere. Canada will auction the 1700/2100 MHz band in May 2008, Chile is expected to auction this band in the first half of 2008, and Mexico will auction the same spectrum band by July 2008. Additional countries in the Americas that have reserved this band include Argentina, Colombia and Ecuador.

“Many regulatory entities throughout Latin America are faced with the important decision of choosing the appropriate spectrum bands that will provide economies of scale to deliver advanced wireless services,” stated Erasmo Rojas, Director of Latin America and the Caribbean for 3G Americas. “The 1700/2100 MHz spectrum band is currently being considered by several countries, and 3G Americas expects that this will become a core band of mobile services in the region.”

The 1700/2100 MHz band is particularly well-suited for UMTS/HSPA, with the 5 MHz channels perhaps providing a better spectrum fit than technologies that use narrower 1.25 MHz channels. It is expected that 1700/2100 MHz spectrum will be assigned as FDD spectrum by countries that auction it off, such as in the USA At this time, 1700/2100 MHz is an unlikely match for Mobile WiMAX 802.16e, which is not currently developed for Frequency Division Duplex (FDD). The Mobile WiMAX specification allows for FDD operation, but to date, the Mobile WiMAX system profile solely stipulates TDD. Since mobile WiMAX gets any implied cost or performance benefit by being optimized for single channel Time Division Duplex (TDD) voice and data, using the 1700/2100 MHz band could marginalize its performance. Furthermore, 3GPP’s Long Term Evolution (LTE) is another prospective technology for the 1700/2100 MHz spectrum band, and is the technology of the generation beyond UMTS/HSPA.

Vicki Livingston, Director of Marketing for 3G Americas, stated, “The 1700/2100 MHz spectrum band is a growing ecosystem for UMTS/HSPA that is only partially defined today, as many companies have not made public announcements about their support for this band. For example, most major UMTS/HSPA device manufacturers already have 1700/2100 MHz production capability. We expect to see much more activity as UMTS/HSPA services are launched in this band in the coming months and additional spectrum auctions are held around the world.”

Posted to the site on 14th December 2007

—
Alan Spicer

DBA Alan Spicer Telcom / Alan Spicer Marine Telecom
Computer Services, Wired/Wireless Networking,
Cell/Sat/Landline Communications, General Consulting…
Marine, Business, Small Office and Home Office (SOHO)

* Cost Savings and Integration of Multiple Internet Technologies
on board Sail and Motor Yachts * Documentation, Operating
Instructions, and Support after the Sale *

* http://www.marinetelecom.net/
* http://www.internetforyachts.net/
* http://www.wifiyacht.net/
* 954-683-3426

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30. January 2010 by admin.

Sources indicate that a Verizon iPhone may be coming soon…

http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2009/11/06/report-apple-to-launch-verizon-iphone-in-q3-2010/

Report: Apple to launch Verizon iPhone in Q3 2010
November 6th, 2009

Prince McLean, AppleInsider

A new report citing sources in the Taiwan handset supply chain says Apple has contracted to produce a UMTS/CDMA hybrid iPhone due in the third quarter of next year that will enable the company to sell a single global handset to all carriers, and specifically to Verizon Wireless in the US.

(more at the link above…)

—

Alan Spicer Telecom / Alan Spicer Marine Telecom

http://www.marinetelecom.net - http://www.wifiyacht.net

+1 954-683-3426

communications (at) marinetelecom.net

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11. January 2010 by admin.

Thank You to Orlando of Florida Power and Light, who came out today and in very very short time located the primary Power Line Interference being experienced at my location.

Orlando had in his arsenal the following gear that I have seen:

See: http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/pwr-line-noise/ch5.html

Very similar to, or the same as:

Model 240 RFI Locator

* See also on: http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/pwr-line-noise/ch5.html

Figures 9A and B. The Radar Engineers Model M330 professional grade Mini RFI Locator. Very similar to, or the same as this, was used today here on site by Orlando of FP&L. With this directional antenna and receiver capability it was possible to determine the direction that the interference signal was coming from, and what directions it was NOT coming from. And to also tell what radio wave polorization (horizontal or vertical) it had. This made locating the source, across a major city roadway north of my premises, a very easy task taking very minimal time.

See also Figure 11, a Radar Engineers Model 250 Parabolic Pinpointer. This device, or very similar, was also used to verify and pinpoint on the utility pole the source and along with binoculars to the likely actual culprit component causing the noise.

Note: I walked with Orlando during this. And at the pole I could actually hear electrical arcing from up on the pole. It turns out to be very likely a clamp and a wire, where the wire has broken off - possibly due to a lightning strike - swaying in the wind. Orlando will pass this on to the Line Department to come out and fix it.

* And that’s the end. Thanks again to Orlando and FP&L for a job well done. Now they have to come out and fix the hardware that has been located to eliminate the RFI Noise Problem. I would just like to say that FP&L has been very fast and very responsive to my RFI Report. And I couldn’t have gotten a better guy to come have a look at it than Orlando. Very professional, very courteous, and very knowledgeable in this stuff.

—

Alan Spicer - KA4UDX

Alan Spicer Marine Telecom

http://www.marinetelecom.net and http://www.wifiyacht.net

http://blog.marinetelecom.net

+1 954-683-3426

communications (at) marinetelecom.net

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11. January 2010 by admin.

For awhile last night it was quiet … I actually had very low noise levels on most bands. I could hear the RFI, which has a pulsing factor to it - but sounds like electrical noise, but it was not sustaining like it has at other times. I was actually able to hear and work stations on 3.8 and 7.2 Mhz portions of the ham bands. But today it was back again in full force. Although it doesn’t seem to be always holding the same 5 times per second (approximately) pulsing. I’d almost want to say it is a form of modulation or coding. Maybe it is based upon some kind of traffic or messages being sent? Maybe it varies with electrical usage somewhere? Maybe it’s a failure waiting to happen and it can’t quite figure out what to do with the cold temperatures we are experiencing.

Anyway I managed to get a recording again of this noise … I’m monitoring it right now on 3.8 Mhz and it doesn’t seem to have any reliable pattern to it. Sometimes it’s that rapid pulse, then it slows down to a steady electrical buzzing, different lengths of ON time, back to pulsing briefly, and then back to some longer steady ON times. One thing is for sure it won’t go away and play nice. And it’s very broad band. From AM BC band, through HF Ham Bands, and I can find it also up in VHF although quite a bit weaker.

Here is the video:

* If anyone, Ham Radio Operator, or other knowledgeable or expert type, recognizes this noise please let me know. Thanks! 

—
Alan Spicer KA4UDX
http://blog.marinetelecom.net

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6. January 2010 by admin.

Netbooks are popping up everywhere … even onboard yachts. Well believe it or not most things that pop up elsewhere in the world do pop up on yachts.

Netbooks can be slightly lesser powered than their more expensive full laptop counterparts, so my recomendation is to try them out HARD. Run what you really want to run, or simulate it as much as possible, before you take the plunge. Many of them run Intel Atom or similar CPU’s, and Intel Atom even has Dual-Core versions out. But be careful because I have seen some of them perform rather slowly… You might check this out:

http://analytics.informationweek.com/abstract/18/1433/Mobile-Wireless/informed-cio-netbooks.html

Informed CIO: Netbooks
 
Download
The New Option: Netbooks
Challenge Notebooks’ Dominance

We’ve seen laptop alternatives before—bricks, iPAQs, smart pads and “ultra portables” that were never quite cheap or convenient enough to take a real bite out of the market. What’s different about netbooks? Simple: They’re really, really inexpensive and provide better functionality than any smartphone. We’re not surprised that consumers and business users alike are snapping these babies up like Twitter stock options.

Still, some CIOs wonder whether netbooks are ultimately a consumer play. The answer is unquestionably no. In our recent InformationWeek Analytics Windows 7 survey of 1,414 business technology professionals, 36% of respondents said they already have some level of netbook use in their organizations today. This saturation is expected to grow to 72% of companies over the next 24 months, with 19% planning extensive deployments.

While you can’t ignore the category, CIOs do need to educate themselves on what netbooks are capable of today and how the landscape of competitors, hardware options and OS choices will dramatically change over the coming two years. In this report, we’ll outline 10 key questions you need to review to see where netbooks fit within your organization.

Table of Contents
3 Author’s Bio
4 Little Device, Big Impact
4 Figure 1: Current and Future Netbook Use
6 Figure 2: Typical Device Configurations
7 Figure 3: 2009 Consumer Reports Usability Scores For Laptops and Notebooks
9 Figure 4: Impact of Vista and XP Use on System Policies
12 Figure 5: VDC: Netbook Unit Shipments Through 2013

10 Questions to Ask:
5 1 | Does everyone understand what a netbook is—and is not?
7 2 | Have we mapped our employees’ computing behavior?
8 3 | Can they play a role in our cloud and virtualization strategy?
8 4 | What’s our current plan for mobile phones?
9 5 | How are we going to manage them?
10 6 | How is our green policy shaping up this year?
11 7 | How open are you to Microsoft alternatives?
12 8 | How open are we to Intel alternatives?
13 9 | How will our organization account for these devices?
14 10 | Are netbooks just a fluke?

* Now you probably don’t need all of the information in there, but it might be an interesting one to browse. If you’re on a yacht and need information *like* this contact me and I’ll hook you up.

—

Alan Spicer Marine Telecom

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6. January 2010 by admin.

I thought this was funny enough to share, on:

http://analytics.informationweek.com/abstract/18/126/Mobile-Wireless/review-wireless-lan-analysis-tools.html

In the document it has an Executive Summary - Wireless Analysis Tools - sidebar, which says, and I quote:

Q: Users complain that your WLAN misbehaves every day around 1 p.m. Do you:

a. Blame it on employees surfing the Web at lunchtime;
b. Assume it’s just the nature of WLANs to be
erratic; or

c. Tell the whiners to be thankful they have a
WLAN at all?

The right answer is “none of the above.”

* I know there have been *some* times when Yacht Captains or Engineers want to tell the whiners to be thankful they have a Wireless Network, and Internet at all…

But we all know that’s not the answer. Crew these days for yachts are expecting Internet Access - at least *most* of the time. And we might even be at the tipping point where potential crew will walk because of lack of Internet connectivity onboard a yacht.

Anyway, I thought that would be a funny way, or a fun way, to talk about the subject. I am now in my 6th year working for Marine Customers, mostly Sail and Motor Yacht Customers, assisting with and providing Onboard Networks and Internet Systems - as well as Assisting With and Cleaning Up / Improving existing such Systems.

Well there yah go…! Happy New Year!

—

Alan Spicer Marine Telecom

http://www.marinetelecom.net and http://www.wifiyacht.net

+1 954-683-3426

communications (at) marinetelecom.net

Posted in Computer Networking onboard Sail and Motor Yachts | No Comments »

6. January 2010 by admin.

As a 2010 recommendation (carried over from 2009)…

802.11n WiFi Standard recommend at least for the “inside” of yachts for now…

802.11 “N” the new standard for wireless access points and client networking devices (such as laptops, pda’s, and smart phones), is an addition to the older 802.11 “B” and 802.11 “G” that we’ve been using for a few years now. I have been recommending 802.11 N capable wireless access points for “WLAN” - Wireless Local Area Network - to yachts throughout 2009. When you get 802.11N you get backward compatibility for 802.11B and G client networking devices as well.  WLAN basically is the wireless equivalent of Catagory 5 / 5e / or 6 wired networking within (inside) a premises. So for Yachts and other Marine Vessels this means your “inside the boat” method of accessing the “Boats Onboard Network” which usually also (through router or routers) gives you access to the Internet (the “WAN” - Wide Area Network, which these days is just a “techy” way of saying “The Internet Connection”.) If you can get both 2.4 Gigaherts (Ghz) along with 5.0 Gigaherts Wireless Access Points in the process that would be even better. 5.0 Ghz (Dual Band Access Points)  is used by some Apple Notebooks and may be available in newer Windows Laptops or as an add-on Network Card. 5.0 Ghz will be less used than 2.4 Ghz since the majority of the zillions of WiFi Users are still on that band. So 5.0 Ghz may be less prone to interference and may give you a dedicated “radio” to talk to in such and access point. If the captain, for example, had a 5.0 Ghz WiFi Card in a laptop and everyone else used 2.4 Ghz, he basically gets a seperate band/channel to himself.

For the outside connection, the WAN or WWAN - Wireless WAN connection to WiFi Hotspots I still do NOT recommend 802.11 “N” because Hotspots will not be using it, and the benefits of it may be lost in an outdoor longer range environment.  WiFi Hotspots won’t have 802.11 “N” because it’s MIMO (Multi Input, Multi Output) Multi-Antenna design. WiFi Hotspots will not at this point have Multiple-Radio, Mimo, Multi-Antenna installations - and might not have this for quite some time, if ever. 802.11 N takes advantage, rather than suffering from, close in, lots of obstacles (multipath radio signals) in the way, and uses it to your advantage. Outdoors this just might not work out that way. There just won’t be that many bounces on obstacles or need for multiple antennas. This may change in the future. If anyone knows of an Outdoor WiFi System that uses 802.11 N please let me know.

References: http://analytics.informationweek.com/abstract/18/1733/Mobile-Wireless/research-why-802-11n-will-revolutionize-connectivity.html

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/802.11n

—

Alan Spicer (KA4UDX)

Alan Spicer Telecom / Alan Spicer Marine Telecom

http://www.marinetelecom.net and http://www.wifiyacht.net

+1 954-683-3426

communications (at) marinetelecom.net

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5. January 2010 by admin.

I just did a new video post on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/alanspicertelecom

So maybe some of you experts out there can help me “name that tune” or name that Radio Frequency Interference. Perhaps it will sound familiar and you will know what creates is, or have some idea. Ideas are welcome. Florida Power and Light has been asked to check it out for me. Obviously I would like to keep this with an attitude and tone of “I’ll work with FP&L” towards discovering the cause and resolution of this apparently quite broadband (broad band as in a lot of frequencies, not as in Broadband Internet) in nature as it blankets quite a bit of radio spectrum both Amateur, Public Broadcast, and perhaps OTHER frequencies as well. If it is powerline / equipment related it may be indicative of a coming failure in some part or equipment. Obviously it would be prudent to find it before it fails causing other troubles (Power Outages, Low Voltages, etc.) I’m obviously not the Electrical Expert in this situation. Just a licensed Amateur Radio Operator who happened across this issue. I’m interested in both find the cause and solving it, and in learning from the experience. Perhaps this can help me in my work, and also can help others. Ham Radio is for this purpose as one of it’s primary reasons for existing as a Service. Noone has done anything wrong here, obviously - probably just some equipment or hardware has a problem. (”Let’s work the problem people, let’s not make things worse by guessing” — Gene Kranz in Apollo 13 [the movie], no idea if he actually ever said that.)

Note: The ARRL, The National Association for Amateur Radio, has an interesting page on these types of issues:

http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/pwr-line-noise/

—
Alan Spicer - KA4UDX
Alan Spicer Telecom / Marine Telecom
http://www.marinetelecom.net and http://www.wifiyacht.net
+1 954 683 3426
communications (at) marinetelecom.net

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4. January 2010 by admin.

Dear Alan,
 
Wishing you every happiness this Holiday Season and prosperity in the New Year.
It will be beautiful, rich, full of encounters and unforeseen.
We anticipate fair winds, gentle sun, warm seas and cold beers……
 
Happy New Year to all former, present and future sailors!
 
We look forward to build and entertain a strong relationship in the coming year.

All the best to you and your family.
Sincerely,
 
Capitaine Pat Beaufront
www.YachtOteka.com
capitaine@yachtoteka.com
Join us on Facebook

—

Alan Spicer

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