RFI - Florida Power and Light Powerline Radio Frequency Interference

I still have RFI on the Ham Radio and adjacent bands (rather broadband as it can be found on many frequencies) which makes most ham radio contacts impossible. Earlier I promised video and I have made several attempts but the videos tend to get rather large rather quickly. So here is an attempt to beat the 10 minute YouTube requirement. Actually this one came in at just over 5 minutes. It demonstrates the Radio Frequency Interference, which is quite prominent and quite disruptive to communications as signal levels average in the S7 to S9 range - which really cuts off my receive “ears”. I probably cannot hear 80 - 90 % of radio signals that I could otherwise communicate with - without the interference. Here’s the video embed:

Again I reference: http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/pwr-line-noise/index.html for an explanation of what this is, what the legalities are, and what should be done and how. I would certainly like to be acknowledged AGAIN by FP&L in regards to this ongoing problem. The initial response, at least from the Radio Guy with FP&L, was fantastic. He opened a trouble ticket to fix a specific piece of hardware on a specific FP&L power pole. Wether or not this was accomplished has not yet been communicated to me. The pulsing, stronger, RFI - which was identified at that time seems to be gone. But other apparently strong powerline RFI remains. I am trying in multiple channels (emails, FP&L web site email contact) to get communications between myself and FP&L going again. My Amateur Radio / Ham Radio Station remains at their disposal for demonstration of the RFI and for hooking up their equipment to indentify (”fingerprint”) the offending radio frequency interference. 

FCC Part 15 rules require that utilities and other operators of “incidental radiators,” such as power lines, cause no harmful interference to licensed operations

Power-line noise can interfere with radio communications and broadcasting. Essentially, the power-lines or associated hardware improperly generate unwanted radio signals that override or compete with desired radio signals. Power-line noise can impact radio and television reception — including cable TV head-end pick-up and Internet service. Disruption of radio communications, such as amateur radio, can also occur. Loss of critical communications, such as police, fire, military and other similar users of the radio spectrum can result in even more serious consequences.

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I am a “licensed operation”:

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

This entry was posted on 2. February 2010 at 02:45 and is filed under Main, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.