OK ok I didn’t make up that white people saying. I think it was actually a black stand up comedian. I’m trying to remember who it was? YouTube has some video references to such a spoof on the old “Sixth Sense” movie – where the kid says “I see dead people”. There are spoofs about the saying as well in scary movie and maybe other movies as well.
Anyway the FCC has now supposedly released some of the old Television frequency space … what has been dubbed “White Spaces”. I don’t know why they couldn’t call it “Black Spaces”. But dats Da Man at it again. Really frequency spaces that aren’t being used … aren’t being broadcasted on .. probably should be considered black. Without the rf signal to make them white. But there is a tendancy to call things that are unused or useless as White-something … as in “White Noise”.
Anyway … PC World, http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/206173/what_you_need_to_know_about_white_space_wifi.html?tk=nl_bdx_h_crawl
has the story today -
What You Need to Know About White Space Wi-Fi
* Anyway you can go there and read the *hype*. I’m a ham radio operator and there might be a tad bit of truth to this hype … VHF and UHF are used a lot by ham radio operators (and VHF Marine in yachting and boating). VHF and UHF do have some interesting characteristics. VHF will tend to go further outdoors. It’s a lower frequency. UHF has a bit less range than VHF has – but – it tends to go through building structures a little bit better. Kind of like a ghost. But… caveat emptor … let the buyer beware. I guess the hype masters never watched the old Analog TV using Rabbit Ears from Inside of a Home or Building Structure. I seem to remember having trouble orienting the rabbit ears antennas to get a clear picture … I had trouble even seeing white people.
There seemed to be something to do with “Multipath” signals and “Ghosts” … god I keep seeing Dead People – I mean Dead Signals. I’m having fun with this but stay with me … I’m trying to make a point. If little antennas didn’t work on TV’s then – then what makes you think that little antennas are going to work now for a consumer WiFi thing on VHF and UHF????
The antennas for VHF television ranges and UHF Television Ranges are quite a bit bigger than the WiFi Antennas of today. So if this is true get ready for bigger WiFi Antennas on your little WiFi Router box.
Which brings me to another point – I though the reason behind WiFi being on higher frequencies and with lower power (power limitations) was to limit how far it went???? So now we’re breaking that rule, right? Unless they are talking about Outdoor Installations. Rooftop Antennas? Like the old Rooftop TV Antennas? Those are pretty big. Just how many miles can you get on Low Power with all-around (omni-directional) antennas on those bands?
It will be interesting to see how this develops and what comes out of it. You already have interference in the current WiFi main band. It would be interesting to see how “dirty” the airwaves will get with supposedly Longer Range VHF or UHF WiFi Systems.
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Alan Spicer Marine Telecom
http://www.marinetelecom.net and http://www.wifiyacht.net
+1 954-683-3426
communications @ marinetelecom.net