A new Yahoo! Group called UKQRM has been formed. This is a meeting place for those who use HF (shortwave) and are suffering from QRM (interference) caused by a technology that is not designed to transmit RF. This is known as Broadband over Power Lines (BPL).
Using power line adaptors, BPL devices set up a network within the home using the mains household wires to carry a radio frequency signal. The frequency used is the whole of the spectrum from 3 - 30 MHz which includes all the shortwave broadcast bands. The resulting interference extends hundreds of feet from the house with the equipment and makes listening to shortwave radio impossible for anyone within that range. The group is concentrating on the situation in the UK, but acknowledges that the problem is much wider than that.
Mike, the group owner, has produced this video to illustrate the problem:
UK readers interested in joining this group should go to groups.yahoo.com/group/UKQRM/.
Andy Sennitt comments: The traditional DX clubs have been very slow to latch on to the threat posed by this technology, so it’s encouraging to see that at least some listeners in the UK are trying to raise awareness of the problem. Behind the scenes, RNW has been involved in the effort to prevent the widespread use of this technology for several years now. One of my colleagues has been attending international conferences to raise objections on behalf of shortwave broadcasters. Unfortunately only a handful of other other international broadcasters have supported our efforts. Interference from these devices affects digital as well as analogue shortwave signals.
Related stories:
- Open PLC European Research Alliance publishes specification documents
- Research shows BPL and PLC face significant obstacles to success
- FCC adopts rules for Broadband over Power Lines
- Wireless Institute of Australia issues statement on BPL
on Jul 25th, 2008 at 10:47
This is a very serious matter, however I suspect that it’s a case of ‘money talks’. Let’s hope DRM has a louder voice than BPL!!
on Jul 25th, 2008 at 10:49
Why is it that when apostrophes are used, back slashes are produced?
on Jul 25th, 2008 at 10:50
didn’t do it then and my original message has also corrected…..
on Jul 25th, 2008 at 10:53
I know, I corrected it
There’s a bug somewhere in WordPress that creates this problem. If we knew what caused it we could fix it. For the time being, I try to correct the comments manually as soon as possible after they’re received. I get an email each time a comment is posted, containing the text of the comment, so I can instantly see if it needs editing. Sorry for the inconvenience.
on Jul 25th, 2008 at 11:11
Dear Andy
Thanks very much for the support and all the work you and RNW has already done.
I am perplexed and disappointed that only a few of us have become concerned about this problem.
+30db I am getting from it here which wipes out everything DRM or otherwise.
SWLs need to put pressure on their clubs and world broadcasters as well as their governments the ITU and shops and suppliers of short wave equipment.
This is NOT going to go away without a fight.
And if a SWL is currently unaffected the chances are they very soon will be.
Join UKQRM and fight for your right to tune in the world!
on Jul 25th, 2008 at 13:52
I am waiting for Broadband over water pipes, over gas pipes etc.
I have some iron and copper work lying around some where, there must be a way to squeze money out of it by putting some broadband communications over it.
(When you dont hear from me anymore after this I have struck rich and burning money in some holiday resort.)
The problem is that actually nobody is interested anymore in communication in the 150 kHz - 30 Mhz band. Maybe some money can be made out of DRM, but that is questionable. So why not demolish this part of the spectrum by introducing million dollar gaining projects that wil ruin normal use of the AM bands. Even portals over the motorways produce rubbish affecting AM reception (I know I am old fashioned by listening to obsolete AM bands) . The governnment only cares for making as much money out of communications. On the back of the consumer who has to buy new equipment.
BTW, anyone aware of the policy of the Dutch government on this?
on Jul 25th, 2008 at 13:59
Yes, it’s against it.
Summary by the ARRL: NUON in the Netherlands is not going to offer its digital services through the power lines any longer. It will stop its services in the beginning of July [not sure what year that was, but not this year]. They have determined that the technology is too limited and that it is still not commercially attractive to offer internet services through the power lines. NUON claims that the test they performed shows that it is possible to offer internet services on a small scale. However, the technology is not ready yet for a large scale applications. One of the biggest problems is that it is very susceptible to interference. The Telecom Agency of the Dutch Government has determined through measurements that signals are too strong and cause interference to radio communications.
on Jul 25th, 2008 at 14:21
Andy, thanks for the corrections, shame RNW doesn’t b’cast to Europe on short wave anymore, I joined Mike’s UKQRM earlier today and Ruud - you’re not the only one still into ’steam radio’ :o)
on Jul 25th, 2008 at 16:53
Thanks Andy for the quick and accurate reply.
Hope Agentschap telecom never ever approves this, (will plea for this when I discuss AM with the government in a couple of weeks)
on Jul 26th, 2008 at 04:19
Andy, parenthesis is a part of all the computer languages I know, so we have to have a way of telling the pc when we actually want one to come out on screen. In html, we put & q u o t ; or & # 8 2 1 7 ; ( and I have left spaces to make sure that it does not turn into quotation marks ). The script for all websites, including this one can be viewed by everyone. On Internet Explorer, on the View menu, click Source and there it is. You will see loads of these quotes.
Wordpress uses php and MySQL, in which a backslash is used as an escape before the parenthesis to make the parenthesis come out. When a user types a parenthesis, the scripting changes this to a backslash preceding the parenthesis. When it is returned from the database, it sometimes comes out this way, instead of changing it back.
That is your problem and the remedy is discussed here on the Wordpress site : http://codex.wordpress.org/FAQ_Troubleshooting#Why_are_the_Quote_Marks_escaped_or_not_escaped.3F
I would respectfully suggest that the first step is to see if your webmaster can fix it from the information that it leads to. In particular, it suggests deploying stripslash() PHP function on the text.
If he cannot do it, the second is to ask your hosting company to do it.
If both of those fail, I suggest Alex Davies, who has written a book on MySQL which is on hundreds of sites on the internet. He says on his website that he is willing to answer questions and give whatever help. ( http://www.davz.net and see his contact page ).
Apologies if you already knew any of that.
on Jul 26th, 2008 at 10:22
Thanks Steven, that explanation saves me a lot of time
I will pass this information on to our webmaster. Our blogs are hosted on the same server as those of the Dutch domestic broadcasters, so it may take a while to get this fixed during the peak holiday season.
on Jul 29th, 2008 at 15:21
Members of several DX clubs have been aware of the problems of this technology for quite some time. Both UK broadcast DX clubs have carried articles about it and there have been talks about the technology at inter-club meetings. Both are publicising and supporting the UKQRM group. Their email lists publicise Glenn Hauser’s DX Listening Digest where the subject has been dealt with extensively for many years.
The website of the German shortwave listeners association the ADDX has extensive information on PLC including statements from the EU Commission. The EU recognises that equipment should not cause undue interference and these devices carry a CE certificate. However there is a self-certification policy, on July 10 The Register reported that 76% of radio equipment tested in 2003 failed to come up to EU specifications, a figure which rose to 88% in 2006.
In June 2003 the North American Shortwave Association submitted an 18 page filing to the FCC in response to their inquiry into Broadband Over Power Line devices, followed that up with further filings and attended a meeting in Washington together with other users of the shortwave spectrum who had expressed their concern about interference. Among much other material they quoted two ITU regulations:
ITU Regulation 4.11: Member states recognise that among frequencies which have long-distance propagation characteristics, those in the bands between 5 and 30 Mhz are particularly useful for long-distance communications; they agree to make every possible effort to reserve these bands for such communications. Whenever frequencies in these bands are used for short-range or medium-distance communications, the minimum power necessary shall be employed.”
ITU Radio Regulation 15.12:
“Administrations shall take all practicable and necessary steps to ensure that the operation of electrical apparatus or installations of any kind, including power and telecommunication distribution networks, but excluding equipment used for industrial, scientific and medical applications, does not cause harmful interference to a radio communication service and, in particular, to a radio navigation or any other safety service operating in accordance with the provision of these regulations.”
ITU regulations allocate certain frequencies between 2 and 26 Mhz for the exclusive use of international broadcasts, both analogue and digital. They are an authorised service and listeners have a right to hear them.
The vast majority of shortwave listeners however are not members of DX Clubs. DX Clubs themselves have limited resources and personnel, who are unpaid volunteers.
Most shortwave listeners use portable receivers inside the house with whip antennas, the interference could be much stronger than a radio amateur with an outside antenna might receive. In the main they are not as technically astute as radio amateurs, they switch on the radio, key in the frequency, adjust the volume and listen to the broadcast. They might only listen to one particular shortwave station. When they get interference they won’t know where it’s coming from or if and how they can complain about it. In the US the FCC has placed the burden of identifying and reporting interference from these devices onto the individual listener, the same seems to be happening in the UK.
Iran, Cuba and China jam broadcasts from overseas, the UK is a Western democracy and its citizens have a right to listen to broadcasts from overseas without interference, including those from the three countries mentioned.
International broadcasters are cutting down or cancelling analogue shortwave broadcasts to the developed world, however most are members of the DRM consortium and the HFCC. Peter Senger, the then DRM chairman, approached the EU about BPL some years ago, I would suggest a fresh approach be made particularly since their headquarters are now at BBC World Service. It may also be worthwhile for BPL to be on the agenda of the next HFCC meeting, it has been discussed there before.
on Jul 30th, 2008 at 17:50
I have often wondered what the terrible interference is as I operate mobile. Now I know. Its high time something gets done about this equipment that is not designed to transmit on any band
on Jul 31st, 2008 at 18:54
Dear Andy,
Thank you for taking this stance on the UK Hams behalf.
Is the kit causing the problem generally not meeting the CE standards, if so, cannot the law be enforced in the way that we have to abide by, regarding electrical interference of any kit we might use?
Cheers Mark
on Aug 12th, 2008 at 09:36
The UKQRM group now has a webpage:
http://www.mikeandsniffy.co.uk/UKQRM
If you are in the UK or able to vote in UK political matters please note that a petition to 10 Downing Street has now been approved.
Provided the petition gets 200 votes or more it will receive a considered reply from government.
The petition says:
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Immediately ban power line adaptors of the type currently supplied by BT.
These units are used to establish a network within the home, TV and data signals are passed between the adaptors by means of radio frequency energy directly into the mains wiring of that home. The frequency used is 3-30 MHz. The resulting interference extends many 100’s of feet from the household using them. This prevents users of the short wave radio spectrum from being able to use their radios. World broadcast stations and many other services are blocked out by the interference. We feel this is an assault on our human rights and freedom, preventing us from hearing world band radio. It is also very dangerous as many safety, military, aviation and shipping services will also suffer! Look on You Tube for powerline adaptors. Current EMC regulations say: the electromagnetic disturbance generated should not exceed a level above which radio and telecommunications equipment or other equipment cannot operate as intended.
Clearly these units do not comply and we want them banned and strong regulations put in place to prevent such technologies from being approved for use within the UK in the future.
Link to the petition:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/SaveShortwave
on Aug 13th, 2008 at 17:08
this is bad news for all us radio hams, wot is the RSGB doing and do offcom reconize there is a problem with this service . has anyone been successfull in get this eqipment switched off ?
Darrin
on Aug 16th, 2008 at 16:06
Hi guys
Just to say UKQRM now has its own web site.
http://www.mikeandsniffy.co.uk/UKQRM/
Thanks
Mike
UKQRM Owner
on Aug 16th, 2008 at 21:42
OK Mike,
I have added it to our useful links list.
on Jun 26th, 2010 at 03:02
Dear friends:
I´m the most disappointed human being of the world!
I´m dx-er since I was 10 years old.(now,64).Interferences don´t let me listen shortwave at all hours.
What should I do?
Best wishes.