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FCC Expands ARRL's 500 kHz Experimental License
On July 28, the FCC approved a modification that expands the ARRL's 500 kHz experimental license WD2XSH. According to Experiment Coordinator Fritz Raab, W1FR, the expansion allows for more frequencies, more stations and portable operations.
"We can now operate between 495-510 kHz," Raab said. "We were previously limited to 505-510 kHz. We will not be using 500 kHz itself so as to ensure that there is no conflict with the heritage stations on that frequency. The expansion also gives us the opportunity to expand the number of participating stations. We can now have 42 stations, where before we were limited to 23."
Raab said that the expansion will now let participants operate within 50 km of their designated stations. This was not allowed under the previous terms of the experimental license. "Some stations have reduced operating bands to ensure that they do not interfere with nearby non-directional beacons (NDB).
The FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology granted the WD2XSH experimental license to the ARRL in September 2006. Find out more information on the ARRL's 500 kHz Experiment in the July/August 2007 issue of QEX.
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY:
RADIO COULD CHALLENGE BPL FOR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MONITORING
FM subcarriers on broadcast stations also called SCA channels could challenge BPL in the area of power
grid monitoring. B-P-L watch out. Here comes S-C-A. This, as e-Radio and Direct Energy announce that
they are partnering with manufacturers of smart grid devices such as thermostats, in-home displays, load
controls and appliances to use broadcast RF as a way to monitor power consumption needs.
Using FM subcarriers leased from radio stations, e-Radio transmits the notifications to the home-based
receivers across a municipality or utility service area that results in significantly reduced peak energy
demand. The technology can also intervene on the consumer's behalf, cycling off appliances for set
periods of time during peak periods. E-Radio and Direct Energy say that their Utility Message Channel
allows utilities, energy retailers or government agencies to send alerts, messages and commands to
smart grid-enabled devices and consumer appliances. This is information that tells them to lower their
energy consumption and operate more efficiently. The two partnering companies have conducted pilot
tests in California, Texas and Ontario, Canada. In Texas, Direct Energy's affiliate, CPL Retail Energy, has
launched a demand-response and energy efficiency pilot program for residential customers. The pilot uses
e-Radio-enabled thermostats to achieve and measure peak period reductions. [AR Newsline]
FCC Blogs, Twitters
On Tuesday, August 18, the Federal Communication jumped on the technological bandwagon and began
"Twittering.
" Twitter
allows text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to
the author's subscribers; to date, the FCC's Twitter page has almost 1200 followers. The FCC has also started
a blog called Blogband.
According to Chairman Julius Genachowski (who made the first post), "Blogband is part of the FCC's commitment
to an open and participatory process. Blogband will keep people up-to-date about the work the FCC is doing and
the progress we're making. But we want it to be a two-way conversation." Readers may leave comments after each post,
but comments will be monitored during normal business hours and will be reviewed as "speedily as possible" before
posting. "As this blog demonstrates, the Internet is changing and expanding the way Americans communicate, providing
them with unparalleled access to information." Genachowski wrote. "So visit Blogband often to keep up with
the latest news and -- more importantly -- get involved." The FCC pointed out that commenting in the blog "is not a
substitute for submitting a formal comment in the record of a specific Commission proceeding."
FCC to Utilities: Don't Look to Hams to Pay for Your Testing
In a case that goes back more than 10 years, the FCC has told a Pennsylvania utility that the utility is responsible for
paying for "efforts to locate and correct instances of [power line] noise." At least one amateur has been
complaining to the FCC since 2000 regarding harmful radio interference possibly caused by power line equipment
that is maintained by Pittsburgh's Duquesne Light Company (DLC).
| September, 2009 | |
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