(resubmission as last one failed)

Dear members

I want to ask advice please on the following complex subject!

We have a very clear set of laws and EU directive relating to radio
interference here in the UK and as part of our European membership.

Yet a very serious threat to international broadcasting, radio
amateurs and the many professional services that use the part of the
radio spectrum known as short wave or HF has occurred!

Devices know as power line adaptors or power line ethernet have
flooded into the market and cause massive interference.
Please take a look at this web site:
http://mikeandsniffy.co.uk/UKQRM/

Ofcom have been involved and seem to deal with it on a case by case
basis, BT who are currently the biggest supplier with their BT Vision
package will remove the offending adaptors when a compliant is made!
this tells a tale in itself!

But if you watch this video from UKQRM you will see that there are
many shops and suppliers sending these adaptors onto our market!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAzUtN29h1A

We have started writing to our MP's and have formed a group to try and
fight this.
It would seem that the EMC tests were done in house and self
certificated.

What I want to know is why have the UK Government not stepped in to
prevent this before it was inflicted on us?
Why is the regulator not taking action to enforce the laws and
regulations nationally?

What can we do as a group of people to help ourselves legally?

There is significant feeling about this as our e-petition shows
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/SaveShortwave/

Thank you for your time and consideration.

On 01/09/08 09:10, Mike wrote:
> Devices know as power line adaptors or power line ethernet have
> flooded into the market and cause massive interference.

As an ex-radio ham I do sympathise.

I've deployed several pairs of Homeplug adaptors where wireless has been
impractical (obviously before I was aware of these problems), and I'd be
interested in an opinion on what would happen to those owning and
operating these devices if Ofcom rules against them, considering that
they were purchased in good faith that the required approvals had been
granted.

- Ian

-- 
Ian Chard, Senior Unix and Network Gorilla | E: ian.chard@sers.ox.ac.uk
Systems and Electronic Resources Service   | T:  80587 / (01865) 280587
Oxford University Library Services         | F:          (01865) 242287

On 2 Sep, 10:55, Ian Chard  wrote:
> On 01/09/08 09:10, Mike wrote:
>
> > Devices know as power line adaptors or power line ethernet have
> > flooded into the market and cause massive interference.
>
> As an ex-radio ham I do sympathise.
>
> I've deployed several pairs of Homeplug adaptors where wireless has been
> impractical (obviously before I was aware of these problems), and I'd be
> interested in an opinion on what would happen to those owning and
> operating these devices if Ofcom rules against them, considering that
> they were purchased in good faith that the required approvals had been
> granted.
>
> - Ian
>
> --
> Ian Chard, Senior Unix and Network Gorilla | E: ian.ch...@sers.ox.ac.uk
> Systems and Electronic Resources Service   | T:  80587 / (01865) 280587
> Oxford University Library Services         | F:          (01865) 242287

Hi Ian

BT has been removing theirs when a complaint has been issued.
Its not so clear cut with shop purchased ones however they are in
violation of the laws and regulations so this is what I am asking
about.

It would appear that on the HPA types there is a disclaimer saying
that if RFI is caused then it is up to the owner of the PLT to resolve
the matter.
This comes from the US where HPA is a bigger player as I understand
it.

Mike

On 1 Sep, 09:10, Mike  wrote:
> (resubmission as last one failed)
>
> Dear members
>
> I want to ask advice please on the following complex subject!
>
> We have a very clear set of laws and EU directive relating to radio
> interference here in the UK and as part of our European membership.
>
> Yet a very serious threat to international broadcasting, radio
> amateurs and the many professional services that use the part of the
> radio spectrum known as short wave or HF has occurred!
>
> Devices know as power line adaptors or power line ethernet have
> flooded into the market and cause massive interference.
> Please take a look at this web site:http://mikeandsniffy.co.uk/UKQRM/
>
> Ofcom have been involved and seem to deal with it on a case by case
> basis, BT who are currently the biggest supplier with their BT Vision
> package will remove the offending adaptors when a compliant is made!
> this tells a tale in itself!
>
> But if you watch this video from UKQRM you will see that there are
> many shops and suppliers sending these adaptors onto our market!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAzUtN29h1A
>
> We have started writing to our MP's and have formed a group to try and
> fight this.
> It would seem that the EMC tests were done in house and self
> certificated.
>
> What I want to know is why have the UK Government not stepped in to
> prevent this before it was inflicted on us?
> Why is the regulator not taking action to enforce the laws and
> regulations nationally?
>
> What can we do as a group of people to help ourselves legally?
>
> There is significant feeling about this as our e-petition showshttp://petitions.number10.gov.uk/SaveShortwave/
>
> Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thanks for pointing this out! I've not come across the problem... yet,
maybe none of the neighbours have these yet.

UK policy on EMC has always been a reactive one. Even when there are
regulations in place that are blatantly being breached, as here, the
government's policy has always been one to react to complaints rather
than chase the companies causing the problem.

As a radio amateur for a long time, I remember one long since defunct
UK TV manufacturer who had woefully inadequate EMC (electro magnetic
compatibility), such that a nearby amateur would cause problems with
TV reception. If you complained they fitted a pack to the TV to fix
the problem. The simple fact was it was cheaper for them to leave
these components off in production and then retro fit them on the
0.01% of their product where a problem was reported!

When the new European EMC regulations came in, I think it was about 15
years ago, (Which is what these units will fall foul of), the UK made
it clear that although some countries such as the Netherlands and
Germany who were going to proactively test equipment randomly bought
off the shelf, the UK would not do this for cost reasons, and only
react when they received complaints.

So, we are in the position where companies can self certify their
equipment, slap a CE sticker on, and hope no-one will challenge them.

Bob Coates
G4DIH

On 02/09/08 16:05, BobC wrote:
> So, we are in the position where companies can self certify their
> equipment, slap a CE sticker on, and hope no-one will challenge them.

For the record, the Netgear XE102 ethernet-over-mains device declares
conformity with Council Directive 89/336/EEC Article 4a by the
application of EN 55 022 Class B.

- Ian (ex-G7OMZ)

-- 
Ian Chard, Senior Unix and Network Gorilla | E: ian.chard@sers.ox.ac.uk
Systems and Electronic Resources Service   | T:  80587 / (01865) 280587
Oxford University Library Services         | F:          (01865) 242287