Report shows high level BPL interference in Austria

Following complaints from radio amateurs and various public safety organisations concerning harmful interference to their services below 30 MHz, the Austrian telecommunications Authority carried out interference investigations in the area of Lintz in Northern Austria in 2004 and 2005.

These measurements demonstrated interference levels 42dB higher than the required limit.

The report states that mercury vapour lamps, such as those used in street lighting, were found to produce strong emissions up to 3GHz when induced with the BPL signal.

This effect was detected quite recently and is still under investigation. It is supposed that the plasma of mercury vapour, being an element with a non-linear characteristic, generated harmonics of the BPL signal and spreads it over a very wide bandwidth with rather high field strength.

The report can be viewed on the WIA website at www.wia.org.au

VK2DKN

Source: Wireless Institute of Australia

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