BROADBAND over POWER LINE (BPL)

casingpoint · #1

Anyone having success with this technology? Apparently it has been piloted in the Dallas area.

rgoldy · #2

I cannot speak to success using it. I do know that it is causing a bunch of trouble for HAM radio folks. So much so in fact that FCC is expected to require changes in it soon.

jimlongley · #3

rgoldy wrote:I cannot speak to success using it. I do know that it is causing a bunch of trouble for HAM radio folks. So much so in fact that FCC is expected to require changes in it soon.

As a long time ham who has kept track of the issue, and who worked in and around the industry, I can almost guarantee that the FCC will respond slowly if at all.

Heck they even changed the rules just for BPL.

mcub · #4

There are substantial potential problems with it. It has been tried before and failed over a variety of issues, technical, legal, and marketing wise.

I'm not sure why you are interested, but I think you might be extra careful to not count (on) that chicken until after it hatches.

Kalrog · #5

I would be willing to try it if I were in the test area.

Tom · #6

Kalrog wrote:I would be willing to try it if I were in the test area.

Me too! I would hope, though, that I could get the wireless unit on the 7.2KV side and not the
unit that bridges from the 7.2KV side to MY side. Yikes does that sound bad.

My pole and transformer sit about 100ft from the house so a healthy wireless unit would work fine.
One thing that did concern me in reading about the various types is that they all describe the 7.2KV
unit as the only one in use. We will be converting to 14.4KV out here in a little while and I would hope
that it too would be used as a transport medium.

For now I am still on dialup until my Telco co-op puts in DSL, if ever, or BPL comes around.

And to make this gun related, the power company replaced a bunch of old poles out here last month
and I managed to snag 4 of the 35 footers to saw up and use as backstop for my home shooting range.
It eats everything that I can launch at it.

(Had a funny thing occur - I wrote "It s-u-c-k-s up everything..." and the tyodr converter made it "It stinks up...".
Glad I caught it as "stinks" would have made no sense at all. I guess "eats" is an OK word).

Kind Regards,

Tom

mcub · #7

AggieMM · #8

Didn't CenterPoint Energy try that in the Houston area? I thought I read somewhere that they did it, but it was cost prohibited (too much equipment needed to bypass all of the transformers, etc). Something to do with the US power grid being completely different than power grids of other countries where BPL works great.

Ryan

mcub · #9

AggieMM wrote:Didn't CenterPoint Energy try that in the Houston area? I thought I read somewhere that they did it, but it was cost prohibited (too much equipment needed to bypass all of the transformers, etc). Something to do with the US power grid being completely different than power grids of other countries where BPL works great.

Ryan

True in the US the average area has 2- 5 homes per step down to 220, in other areas it 10-15.

fnewendaiku · #10

I had to use power line adapters in a client's home as there was no other options at the time. They worked flawlessly in this location. Would I recommend them? No. But as a last resort to someone who just won't get a cable run through the wall? Yes.