RayW
Premium
join:2001-09-01
Layton, UT
clubs:
 ·XMission
| reply to wilbarger
Re: Here we go again!
said by wilbarger  :I don't know why it would not be the ultimate solution for the people in the country. We do get electricity, you know. I guess since most of us are not on a major power companies grid, the mom and pop distributors would not spend the capital to upgrade or add any cost to their systems. I just get sick of having to deal with wireless as it is unreliable in my area, but not enough that I will ever move back to the city. I love the fact that my front yard ends at the lake. Worse than that. Consider - power lines are designed to move a VERY low frequency signal (Voltage) at a high current for many miles. It is not designed as an RF line. In order to use it at the frequencies required (mostly wide-band 1.7 MHz to 80 MHz) you will have a problem with attenuation both as a function of distance and frequency, this will mean many amplifiers in both directions, I think I recall that the amplifier requirements are about 6-8 per mile. At $500-1000 per amplifier, that is not cheap. Plus every transformer has to have a bypass system, that is another $1-5K (most likely for up to 4 customers, maybe). And remember, unlike fiber and coax, power lines are extremely susceptible to high voltage surges (300 mega-volts or even higher) from lightning strikes. That means a potential larger repair bill.
Plus all the YADA-YADA about using what amounts to a very efficient radiator of HF radio frequencies that may eventually have international treaty implications as the sun spot cycle starts reaching its peak 4-6 years from now.
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I am not lost, I find myself every time. |
