Begin forwarded message:

From: Nate Duehr nate@natetech.com Date: October 5, 2006 12:36:38 PM MDT To: k8ocl@arrl.net Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Re: S band interference solution

On Oct 5, 2006, at 11:40 AM, John Champa wrote:

...

Nate,

I am happy to report that I get along with my neighbors very well, thank you, so none of these TVI-type suggestions were any problem whatsoever at this QTH.

Have you ever read any texts from the ARRL, etc. on how to manage a TVI problem? They are not as popular as they once were, but you can still find them around.

They will help you in the social skills areas, another big weak point for most Hams.

73, John

John,

You completely misread my comments. I do just fine with social skills and know the neighbors.

What I *don't* want is to become the neighbor's "tech support" guy by having a conversation with them about 2.4 interference or "helping" them with their router. They don't know I can fix their routers, computers, whatever... and I'd pretty much like to keep it that way.

I didn't make any TVI suggestions at all. Not sure where you got that from.

I was just (humorously) pointing out that:

Being forced to deal with interference that's built-into the band- plan given us by the FCC if 2.4 is flown brings added complexity and time necessary that many hams will simply avoid. Not because the technical details of hunting down low-power interference sources is difficult, but because you have to go pester the neighbors, ultimately leading to a number of other complex problems completely unrelated to ham radio.

For someone who just wants to get on and operate, finding out they have to first hunt down local interference in the neighborhood will simply mean they don't operate at all.

I'm not the "just want to operate" type, but I certainly don't want to involve myself in the nightmare that is known as my neighbor's home computers. I do computers and networking and telecommunications for a living -- fixing someone's (permanently) broken Windows box, isn't my idea of fun, interesting, or even slightly amusing anymore. Unless someone wants to pay me my usual overtime rate for it.

Walking next door to futz with the neighbor's 802.11 devices opens me up to that.

Currently I can "hear" six 802.11 devices from my back porch in a suburban area without a gain antenna, using the built-in antenna on my laptop. And those are the ones that are broadcasting an SSID, and of course this doesn't include cordless phones. 900 MHz ham is similarly trashed by various unlicensed "household electronic stuff" I'm not going to bother hunting down.

It's not getting any better where I live, and I'm in Denver. And in places where housing is more compact... it must be far worse by now.

Nate WY0X

-- Nate Duehr nate@natetech.com

-- Nate Duehr wy0x@mac.com