Powerline Commnunication uses high frequency to communicate alongside mains wiring system. Therefor datasignals are being radiated from the unshielded wiring system like antennas.

The mains wiring has never been designed for these high radio frequencies. This leads to high levels of harmful interference to many shortwave radio services.

International Telecommunication Union ( ITU) has allocated this frequency range to the following services:

In order to give proof for above mentioned interference potential of PLC, Austrian Radio Amateurs have recorded the following videos and audiofiles. In contrary to the advertisements of PLC companies the videos do show severe levels of harmful interference to radio spectrum users. Measurements have shown that PLC modems often do not comply with EMC limits for CE-marking according to EN55022B or CISPR-22.

All videos have been made using a Sony Mini-DV Camera and are shown with orginal soundtrack. A mobile Amateur Radio equipment (Kenwood TS50 or Yaesu FT817 with 1,6m mobile whip on car) and an average portable world radio receiver (AOR8200 with short stick tuned for 27MHz) have been used.

The distance to PLC sources is clearly visible in most demo tapes. In most cases reception have been tryed on public streets.

All locations (PLC trials) have been selected by random in Tirol (Fulpmes, Silz, Innsbruck), Upper Austria (Linz) and Lower Austria (Neunkirchen)

Please look for the different appearence in the radio receiver depending on different PLC modulation technique used. (ASCOM or MAINNET).

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ÖVSV