tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post9140678723619994805..comments2024-03-27T13:53:17.950-07:00Comments on GM4FVM's radio world: Power Line Adapter noise interference solution?GM4FVMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10794029618635259984noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-65997557966155921232021-04-20T03:56:04.926-07:002021-04-20T03:56:04.926-07:00Mark. Good news.
PLAs are terrible things.
A wi-fi...Mark. Good news.<br />PLAs are terrible things.<br />A wi-fi extender is a great way to go if the device (be it PC/TV/entertainment box or whatever)can use wi-fi.<br />73<br />Jim GM4FVMGM4FVMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10794029618635259984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-50457639969626863852021-04-17T09:42:10.551-07:002021-04-17T09:42:10.551-07:00Hi, just found your info on PLT...just solved my i...Hi, just found your info on PLT...just solved my interference from neighbour..and yes it was a TP link AV600 causing strong RFI from 48mhz-52mhz. Been causing me a problem for over a year, until I purchased a icon R30 port Rx..found where it came from lent it to neighbour to locate problem and bingo AV600... Lent him a Netgear range extender to try instead....job done.<br />Mark<br />G4RWFAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07842441264009864102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-12094658444341576822020-11-30T21:16:32.382-08:002020-11-30T21:16:32.382-08:00Hi Jim
Thanks for a really useful blog. I have bee...Hi Jim<br />Thanks for a really useful blog. I have been pestered recently by adverts on Facebook for BT PLAs because I searched for solutions to weak WiFi signals in parts of our extended house. We are currently using a similar WiFi extender to yours, but it seems unreliable, often dropping speed right down. I was considering PLAs instead, but since I work a lot on 4 and 6m it would be stupid to introduce such noise in my own house. BT are also selling ‘discs’ as repeaters, but you have to have a BT home hub system, and we have Plusnet so I’m not sure whether they would work - I am assuming they are WiFi repeaters, not PLAs. I am also intrigued by cooker hood noise - I sometimes see WB noise from HF to VHF fortunately quite intermittent, and I havn’t managed to DF it yet, so I must experiment with our cooker hood. Anyway - lots of useful pointers. Thank you. <br />73s<br />Tony G3OVHTony1tfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01414867095806244114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-73751040950886356462020-10-24T04:38:21.489-07:002020-10-24T04:38:21.489-07:00I've had the same problem on six for months, a...I've had the same problem on six for months, and at times the band is unusable. Because the noise is intermittent I haven't been able to DF it. Now that I know what it is I can aproach the Neighbours to find out who's using PLAs.<br />Thanks Jim.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13665337672389685410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-70539228247052153742020-08-26T01:52:22.194-07:002020-08-26T01:52:22.194-07:00It would be a pity to give up before you start. Pe...It would be a pity to give up before you start. Perhaps I could make a few general points:-<br />1) In this case the PLAs involved caused problems on 50MHz and 70MHz. Are those bands you intend to use much?<br />2) Different PLAs affect different bands in different ways and some seem to cause few problems. It depends which ones are in use.<br />3) As time goes on more and more people are getting smart TVs which they connect to the internet via wi-fi rather than using PLAs. VDSL is also on the way out, though this will take a long time in many parts of the country.<br />4) Not everybody has a problem with VDSL - I don't. It seems to depend a lot on the installation and the balance of the cables both in the line and in the house.<br />5) The orientation of your antenna is a factor as my test rotating the beam showed.<br />6) There are commercial noise filters available. I have no experience fo these but some of them get rave reviews from other amateurs.<br />7) I prefer to see this as another part of amateur radio which needs an effort to achieve. None of it is easy. I still get noise from various things and one in particular which I have never been able to find a cause for. However I still try to track them down - listening first and getting a bearing on the noise is absolutely key.<br />Bad as things can be, it seems to me to be no worse than the "Woodpecker" we used to have to deal with years ago.<br />73. JimGM4FVMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10794029618635259984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-55644994474809034632020-08-25T23:34:29.636-07:002020-08-25T23:34:29.636-07:00Hi a very very interesting article my call is G3 y...Hi a very very interesting article my call is G3 yia I've been absent from amateur bands for several years, was absolutely devastated after deciding to return and discovering the very high level of background noise on the amateur bands, I'm really cw operation on the lower hf bands. Unfortunately I have a bt v.d.s.l high speed broadband overhead copper wire distribution next to my property feeding 6 ( unfortunately me included) houses. I was also sold p.l.a's by bt ( my wife loves tv) my wi if router being in another room from BT's you view box. So several problems for me to sort, I'm certain my neighbours also have pla's . I also have a model engineering workshop and suspect I'll probably wrap up my return to amateur radioG3yiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05187583951368145448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-50564357665377720112020-08-25T23:33:32.680-07:002020-08-25T23:33:32.680-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.G3yiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05187583951368145448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-40523160228394517422020-07-14T02:39:27.529-07:002020-07-14T02:39:27.529-07:00Hi there. It will not suit every situation, but it...Hi there. It will not suit every situation, but it is a path worth examining. <br />Just to mention that I have an LG TV and a Humax box connected to the wi-fi. Neither gets a good wifi signal. The Hummie is a bit better but the LG buffers and stutters. One of these adapters sits alongside them and provides rock steady streaming via a pair of high-spec Ethernet cables. So, they seem to have good wi-fi reception. JimGM4FVMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10794029618635259984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-68505206488211826582020-07-13T00:28:48.712-07:002020-07-13T00:28:48.712-07:00I was getting TP-Link wifi repeater Issues while c...I was getting <a href="https://tplinkwifilocal.com/" rel="nofollow">TP-Link wifi repeater Issues</a> while connecting with the adaptor. But this informative blog post helped me out of this problem. thanks for sharing it.<br />Eason Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04309334638867245385noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-80779509698025337342020-06-11T10:56:41.020-07:002020-06-11T10:56:41.020-07:00Paul
I think you have done very well. Diplomacy is...Paul<br />I think you have done very well. Diplomacy is the best tool in the box for these things.<br />I had a somewhat similar experience with one of the neighbours where I could move the router in the first instance. However, she later found whe wanted to use her laptop in her bedroom, wanted the router moved back for better coverage, and that was where the extender came in.<br />Moving the BT box is a good plan. I think that there are a lot of old BT boxes in the wrong places, hangovers from old technology.<br />The other neighbour on the other side still has one PLA. I can hear it on 6m. The question is - how much can I rely on their co-operation. Latest news is that they have got a new BT modem but do not want to instal it until after the lockdown in case they get into a pickle with the installation. I offered help and they say they will take me up on that. We will see ...<br />I still reckon Sky could have avoided a lot of this by better technology and better training of the installers. Some of the installers are very good indeed, others are not.<br />Hope it stays working well.<br />73 JimGM4FVMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10794029618635259984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-71569609716506702722020-06-11T09:46:52.471-07:002020-06-11T09:46:52.471-07:00Hi Jim, I've just spent the afternoon next doo...Hi Jim, I've just spent the afternoon next door hopefully solving my QRM. The reason for their install was 'poor download speed' at the Sky Q box plus they are typical end users who don't really understand techy stuff but are swayed by flashy websites. So, no matter that they could actually watch on demand stuff their phone app showed relatively low download speeds of 20MBPS when in the front room and their reference point was the amount of buffer on a download (which used to be a lot more apparently). I have to resist the urge to go in and say you really don't know what you're talking about and don't worry about it but that wouldn't have got me very far had I done so!<br /><br />So here's what I found, BT drop wire enters front room and hits an old junction box and an old ethernet cable takes the pair to the new OR master socket in the back room where the router is. After some deliberating my fix was to move the master socket to the window sill entry point in the front room, connect directly to the router which is now about 3M from the Sky box. So, much better buffer on the download display which keeps them happy and decent download speed on the laptop in the back office. Signal reading is a bit mediocre 1-3 bars on the windows wifi symbol but speed tests hit 35MBPS, I've said if it becomes an issue I'll fit a repeater half way as they don't need top speed in the office, just a reliable signal. I'm keeping everything crossed it continues to work! With any luck the TPlink units are being returned as not working properly.<br /><br />Cheers<br />PaulPaulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07405361928884458833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-39515403757878664282020-05-30T10:00:42.510-07:002020-05-30T10:00:42.510-07:00erm .. PLAs not PALs. That is dog food.erm .. PLAs not PALs. That is dog food.GM4FVMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10794029618635259984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-53809604143688845872020-05-30T09:59:37.195-07:002020-05-30T09:59:37.195-07:00Hi Paul
Oh, they are wideband OK ...
As you say no...Hi Paul<br />Oh, they are wideband OK ...<br />As you say notching is poor at 50MHz and non-existent at 70MHz. I also thought that they might not go up that far, but they do. There is still one pair nearby but they fortunately run out of steam at 50MHz. I think those ones have been in use for 10 years or more so not much help even if they improve them as the old ones with be with us for decades.<br />The repeater is a good way to go and not so expensive that it is not worth trying - but be careful that the Ethernet cables do not radiate.<br />Somebody suggested that Netgear Powerline 500s were not so bad. I tested this and found it to be true but I do not recommend them as they were not very good PLAs. They stopped working at very short range.<br />I still have two of the repeaters in two houses, one on each side, plus my own one which happliy captures Britbox with no buffering. Why does anybody fit PALs in a house with wifi?<br />Good luck.<br />73 JimGM4FVMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10794029618635259984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-38769455862130295092020-05-30T07:18:48.498-07:002020-05-30T07:18:48.498-07:00An interesting read Jim, I ended up here as I'...An interesting read Jim, I ended up here as I've just discovered the source of new PLT interference is pair of TP-Link AV600s recently installed next door. What I was surprised about is how wide band they are, these ones seem to be notched on HF amateur bands but not 50MHz or 70MHz.<br /><br />I use a log Periodic so have good performance across low VHF but these things are almost under the aerial so impossible to null out. Beam towards the house and the SDR waterfall lights up like strobe light!<br /><br />Luckily for me my neighbour is happy for me to come up with an alternative solution so I'll check out that repeater you've linked too. Worth spending a few quid to regain a quiet spectrum.<br />73<br />PaulPaulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07405361928884458833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-53069195948234956762020-05-13T03:44:46.151-07:002020-05-13T03:44:46.151-07:00Many thanks for getting back to me (and allowing t...Many thanks for getting back to me (and allowing the videos). Indeed I used a circuit breaker method. Found the errant noise maker is an electric blanket - my word, is like a radar blocker !! I have posted on the Amazon product to ask if it is supposed to generate that much RFI - i cant believe they are allowed to sell something like that which generates some much RFI.alz0rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02965068692867353782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-48792116708799037422020-05-13T03:36:21.323-07:002020-05-13T03:36:21.323-07:00Hi Alan.
Suddenly there is a lot of interest in t...Hi Alan. <br />Suddenly there is a lot of interest in this older post.<br />I do not usually tolerate people posting video links but yours is exempt. That is serious noise. I watched both videos.<br />It can be worth turning things off at the mains breakers to trace what is happening.<br />Strange things can cause nosies like this. I had a cooker hood which I found had a switch mode power supply under the covers. I only traced the noise by turing off at the breakers one at a time. Surrounded it in Bacofoil (the PSU inside not the whole cooker hood...). Also anything with a power supply. Things like car battery chargers, phone chargers can be bad. In this house they are all off when not in use. <br />This is particularly a thought for you - digital model railway layouts can be terrible. The units pass the requirements, but once you connect them to many metres of track they can be awful.<br />Keep trying, lots of those noises can be traced and dealt with.<br />73 Jim GM4FVMGM4FVMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10794029618635259984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-53905415474305601812020-05-11T19:50:57.846-07:002020-05-11T19:50:57.846-07:00https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVymtWpLog4 - afte...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVymtWpLog4 - after removalalz0rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02965068692867353782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-54536751340010121512020-05-11T18:23:36.289-07:002020-05-11T18:23:36.289-07:00Thanks for this post. I have uploaded a video thin...Thanks for this post. I have uploaded a video think it was exclusively mains hum, but I think alot more of it is the TP-Link adaptors. Will unplug now and find out !<br />Kind Regards/73's Alan/M7ALU<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOKCdVBAJAUalz0rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02965068692867353782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-87982791859943307822020-05-11T18:22:16.880-07:002020-05-11T18:22:16.880-07:00dont go with wires, use wifi dongles and if the ra...dont go with wires, use wifi dongles and if the range isnt good enough, get a repater like above. With cables and routers you are creating another ground loop :)alz0rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02965068692867353782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-41488627123101732802020-04-23T07:05:21.673-07:002020-04-23T07:05:21.673-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Thomas Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12034763521067568239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-21666645693534752092020-04-15T07:05:49.241-07:002020-04-15T07:05:49.241-07:00Hi Jim, Thanks for an interesting article. I just ...Hi Jim, Thanks for an interesting article. I just took my foundation exam today and was thinking it might be a waste of time given the huge interference levels I have been experiencing. I assumed it was the railway I live right next to but after some troubleshooting today I discovered it was the 4 PLA’s I use, all TP link, which led me to your article. Time to remove them and hard wire! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01092592429434454128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-37068301806462454772018-10-04T05:48:19.817-07:002018-10-04T05:48:19.817-07:00Hi Jim,
Seconded. It's not the technical probl...Hi Jim,<br />Seconded. It's not the technical problem but the social problem that is the difficulty in sorting the neighbour(s) out. I came home from holiday at the end of August to find one of these had been installed somewhere nearby. Although today, for the 1st time it seems to have gone. Maybe the owner was experiencing problems and found out PLT's aren't a good thing. If it re-surfaces your solution is good news. 73 Bob G8HGN JO01fo<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03976474209199116590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6891312687175550342.post-74643432017062690302018-06-20T10:43:00.766-07:002018-06-20T10:43:00.766-07:00Here here Jim! Ban PLTs, they are an abomination. ...Here here Jim! Ban PLTs, they are an abomination. Putting RF down mains wiring is crazy, much as is trying to put broadband down Victorian copper telephone wires, rather than going optical fibre as we should have done. You much have the gift of the gab to get your neighbours to agree to tackling this. I had a devil of a job just to get my neighbour to try a ferrite on the router next door! David Anderson GM4JJJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01308957902320184832noreply@blogger.com