(Araucaria) Resident causing radio interference faces steep fines

[PY3IT André]

Olá pessoal,

Vejam que notícia curiosa que saiu no "Woodinville Weekly". Um morador da
localidade de Woodinville (EUA) por estar causando interferência aos
radioamadores está sendo  multado pelo FCC!

http://www.nwnews.com/index.php/local/news/9711-resident-causing-radio-interference-faces-steep-fines



73
André
PY3IT
 Resident causing radio interference faces steep fines
<http://www.nwnews.com/index.php/local/news/9711-resident-causing-radio-interference-faces-steep-fines>

   - 27 May 2014 10:48
   - Written by Briana Gerdeman


A Woodinville man was cited by the Federal Communications Commission for
causing radio interference, apparently caused by a lighting device. He
faces fines of up to $16,000 per day if he doesn’t stop the interference.

The FCC began investigating Thomas Edward Rogers about a year ago, after
amateur radio (also known as ham radio) operators complained about the
interference. FCC agents visited his property twice to measure the radio
signals. According to the citation, Rogers hasn’t responded to the FCC’s
multiple attempts to contact him by phone and in writing over the past year.


The Weekly’s attempts to contact Rogers were also unsuccessful. The Seattle
Office of the FCC also didn’t respond to requests for comment.


Grant Hopper, an attorney and ham radio operator in Everett, is a member of
the Snohomish County Hams Club. As a volunteer counsel for the American
Radio Relay League (ARRL), “I assist amateurs in dealing with exactly these
sorts of problems,” he said.


Hopper explained that it’s not uncommon for consumer devices to cause radio
interference because the appliances are poorly made, but this case is worse
than most.


“This is not an ordinary case of just a little bit of interfering noise,”
he said. “...This is pretty close to the equivalent of someone screaming in
a quiet room.”


Fluorescent lights use a device called a ballast, which jump-starts the
ionization of the light, taking ordinary wall current and helping the light
start operating, Hopper said. However, the ballast can cause radio
interference, especially if it’s cheaply made.


The radio interference emanating from the device is probably causing
problems with WiFi and AM and FM radio, Hopper said. It could also
interfere with the efficient operation of cell phones, making the
difference between a good and a bad connection or causing the phone to use
more power and drain the battery more quickly. In a typical case,
interference can be heard a few houses away; Hopper believes the
interference from Rogers’ house can be heard up to half a mile away “When
you consider that somebody’s life may be on the line...We have several
local hams involved in rescue,” Hopper said.


For example, a helicopter flying overhead might not be able to make contact
with the base, said Kim Torp-Pedersen, a ham radio operator in Bellevue and
a member of the Western Washington Regional Interference Committee, which
seeks peaceful solutions to interference problems.


Both Hopper and Torp-Pedersen said this case is especially vexing because
the interference is on the 40 meter frequency, which works better and is
used more often at night — the same time lights are on, causing
interference.


Hopper said ARRL, after receiving an anonymous complaint about the
interference from Rogers’ property, sent a courtesy letter to Rogers
offering to help resolve the problem. When he didn’t respond, ARRL turned
the investigation over to the FCC, which issued a citation when Rogers
didn’t respond.


“That’s kind of a serious step,” Hopper said. “Mostly, because people are
responsive and want to work things out, the FCC will take a lesser step.”


According to the citation, Rogers has 30 days after the citation was issued
on April 23 to respond to the FCC, saying that he has stopped operating the
incidental radiators and describing the actions taken to eliminate harmful
interference. The FCC couldn’t be reached to determine whether or not
Rogers responded.
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