Circuit Testing Tool...
- Thread starter Andy74
- Start date
Sponsored Links
The issue arises whenever data at a speed corresponding the the frequency of the HF (usually 'short-wave') is transmitted over any cable which is not 'screened' and/or made up of 'twisted pairs' (like network and telephone cable) - since that data will be radiated as if it were radio signals, and will cause interference to radio services. Mains power cables are one example of a cable that will inevitably cause this problem if used for transmission of data.
Kind Regards, John
... or even clean-shaven ones! I can't speak for Eric, or many of the others (maybe including you, since you appear to have an interest), but I don't have a beard, and never have had
Kind Regards, John
Doesn't matter - if they are PLT (Power Line Transmission) devices then they do not meet European and British regs. They cannot do, and never will do*. If our authorities wanted to deal with them then they could - but all departments are spending their efforts on coming up with reasons why it's another department's problem.
A few years ago there were some trials using this technology to get internet connections into homes. They were abandoned - one of the reasons being that there were insurmountable radio interference problems.
Back to your original question. If the property has a single phase supply then all the circuits will be on the same phase, and it's highly unlikely that you won't get a connection between any two sockets in the place. You'll also be able to get a connection with (probably) the next-door-but-two neighbours as well BTW (whoever is on the same phase).
Also worth considering, though not cheap. If there is a phone line to the till point, then there are devices that will take your network over a single pair of phone cable.
But I still recommend that the best option is to run some data cable in. In my experience, it's exceedingly rare that this isn't possible - just inconvenient.
* EDIT: Actually that's not qwuite true. There are plans to make them meet "a" standard. By defining a standard that allows spurious emissions across nearly all the radio bands at levels thousands of times higher than is permitted by current standards. There is also the trick of "testing" them for emissions when not connected to any mains wiring - so they aren't working, and don't have any wiring to transmit from
Sponsored Links
I have a beard, but no interest in the funny hobby of amateur radio.
And actually, as an "it's personal " note, I would love to see DAB destroyed, as then we could go back to having FM, which works much better.
Yes, I have to agree that it's become (IMO) a rather 'funny hobby' (more-or-less an irrelevat hobby) and, although I've religiously paid my annual licence fee ever since, I've had almost no active involvement for best part of 40 years.
Back in the 60s and early 70s, things were very different. In the days before cellular phones, communication satelites and the internet, the mere ability to communicate, potentially globally and without cost, was pretty unique, and rather intriguing. I even had a two-way communication from my car, in the days when 'radio telephones' were very rare, and very expensive, and cellualt phones were not even a twinkle in anyone's eye!
Much more to the point, the great majority of equipment was home-made in those days, and a lot of us were working close to the cutting edge (at least, in civilian terms) of technology. My main interest/activity back then, in the latter half of the 60s, was the very challenging task of developing and producing semiconductor-based equipment for VHF and UHF bands - something which was essentially unheard of in civilian circles at the time. I was also involved very much in VHF 'meteor scatter' and 'moonbounce' experimentation at that time - bouncing VHF radio signals off ionised meteor trails, or the moon, in order to achieve communication distances otherwise impossible at such frequencies until satellites came along.
Once the hobby evolved largely into the use of expensive commercial bits of kit (the insides of which the users didn't understand, and certainly could not have designed and built) simply to 'communicate' in a way that consumer technologies were gradually bringing to the masses, the whole thing ceased to have attraction to me. My 'hobby'interests then shifted gradually in the direction of electronics in general and, inevitably, eventually to digital stuff and computing.
Kind Regards, John
Exactly. As I tried to explain, the problem is inevitable if one transmits digital data at rates corresponding to the frequency of used parts of the radio spectrum using cable which is not effectively screened and/or arranged in twisted pairs - whether that is mains cable or anything else. Despite your asterisk, I fail to see how the practice could ever be compliant with any sensible/useful regulations/standards.
Kind Regards, John
It'll probably be easier to just wire them up using cat 6 cable to a central point and with homeplugs you never know if the site electrician knows that they're on the electrical supply and may just change something and you'll have to then work out how to bypass his latest change, wireless can be hacked if you have enough time and some buildings just are not built for it so for a fit and forget just get enough points put in and a ups/switch at the central point and job done and normally most electricians know how to run cat5/6 cable and have the tools to do it
Cat5/6 cable it is. I had a reply this morning from the 2 main UK homeplug suppliers both stating the same thing, basically confirming what a lot of you have posted.
“Thank you for your enquiry. I have spoken to our product management about your request and the response was that we have spent a lot of time in site surveys of similar scenarios during the last year. The results were rather disappointing, primary caused by interferences of other electrical devices.
Therefore, unfortunately, we don’t recommend using the devices in this scenario.
Regards and thank you for considering us”
I appreciated both companies honesty but they shouldn't therefore advertise that they can be used in schools/hospitals and hotels?!!
Interesting to have learned all this anyway. Thanks
“Thank you for your enquiry. I have spoken to our product management about your request and the response was that we have spent a lot of time in site surveys of similar scenarios during the last year. The results were rather disappointing, primary caused by interferences of other electrical devices.
Therefore, unfortunately, we don’t recommend using the devices in this scenario.
Regards and thank you for considering us”
I appreciated both companies honesty but they shouldn't therefore advertise that they can be used in schools/hospitals and hotels?!!
Interesting to have learned all this anyway. Thanks
Hospitals?!
Very wise, I would say.
Interesting - but they do seem to be missing the point that Simon made, and I concurred with - the real issue (which makes them non-compliant/'illegal') is the interfering they do with other things (i.e. radio services), not the fact that 'other devices' may interfere with their fiunctionality!
I would be rather intrigued to know in what scenarios they do recommend their product be used!
Kind Regards, John
Hospitals?!
Yep –
“The technology can be used for transmitting measurement data from medical instruments and for accessing medical records.”
My wife was recently told her eyesight’s improved and needs a weaker lens for her glasses, turns out that wasn’t true. Perhaps the opticians are using the devices!
DIYnot Local
Staff member
If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.
Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.
Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local
Sponsored Links
