[H-GEN] FYI: Internet access via electricity cable system (fwd)

Sat Feb 21 20:39:49 EST 1998

I really have no problem with power line carrier systems, and I have had 
some dealing with them including the HF trap and retransmission 
configurations.  The problem is that this stuff is still not very high 
bandwidth and is very expensive for HV equipment.

As far as the remote HW switching and meter reading, Energex has one major 
system for remote switching, which is the Zelweger (sp?) system.  This uses 
a fairly low frequency carrier (1010 Hz in qld) with a data rate of 1 bit 
per second.  I know they are fiddling with a couple of remote meter reading 
systems, one is called "Ampy" and uses a power line carrier system to 
communicate with local "data concentrators" which then use a phone line or 
radio link to get the data back to a central point.  The other system, 
which I don't think they have installed in Qld yet is SWD (Sequential 
Waveform Distortion).  This system was developed by ETSA and Nilsen and 
uses inductive pulses of current to do the communications (I think, never 
really did figure out exactly how they are doing it).  SWD is bidirectional 
and also very slow (in the area of 1BPS again).

My main point of objection to the claims made is still the high data rate, 
not the fact that they claim they send data over the power lines.  Nothing 
I have seen or read or been told yet leads me to believe the claims made in 
the original reference.

Regards
Michael (still sceptical) Anthon

-----Original Message-----
From:	Ross Camm [SMTP:RossC at GENX.com]
Sent:	Saturday, February 21, 1998 3:49 PM
To:	'Humbug General List'
Subject:	RE: [H-GEN] FYI: Internet access via electricity cable system 
(fwd)

I have worked on simialar systems in the Electricity industry. Data over 
powerlines is nothing new and the electricity industry have been using it 
for comms and signaling for years. The technology refered to is power line 
carriers, where inductive filters are hung at each end of the line, and are 
used to filer out a carrier, which has data modulated onto it. You can 
sometimes see these filters, up to 8 feet across, and a 6 foot internaal 
diameter, with the high tension line going down the centre of it.

The technology has recently come to the consumer in the form of hot water 
switching, and remote meter readings. I have no idea what seqb's plans are, 
but its a opportunity waiting, I would think.

						Rossco

-----Original Message-----
From:	Michael Anthon
Sent:	Saturday, February 21, 1998 3:41 PM
To:	'Humbug General List'
Subject:	RE: [H-GEN] FYI: Internet access via electricity cable system 
(fwd)

That is quite true, but this is not what they are talking about.  Adding a
comms link onto the existing network is no different than sticking cable up 
all over the place.  The page is question was talking about using the
actual power cables as the transmission medium.

Regards
Michael (sceptic) Anthon

-----Original Message-----
From:	Steve Pinel [SMTP:spinel at ssc.qld.edu.au]
Sent:	Saturday, February 21, 1998 9:13 AM
To:	Humbug General List
Subject:	RE: [H-GEN] FYI: Internet access via electricity cable system
(fwd)

At 09:15 PM 2/20/98 +1000, Michael Anthon wrote:
>Errr.. surely they can't be serious ?  It's hard enough getting a modem to 
>work over a twisted copper pair at 56k and they are talking about getting
>1M over open wire power transmission lines?  Gimme a break !!

There is at least one way around all this, an option I have heard that
Queensland Rail has talked about using some years back when they were
tossing up joining in the Pay TV industry.

Pretty much every High tension cable in the electricity and train networks
has an associated communications cable, sometimes copper and sometimes
fiber, but always with excess bandwidth going begging.  Now the electricity
distribution network has got a pretty big penetration in Queensland (i.e.,
virtually everyone), and it wouldn't be a particularly bug technical feat
to add on a comms network on top of it.
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