June 27, 2006

Skepticism interspersed with pro-Current mood

Strategy has hams asking for Current brand by name

James Mollenkopf isn't sure who's idea it was.

          He and TXU Electric Delivery Project Manager Michael Quinn made a presentation at Ham-Com in Plano, Tex, June 10, he told us Friday -- but he was grateful for an opportunity to reach out to ham operators.

          Mollenkopf is Current Technologies vice president for products and architecture.

          Ham-Com is reported to be the largest annual gathering of amateur radio operators in Texas and probably the second largest annual ham radio event in the US.

          "Reaching out to the amateur community is something that both Current and TXU Electric Delivery wanted to do" as the firms start to toll out TXU's BPL deployment, said Mollenkopf.

          TXU picked Current as BPL integrator/operator for what's planned to be the largest BPL deployment in the US -- to pass the 2 million customers on TXU Electric Delivery's grid (BT, 2/20 http://www.bpltoday.com/members/306.cfm).

          Mollenkopf and Quinn gave a joint presentation describing plans for the deployment.

          Current wanted to take advantage of a usually well-attended amateur radio event -- organizers reported about 3,500 attendees at the two-day gathering -- to help spread the word on the firm's "unique" approach to addressing ham radio concerns about BPL.

          "We feel that there's a fairly significant difference among the BPL vendors on this issue," said Mollenkopf.

          We asked him to describe the difference.

          Current gear has always notched out the amateur radio bands and when used on overhead power lines, doesn't use the 30 mhz and below region of the spectrum that causes concerns for amateur radio users, said Mollenkopf.

          The FCC's BPL order stipulates that all BPL gear be able to notch out frequencies on demand.

          "The ARRL has had a number of very nice things to say about Current as well," Mollenkopf reminded (BT, 1/09 http://www.bpltoday.com/members/351.cfm).

          Mollenkopf puts his firm's deployment in Cincinnati with Cinergy forward as an example of how the firm has dealt with the amateur community.

          Cinergy's quite sizable deployment hasn't had a single complaint from the amateur radio community.

          The ARRL gave Current the thumbs up after going to Cincinnati to test the firm's deployed gear.

          Several dozen people attended the Current/TXU presentation and Q&A, Mollenkopf reported.

          Organizers set aside an hour for the BPL portion of the event, but wisely didn't schedule a panel in that room for the hour following the presentation in case the Q&A went over time.

          It did -- by about 30 minutes, said Mollenkopf.

          The presentation was about 45 minutes and the Q&A was about that long, too.

          Some of the questions were about the technology -- power levels and current on the line -- and others focused on the utility's plans, said Mollenkopf.

          "A lot of folks there & were well informed."

          Lots of questions covered "exactly" how Current is approaching the deployment including "a number of folks that were concerned to make sure they weren't interfered with.

          "We tried to help them understand that we don't want to interfere with them either.

          "TXU and Current and the amateur community share the same goal which is no interference."

          Another attendee asked if they call with an interference complaint will they get to talk to a person.

          "'Is my electric bill subsidizing this,'" Mollenkopf quoted one questioner, "which is obviously not the case."

          Three times during the Q&A attendees told Mollenkopf they live in the footprint of utilities other than TXU but who are weighing BPL.

          All three wanted to make sure Current knew about such plans in hopes that those utilities pick Current's gear.

          That was heartening, said Mollenkopf, adding quickly that the event was far from a Current or BPL "love-in" but the "channels of communication" are open, he assured.

          He was pleased to find that amateur community is open to a dialog.