RPU – Engineering Radio

Summer Time Atomspherics; Why is there another FM station on our frequency!!??

That is indeed a good question. There may be several explanations; a pirate, somebody’s Part 15 device, or atmospheric ducting. If the weather is good, tropospheric ducting can cause VHF (FM broadcast) and UHF (TV broadcast as well as Remote Pickup units and STLs) signals to travel far beyond their intended reception areas.

The Troposphere is the zone in the atmosphere closest to the Earth, ranging from 0 to 15 km. It is the area where most weather phenomena take place. For VHF and sometimes UHF, refraction can bend the signal back towards the surface of the Earth. Refraction at lower altitudes (called surface ducts) can cause radio signals to travel shorter distances than normal unless they are over water. Refraction at higher altitudes (elevated ducts) can cause those same signals to travel far beyond their normal range, sometimes hundreds or thousands of kilometers.

Three things affect the tropospheric refraction index (or N); water vapor, air pressure, and air density. At higher altitudes, the air is normally cooler, less dense, and dryer than air closer to ground level. However, high barometric pressure will often bring warm, dense, moist air to high altitudes. This can create a layer of warm air over a layer of cooler air known as a temperature inversion. This can create a “duct” in the upper troposphere similar to a waveguide. These signals can be very strong, sometimes overpowering a local FM signal due to the capture effect.

There is an online source that predicts atmospheric ducting, mostly used by Amateur Radio operators, but it can also be a useful troubleshooting tool: https://vhf.dxview.org/

That site produces a map like this:

This can happen any time of the year but is more common in summertime. Tropospheric ducting is not an effect of ionization from the sun. This phenomenon is known as Sporadic E, which will be covered below.

The good news is tropospheric ducts normally last a few minutes to a few hours. Sometimes they can last longer however changes in the width or length of the ducts will change the frequencies and distances that RF signals travel along that duct. In addition, if you are hearing a co-channel FM station from many hundred kilometers away, listeners of that station are now hearing your station the same way.

Another long-distance VHF propagation phenomenon is called Sporadic E layer propagation or simply Sporadic E. This happens when the Ionosphere is heavily affected by a solar storm or sunspot. Sunspots run in an 11-year cycle. We are approaching the solar maximum for Solar Cycle 25, predicted to happen in July 2025.

NOAA Space Weather Solar Cycle 25 progression

Sporadic E is much less predictable, more random, and short-lived. Solar storms can create highly ionized areas in the E layer of the Ionosphere, creating skywave conditions for VHF signals. These signals will skip in the same way that HF and MF signals do. Fortunately, these conditions usually last a few seconds or minutes at most. More on the solar cycle can be found here: https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/solar-cycle-progression

Once again, Amateur Radio operators are interested in this as a mode of communication. There is a Sporadic E map online at: https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/north-american-sporadic-e/

DOCSIS 3 Cable Modems

The internet is relied upon for many different functions. One thing that I see more of is STL via the public network. There are many ways to accomplish this using Comrex Bric links, Barix units, or simply a streaming computer.

We often can take for granted the infrastructure that keeps our connection to the public network running. Cable modems are very common as either primary or backup devices at transmitter sites, homes, offices, etc. The basic cable modem uses some type of DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) modulation scheme. This system breaks up the bandwidth on the coaxial cable into 6 MHz channels for downstream and upstream transmission. Generally, downstream transmission is 16 channels of 256-QAM signals. Upstream is 4 channels of QPSK or up to 64-QAM signals. Depending on your traffic shaping plan with the cable company, this will allow up to 608 Mbps down and 108 Mbps up. Those speeds also can change due to network congestion, which is the bane of coaxial cable-based internet service.

The internet should now be considered a public utility. Especially after the COVID-19 emergency, distance learning, telecommuting at all the other changes we are experiencing. I know in the past, ISPs were reluctant to accept that role, as there are many responsibilities. That being said, when the public network goes down, many things grind to a halt.

Sometimes the problem is at the cable office or further upstream. Loss of a backbone switch, trunk fiber, or DOCSIS equipment will cause widespread outages which are beyond anything a field engineer can deal with.

Then there are the times when it is still working, but not working right. In that situation, there are several possible issues that could be creating a problem. A little information can go a long way to returning to normal operation. One thing that can be done with most newer cable modems, log into the modem itself and look at the signal strength on the downstream channels. Again, most cable modems will use 192.168.100.1 as their management IP address. The username and password should be on the bottom of the modem. I also Googled my modem manufacturer and model number and found mine that way.

Navigate around until you find a screen that looks like this:

DOCSIS 3.0 Downstream Channel Statistics

There is a lot of helpful information to look at. The first thing is the Pwr (dBmV) level. DOCSIS 3 modems are looking for -7 dBmV to +7 dBmV as the recommended signal level. They can deal with -8 to -10 dBmV / +8 to +10 dBmV as acceptable. -11 to -15 dBmV / +11 to + 15 dBmV is maximum and greater than -15/+15 dBmV is out of tolerance.

The next column to look at is the SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio). DOCSIS 3 needs to be greater than 30 dB and preferably 33 dB or greater.

The last two columns are the codeword errors. This is a Forward Error Correction (FEC) system that verifies the received data and attempts to correct any corrupted bits. The lower the codeword error number, the better the data throughput. Codeword errors are often due to RF impairments and can be a strong indicator of cable or connector issues. Another possible cause is improper signal strength, which can be either too high or too low.

Upstream data is transmitted on 4 channels.

The only statistic that is useful on the upstream channels is the Pwr, which should be between 40 and 50 dBmV.

I have found a few simple parts and tools that can sometimes restore a faltering cable connection. First, I have several attenuator pads; 3dB, 6dB and 10 dB with type F connectors. This has actually cured an issue where the downstream signal was too hot causing codeword errors. Next, some good Ideal weatherproof crimp-on F connectors for RG-6 coax and a good tool should also be in the tool kit. I have had to replace mouse-chewed RG-6 from the outside cable drop into the transmitter building. Fortunately, there was some spare RG-6 in the transmitter room.

If these attempts do not fix the issue, then of course, be prepared to waste a day waiting for the cable company to show up.

Good bye UHF RPU, we hardly knew you

As more and more things that use radio are invented, it is inevitable that the limited spectrum will be squeezed. We see this with BPL, which admittedly causes interference on the HF spectrum, however, proponents have deep pockets. Then there are the so-called “whitespaces” between active TV channels coveted by broadband providers. Not even the once-sacred GPS system is immune to interference by other radio systems being implemented by companies who “bought” the radio spectrum in question. Although it is quite beyond me exactly how one can buy or sell radio spectrum. I suppose next they will be selling sunlight and rain.

The next chunk of the RF spectrum being repurposed is in the 451-457 MHz range. This has already been eyed by the Department of Homeland Security for on-scene data communications networking. However, the latest interested party is the Alfred Mann Foundation, which builds bonic implants. In an interesting twist, one of the plans for the spectrum in question is something called the MMNS (medical micropower network systems). This network would be used to transmit commands from the patient’s spinal cord to prosthetic devices.

Many TV stations use 450-455 MHz band for IFB and cueing. Radio stations use that same spectrum for remote broadcast and telemetry return links from transmitter sites. RPU frequencies used to be very congested, as remote broadcasts were often an additional revenue stream for radio stations. These days, most stations to “cellphone” remotes, e.g. the disk jockey goes out to a store or event and calls it in on his or her cellphone. Some of the more fancy stations use POTS codecs like the Comrex blue box or matrix and very few still use ISDN. So the first question is how many broadcasters still use UHF (or even VHF) RPU gear (AKA The Marti)?

The second question is what type of damage or reaction could occur if a UHF RPU interfered with one of these MMNS devices? Some RPUs use fairly high power levels and directional antennas. But, according to FCC Report and Order on ET Docket 09-36, it is a done deal:

The rules we adopt will allow these new types of MedRadio devices to access 24 megahertz of spectrum in the
413-419 MHz, 426-432 MHz, 438-444 MHz, and 451-457 MHz bands on a secondary basis.

It goes on to say:

Each year, millions of Americans, including injured U.S. soldiers, suffer from spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, strokes, and various neuromusculoskeletal disorders. The devices that we anticipate will operate under our new rules are designed to provide artificial nervous system functions for these patients.

Which is nice. I suppose if someone is at the mall setting up the Marti for a remote and when it gets turned on, Grandpa starts break dancing, one should find another frequency. Do you think the DJs or promotions people remember that? No, me neither.

If this keeps up, eventually everything is going to interfere with everything else and nothing will work.