[amsat-bb] Re: Wind Turbine Interference?

[Trevor]

--- Doug Kuitula <ka8qcu at pasty.net> wrote:
>  Sorry if this is off subject. I just found out that our city in suburban
> Detroit is going to install a 150 foot wind turbine about a quarter mile from
> my qth.
>  I was wondering if anyone has experienced any problems working satellites,
> due to turbines. I'm only using a Arrow antenna and a handheld. But hope to
> upgrade the station in the future.

Wind Turbines are a threat to Homeland Defense. They can produce large Blind
Spots on Radars - above, infront and behind them - so yes they can cause
problems to RF signals.

See this item that appeared on the Amateur Radio RSS news service a couple of
years ago: 

Effects of Windfarms on Radar 
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/october2005/windfarms_radar.htm 

Nearly 20 years ago a Wind Farm was installed on the remote Orkney Islands in
the United Kingdom. The TV transmitters had to be resited because the Wind Farm
blocked the TV signal. 

The RF effects of a wind turbine was covered in this document. 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/factsheets/pdfs/buildings_factsheet.pdf 

The original link no longer works but it may still be availble on the
WayBackWhen machine at http://www.archive.org/ - it'll be worth trying.

I should have a copy on my hard drive somewhere. I'll see if I can find it. 

Of course Wind Turbines cause significant damage to wildlife by slaughtering 
migrating birds and produce very expensive electricity - just work out the true
cost, taking into account the cost of build it and high maintainance costs.

If it's generating electricity for somewhere in the middle of nowhere without
access to coal, oil, gas or nuclear generated electricity then sure it's a cost
that has to be paid because there's no alternative. I must admit I hadn't
realised that suburban Detroit was that remote - would I be right in guessing
it's being funded by Tax Payers dollars ? 

73 Trevor M5AKA






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