Re: NEC-LIST: RFI/EMI Policies at Universities and Research Labs?

Barry L. Ornitz wrote:
>
> This is a round-about solution but if the commercial concerns need
> the campus area so badly, let them pay for several shielded rooms on
> campus.

As you suggest, it's expensive and a hassle. At this point, the
university administration simply wants to define a policy regarding
commercial transmitters that both sides will accept.

On one hand, the Development Office is charged with raising money
through rental of advertising space, sole supplier deals with soft
drink companies :-|, conference and convention hosting, alumni and
community use of university facilities, etc. They want to add "rental
of roof space for commercial transmitters" to the list or be given a
good reason why they shouldn't.

The university research community is firmly against the idea, but
their arguments concerning the need to "preserve the research
environment" seem a bit nebulous to the Development Office. The
campus is already awash in a gentle haze of RF pollution from cordless
phones, computers, cell phones, and the like. How much more can be
tolerated? Would commercial land mobile transmitters on campus add
significantly to the problem or be unnoticed amidst everything else?

The most important aspect of the problem is the commitment involved.
Once a commercial transmitter is installed and operating, it's going
to be very difficult to have it moved or turned off if RFI problems
become apparent in the future.

Policy makers love precedent. I'm hoping that list members might be
able to supply me with any policies or recommendations that their own
organizations have formulated concerning acceptable limits on RFI/EMI
in research environments or campus policies regarding siting of
commercial transmitters.

-- 
Dave Michelson        
dmichelson_at_home.com