I am sharing your informal spectrum survey with others on the
    BOAR-net Google Group
    
    Thank you for doing this professional microwave spectrum survey in
    the Washington, DC area.  It shows that the spectrum at 3.4 GHz is
    much cleaner than at 5.8 GHz.  For your convenience, I've attached
    plots in the ham bands at 2.4 GHz, 3.4 GHz and at 5.8 GHz -- see
    attached.
    
      
      -------- Forwarded Message --------
      
        
          
            | Subject: | Informal spectrum survey | 
          
            | Date: | Thu, 18 Sep 2014 23:35:47 -0400 | 
          
            | From: | Mark Braunstein WA4KFZ <wa4...@cox.net> | 
          
            | To: | ... 
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            | CC: | ... 
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      Earlier this week, I borrowed a spectrum analzyer and wideband
      discone antenna (1-6GHz) from work and drove to three locations in
      order to get a sense of what the interference environment looks
      like. The measurements were made in the 2.4GHz, 3.4GHz and 5.8GHz
      bands. The sweeps extended 100 MHz below, and 100MHz above, the
      amateur allocations for each band. The allocations pertain to all
      three ITU regions. The spectrum analyzer was set to "max hold" and
      I recorded at least 3 minutes of environmental activity. The
      analyzer's displayed average noise level was around -90dBm, which
      encompasses the minimum levels that BBHN equipment typically see.
      The Home measurements were conducted on my deck. The Work and
      Walmart measurements were conducted with the analyzer on the trunk
      of my car. 
      
      Needless to say, the 2.4GHz spectrum is heavily occupied!On top of
      that, Cox Communications has setup a high-power WiFi distribution
      system nearby, further contaminating the environment. The signals
      at 2.4GHz were so strong that, in actuality, they extended past
      the reference level of the spectrum analyzer (i.e., at least
      40-50dB above the displayed noise level). 
      
      The Excel spreadsheets contain 550 measurement points, so each
      measurement is just over 1 MHz apart. You can re-plot the data to
      see how things look inside any particular portion of the spectrum.
      
      
      
 
      
       
      
      We definitely need to get out of the conventional 2.4GHz
      allocations!
      
      
-- 
73,
Mark D. Braunstein WA4KFZ
Ole Virginia Hams