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xlaxx
| | Posted on Saturday, July 06, 2002 - 3:53 pm: | 
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I have a friend that loves shutting down base stations with his mobile rig.... he loves power. He runs boxes, one being a 5pill driving 8. He also has a lot of linears at home too, many are 4,5, 6, and 8 tubers. He complains of pain in his right side and headaches. I also have a neighbor that hates seeing my Maco antenna each day. He warns me of radiation exposure to his children and such. He says he hears me through everything but his toaster oven. I am barefoot to boot!
Anyway, does anyone know what the values are for RF exposure. Should I be worried about RF exposure to me or my family? Has anyone heard of symptoms related to this type of exposure. I have seen all the pictures on this forum of some huge amps and just wonder sometimes.
Thanks
xlaxx
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Smokey
| | Posted on Saturday, July 06, 2002 - 6:35 pm: |
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Go to the FCC website @ www.fcc.gov. Look in the left top of the page and do a search for "rf exposure".
Read OET Bulletin 65 which has what the MPE (Maximum Permissable Exposure) levels are.
Basically, there are two criteria. One for exposure to the general public in easily accessible areas and the other being occupational exposure levels for areas that have controlled access, such as rooftops of broadcast transmitter sites.
Although it is highly unlikely that you could generate enough RF levels to do yourself any harm (since you are at the operating desk or behind the wheel), RF exposure (burns) are a concern to someone that may inadvertantly come in contact with your antenna.
RF burns are painful, since the burn occurs inside the soft tissue and then spreads outward to the outer layers of the skin. As a result, serious damage can occur to the tissue by the time you actually feel the burns. Typically RF burns are at least 2nd and 3rd degree burns.
Always protect your eyes and be safe! |
Bigbob
| | Posted on Saturday, July 06, 2002 - 6:52 pm: |
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Most of us are smart enough to stay under or behind the radiation pattern,mobile put it on roof,stick use ground plane,beam don't point it at yourself,and stay 50ft or more away from ant. with 100 to 1000 watts,more than that be under it or behind it.Just suggestions.How about you Bruce. |
bruce
| | Posted on Saturday, July 06, 2002 - 8:01 pm: |
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zzzzzzzap i dont run high power sizzzzle so bruce has crackle nothing to worry about!
All joking aside be carefull even with 300 watts im always looking for ways to keep my exposeure down. When i worked in R&D our power level was 100,000,000 watts erp you could ( and we did) FRY ducks on a pond near by and the worst part of rf is it tends to cook you from the inside out. Common sence goes a long way in this case if you cant see it it STILL can hurt you! |
Hoosier Cardinal
| | Posted on Saturday, July 06, 2002 - 10:52 pm: |
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Speaking of RF. i personally know some people that have lived under high tension wires (the kind that go across the countryside on those huge metal towers that have several wires on them) and they have had no negative health problems to report. In fact in a town near me there is a fairly new housing area that is very clsoe to a power line that in some instances the poles actually go right across some of the houses backyards (LOL! no kite flying in those backyards!) and they have no problems. IMHO i think people worry too much about stupid stuff just to make a mountain out of a ant hill! |
DeadlyEyes
| | Posted on Saturday, July 06, 2002 - 11:16 pm: |
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Ham radio people have been running 1500 watts legally for decades and decades. The standard 2 meter radio runs 50 watts. If there were any danger of exposure to RF then the bodies will be stacked all over the place. In FACT TV is RF is it not?
I feel sorry for you having to live near a health nut.
When you talk to the health nut tell him or her that the TV tube and the Computer Monitor give off X Rays. Which is no lie by the way (anytime you get an electron going and suddenly stop it the electron gives off X rays. :-O :-) |
Bigbob
| | Posted on Saturday, July 06, 2002 - 11:28 pm: |
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I like you bruce,you're silly,when you're joking. |
Hoosier Cardinal
| | Posted on Sunday, July 07, 2002 - 1:29 am: |
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Well when you start to shoot sparks from your fingertips and start to glow then start to worry!!!!!! |
bruce
| | Posted on Sunday, July 07, 2002 - 8:23 am: |
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bigbob and hoosier do you remember florscopes of the 50's? you put your foot in it to see the bones and how the shoe fit? ... WORSE yet they used radiation to cure acme... BELEVE it or not RADIATED peoples faces o it got rid of the pimples then 30 years later BONE cancer... Deadeyes is on target about " SOFT XRAYS " When i workes for SEARS tv repair back 30 years ago we had a model 528-4196 " ULTA " chassies made by warwick that blew flybacks one day one of the guys was tring to fix one when his 30KV probe EXPLODED ! WELL this got our attenion so the got out a 150k probe and in this set the CRT anode read 90kv!!!! THE owner had a XRAY machine for a tv set! The problem was a failing cap that waveshaped the flyback when it failed the flyback would reach 100kv now this this caused a recall of everyone of thoes sets and many of them had the same problem! We may all gripe about stupid FCC rules and myself i think common sence should be the rule but its understandable that set rules have been put in place. I dont like goverment set rules on things that should be again common sence but Again RF KILLS just ask thoes ducks!
bruce |
Mrdelaney
| | Posted on Sunday, July 07, 2002 - 1:45 pm: |
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Sure the Ham guys have been running power for a long time. And yes there is danger of RF exposure. That's why there are questions on safety and RF exposure on the tests.
Just about everything such as the microwave oven and computer monitor are a danger to a certain extent. That's why they are UL listed to meet certain safety guidelines. That way the average Joe doesn't get hurt using it.
When you get into using stuff such as the big amps that are supposed to be used by qualified people that is when you should educate yourself on the dangers and how to avoid them.
If you can get a burn by touching that antenna on the back of your car or truck, how far away do you have to be in order to be safe? The answer is in the FCC Bulletin that Smokey mentioned above. |
Hoosier Cardinal
| | Posted on Sunday, July 07, 2002 - 3:50 pm: |
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Uhhhh no i dont remember the 1950s Bruce. Im only 28 years old! LOL |
Bigbob
| | Posted on Sunday, July 07, 2002 - 9:52 pm: |
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I do I'm 49 years old ,lmho. |
409
| | Posted on Monday, July 08, 2002 - 3:51 am: |
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Yea bruce, I remember some of those old sets. The transformers don't last long at that high of a voltage.It wasn't all that bad of a deal unless you were working on the set with the X-Ray problem since the tube was sheilded pretty good. If you opened the door to the HV rect. tube, then you got a pretty good shot !! TV's now don't have the HV rect. tube and don't have this problem since the CRT has little emission. |
409
| | Posted on Monday, July 08, 2002 - 3:56 am: |
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I think people these days should be more worried about cell-phones and those microwaves being so close to the head. Your getting around 2 watts at point blank contact. The jury is still out on the long-term effects , but i'm sure we'll hear more later. |
bruce
| | Posted on Monday, July 08, 2002 - 7:49 am: |
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bigbob did you drive your mom nuts for the winki dink magic screen for you 12 inch B/W tv the ONLY one on your street? ...GOD there was one of them for sale on e-bay ! IT dosnt change ill bet the young kids today are doing the same thing some poor mon is stuck with a kid JUST LIKE ME!
NOTE FOR TAZ were talking 1952-1955 ! |
bruce
| | Posted on Monday, July 08, 2002 - 10:55 am: |
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409 do you think all my years of working in RF could have caused some kind of BRAIN DAMAGE ???
Hey guys this is strange in the R&D lab i worked in at SPERRY in the early 80's 27 babys were born to employees 26 were girls I have the only boy and we have always wondered could HIS problems be linked to me eating all thoes microwaves ????
No realy think about it ....hummmmmmm |
707
| | Posted on Monday, July 08, 2002 - 12:15 pm: |
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What about cops wearing the epaulet mounted talkie spkr/mic/antenna?
Also, what about the Shootout Kings running 5-10kw+ with an Antron or Mr. Coily on each corner of the Suburban? That can't be good. I'm sure enough comes through the windshields to do some damage. Maybe that's why they all end up babbling nonsensical strings of SuperBowl Jivetalk.
Bruce, it is possible that RF could cause chromosomal breakdown, if even for a short period after exposure. |
Hoosier Cardinal
| | Posted on Monday, July 08, 2002 - 2:14 pm: |
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Hey Bruce! Is that the same Sperry that has the Sperry railcars that do the track inspections on the railroads? I saw one of them go through the town i live in a few months ago doing track inspections.. Looked like a school bus on rails!!! |
bruce
| | Posted on Monday, July 08, 2002 - 3:11 pm: |
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707
Ha Ha Ha on jivetalk as for mikes here at the so ive wondered about that for years the STX and 2000 radios put out almost 4 watts and the mike moundeed antenna is just inches from a cops ear here at the jail i carry a icom uhf again inches from my side 4 watts hummmmm if i keep it up i woult need the power company for lighting.
You know what 707 no wonder everyone thinks im STRANGE. |
ss8541
| | Posted on Monday, July 08, 2002 - 6:23 pm: |
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quote from bruce
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...Hey guys this is strange in the R&D lab i worked in at SPERRY in the early 80's 27 babys were born to employees 26 were girls I have the only boy...
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high power rf, and even not so high power rf in the uhf and higher spectrum can kill the chromosome that causes a zygote(developing baby) to become a male. in the sta(survellance and target acquisition) plt i was in, our most dangerous weapons were our hf,vhf, and uhf manpacked radios. our 1st lesson for a satcom(satellite comm) class was to stand clear of the very front of the beam, as it could make you sterile or at the least cause you to have all girls. other comm classes i attended also stated that extended exposure to rf can cause the same results. i have two little girls of my own, so it makes you wonder. |
bruce
| | Posted on Monday, July 08, 2002 - 6:24 pm: |
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Sperry microwave of clearwater florida 1974-1988
This was a spinoff of sperry gyroscope of long island new york when i worked there 1980 - 1984 it enployed 1600 people and 31 of worked in R&D inc ME! In 1984 they lose the mark-92 contract and R&D closed 29 out of 31 got layed off along with several hundered production workers and many support employees. 4 years what was left was bought by another contractor. Great place to work very sad its no more.
bruce |
Bigbob
| | Posted on Monday, July 08, 2002 - 7:43 pm: |
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Bruce my mommy got me a used magic screen,couldn't afford a new one.WE'RE both a bit dain bramaged,I mean I go deer hunting with .50 sharps 120 grns.smokless pushing 600 grn.spitzer/2400 fps.Some of my old friends call me MADDBOB and not because I'm angry. |
Insider
| | Posted on Monday, July 08, 2002 - 8:31 pm: |
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So I guess I should sit a good 10 feet or more away from my 1962 all tube Zenith color television set? At that distance, it'll be more like listening to a radio--me peepers are on the fritz.
It's my understanding that modern TVs don't generate X-Ray energy. As to the cellphones, don't the handheld units produce only about .5watts like frs radios? The bag and car models can produce up to 3 watts.
Oh Bruce as to the Zenith, I'm only 23, but just love them vintage electronics. Hmmm, I think I'll crank up the old Edison phonograph and play some 78s. |
bruce
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 09, 2002 - 11:45 am: |
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bigbob you me and insider need to go watch his X-ray machine maby prop up our feet and look at the bones! O SS8541 we knew that in the 60's about rf mutation but whats REALY strange is no one in the RF field seems to keep any records of offspring of employees ???? i wonder how many companys could give you a list of the kids by sex and birth defects ???? We tried to get some just before Sperry went under but there were none only by networking with former engineering workers did i find the 26 to 1 figure. My son is almost 20 now the rest of thoes kids are fron 23 to 19 none of the girls have any problems intresting? Mutation of MALE gene Hummmmm |
Insider
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 09, 2002 - 5:14 pm: |
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I recently got hold of a radiation meter from the same time period. Maybe I can use my TV to see if it works? It's been a few yeas since I turned it on. I probably should use a variac on it initially.
As to tabulating and plotting the rate of birth defects/complications encountered by those in the RF fields, that does sound like a good research project. A lot of variables are at play here: age of the couple, who worked in the field (the man or the woman, or both) how many hours per day, type of work, and on and on.
I saw some radar station on a tv program a while back. The thing use dozens of antennas in an array and much like Bruce mentioned, it will cook you from the inside out. The safety zone was several miles around the array I believe. |
