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seediq · May 24th 13, 07:34 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.antenna

On 5/23/2013 2:28 PM, wrote:
On Thursday, May 23, 2013 12:10:54 PM UTC-5, seediq wrote:
None of us

has the right to be cavalier with our safety if our death would

negatively impact someone. Just my opinion of course.

Michael

I can "feel" when I'm in a high RF environment. And I seem
to be effected more by lower frequencies, than I do high.
I've "felt" RF at home once when running 160 meters with
a antenna fed from the shack.
And I've also felt it when running mobile, with the antenna
behind my head on the trunk lid. This was noticed when
running CW on I think 80m if I remember right.
And I have no pacemaker, etc, and was in normal health.
I didn't feel pain per say. It made me feel nervous and
uneasy. Hard to explain really.. But it definitely would
start and stop with my sending. It took a while before
I realized what was happening, and then I tested it with
sending tests. Sure nuff, every time I would start sending,
I would start feeling the effects. Quit sending, and it would
go away.
This was with a plastic bugcatcher mounted on the trunk
lid, with the loading coil just above roof level.
Running 100w CW. I've never really noticed it using SSB.
Too sporadic I expect, where as CW is pretty much pedal
to the metal when actually transmitting.

In both cases, I was near the current maximum. At my
table in the 160m case, and beaming the back of my head
in the car.
But I don't see this as being much of an issue with QRP.
Particularly if the feed line is decoupled, and the
actual antenna is a good bit away from the operator.

I think you are particularly sensitive to RF. We are all different. I
would be very cautious with RF if I were you. I have found from
experience that the lower the frequency, like 160 meters, the more
penetrating power it has to get into a house or car. I do not understand
the mechanism but I sure know this from experience.

Yes, I would expect qrp operation to not be a problem. I run 1200 watts
most days with a loop surrounding my home. I get away with it. There are
studies that show that active ham radio operators do not live as long as
those who are not. They often implicate rf exposure. I personally
believe it is actually because it is such a sedentary hobby. We have to
get out and walk each day and do our treadmill to keep our heart healthy.