In article , who knows
wrote:

However, the obvious comment is that the small physical size of a loop is
likely to lead to use in a situation (for example, indoors and close to the
operating point) that would/could lead to excessive levels of RF exposure.

Does it really matter? What are the odds of serious health consequences
from RF exposure? If I quit smoking and avoid RF over-exposure will I
live forever, or will I be dead as a doornail 100 years from now just
like everyone else currently participating in this newsgroup?

--
-30-

Anonymous wrote:
In article , who knows
wrote:

However, the obvious comment is that the small physical size of a loop is
likely to lead to use in a situation (for example, indoors and close to the
operating point) that would/could lead to excessive levels of RF exposure.

Does it really matter? What are the odds of serious health consequences
from RF exposure? If I quit smoking and avoid RF over-exposure will I
live forever, or will I be dead as a doornail 100 years from now just
like everyone else currently participating in this newsgroup?

Well, like exposure to anything, it depends on how much exposure you
get.

It is possible to die from drinking too much water for example.

So, unless your plan is to live fast, die young, and leave a good
looking corpse, it is probably a good idea to know how much RF is
too much and avoid it at dangerous levels.

--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.

Anonymous wrote:

...
Does it really matter? What are the odds of serious health consequences
from RF exposure? If I quit smoking and avoid RF over-exposure will I
live forever, or will I be dead as a doornail 100 years from now just
like everyone else currently participating in this newsgroup?


I worry little about exposure to rf 30 Mhz and 1kw or less ...
I am NOT aware of any malady/disease which strikes hams any more often
than any other group ... which suggests the safeguards in place (simple
plain common sense) is/are more than adequate.

However, as frequency of the rf increases so does my concern ...
everyone is aware microwaves can cook, maim and kill biological entities.

Regards,
JS

John Smith I wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

...

Does it really matter? What are the odds of serious health consequences
from RF exposure? If I quit smoking and avoid RF over-exposure will I
live forever, or will I be dead as a doornail 100 years from now just
like everyone else currently participating in this newsgroup?


I worry little about exposure to rf 30 Mhz and 1kw or less ...
I am NOT aware of any malady/disease which strikes hams any more often
than any other group ... which suggests the safeguards in place (simple
plain common sense) is/are more than adequate.

Not to be too hostile here, but that suggests ignorance rather than
knowledge.
a) one of the early studies that triggered the whole "currents of death"
fiasco happened to be one that showed that radio amateurs (among some
other groups) happened to have higher incidence of some forms of cancer.
Later shown to be statistically insigificant and confounded by other
factors, but there it is.

b) There is ample evidence of adverse effects of RF exposure in this
frequency and power range. One of the more interesting is the ankle and
wrist pain experienced by workers on the flight line in a high RF field
environment. The eventual analysis was that the pain was likely due to
RF currents flowing through the body from hand (on or near airplane) to
feet(then to ground). There's also some interesting cases of things
like people on transmitting towers when the transmitter was turned back
on (or the power turned on), but that's not necessarily a credible
situation for a ham.

Common sense is a good start (don't look into the waveguide with your
remaining good eye)(don't turn on the transmitter when someone is
working on the antenna), but it actually takes a bit more thought to
figure out the RF exposure hazards in a off-nominal situation. A dipole
30 feet up in the trees is easy, so is a 3 element yagi on a 100ft tower.

But something like a flagpole vertical in your yard, or an attic dipole,
or a compact loop on a picnic table is a much trickier situation.



However, as frequency of the rf increases so does my concern ...
everyone is aware microwaves can cook, maim and kill biological entities.

And so can MF, HF, VHF, and UHF...

Jim

Jim Lux wrote:

[...]

I know of only one fellow who worked on radar for the military and used
to warm his hands by a slit on the waveguides, who seriously thought he
suffered any disease from rf; his complaint was that it increased the
severity of his arthritis in his hands.

Now, I can see that "cooking" your hands with microwaves is not good ...
how he determined that this caused more pain from arthritis was probably
less than scientific--however, it would be quite easy for me to believe.
I also note that he did have to have cataract surgery, however, so did
many in my family who were not exposed to any rf that they were aware of.

My statement stands, other than mentioned here I am aware of no hams
with legitimate injuries from rf from hf antennas (and, I have no way to
determine the validity of such anyway.)

Now, I have heard many, many stories of friends of friends, or someone
who knows someone--somewhere who has suffered noticeable damage from
rf--however, I have also met individuals who have claimed to have been
abducted by aliens ...

Not long ago I had dental surgery and a "rf scalpel" was used. I
suppose I could go find some loony attorney to help me sue the dentist
.... I think I'll pass ... other than the "normal" longer-than-usual time
to heal which is common to rf burns, I noted no abnormal complications.

But, wives tales can make for entertaining reading, feel free to
entertain me ...

Regards,
JS

Anonymous wrote:
In article , who knows
wrote:


However, the obvious comment is that the small physical size of a loop is
likely to lead to use in a situation (for example, indoors and close to the
operating point) that would/could lead to excessive levels of RF exposure.


Does it really matter? What are the odds of serious health consequences
from RF exposure? If I quit smoking and avoid RF over-exposure will I
live forever, or will I be dead as a doornail 100 years from now just
like everyone else currently participating in this newsgroup?


It's probably not the health consequences you have to worry about
(although you should...). It's losing your license for not following the
basic RF exposure safety rules. Or, it's the legal exposure for
violating those rules.

Lots of hams rely on the "safe harbor" limits to avoid the need for a
routine evaluation of RF safety hazards. How many realize that if
they're holding a cell phone, or use an HT at the same time as their HF
rig, the safe harbor doesn't apply (the multiple transmitter rule)?

The last thing you want is your HOA or other busybodies being able to
shut you down for operating in an "unsafe" manner.