OFCOM re: International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)

[AdrianH]

Originally Posted by Junk Box Nick

(one has already commented on my wire yet their house sports two satellite dishes in addition to traditional TV aerials); bands that have only small amounts of activity compared to my youth; and now risk to life and limb that requires health and safety assessment and more documentation; I have only one question to ask:

Why bother?

I have a similar neighbour, as soon as I go up a ladder I get the what is that for. Just wait until we get to the stage of doing a risk assessment prior to driving and have to document it every trip.

I do hope this is for all Europe and not just the UK.

But on a lighter note if you run the calculator you could well find you are within safe limits anyway, So when it becomes formalised and a requirement, do the calc, print off the bits of paper, add a few words and you could be covered!

Adrian

[Sinewave]

I use about 20 watts at home and my antenna is on my roof, possibly 1db losses in the coax, then 5.5db of gain from the antenna, so I'm probably alright, but will have to see how this affects me in real terms. If I'm mobile I only use a hand held to see who's on repeaters wherever I am, so thats 5 watts if the radio is putting the full amount out.

[dodgy-dxer]

Originally Posted by SiriusHardware

And is this the end of mobile operation?

In a word "no"

A friend who is also in the mobile comms business has read all the words and it doesn't apply to hand held and vehicle mounted equipment

Fred

[Radio Wrangler]

Originally Posted by dodgy-dxer

A friend who is also in the mobile comms business has read all the words and it doesn't apply to hand held and vehicle mounted equipment

Ah, just where the exposure is greatest!

Convenient. That ought to protect people.

David

[G6Tanuki]

I think that if the calculations _do_ show risk of potential exposure above acceptable limits then it would be wise to identify these as part of the risk-assessment and document suitable remediation actions.


This sort of thing:


Risk: Visitors to back door may come within 4 Metres of antenna/feeder.
Response: Cease transmitting when there are visitors at back door.
Consideration: Visitors are unlikely to stand at back door for six minutes.


If you can show you have taken 'reasonable steps' to comply with the regulations then life becomes a lot easier.

[russell_w_b]

Originally Posted by dodgy-dxer

A friend who is also in the mobile comms business has read all the words and it doesn't apply to hand held and vehicle mounted equipment

It applies to everything that emits RF. The ICNIRP guidance (as was) EMF Directive 2013/35/EU Regulations are no longer guidance, but have been mandatory since 2016*.

Now... Microwave ovens, mobile telephones, Wi-Fi and other consumer devices are covered, emission-wise, by their respective regulations and protection to the consumer is based upon the understanding of the instructions and warnings provided with the appliance.

*The ICNIRP guidance to which I refer is only for RF workers. Public RF levels are much more restrictive, as members of the public do not have to undertake RF awareness courses, medical examinations related to working with RF, and whose disposition varies from the sick, the lame and the lazy to the fit and the super fit. Joe Public also comes in all shapes and sizes. RF surveys are strictly and rigorously undertaken at transmitter sites with particular attention and remedial action applied to public boundaries so that the public level is NEVER exceeded.

A radio amateur is NOT an RF worker, but is a member of the aforementioned Joe Public, who has studied, been examined and earned permission to use RF for hobby purposes. But is still Joe Public. So Joe Public, the radio amateur may be admitted to hospital for a condition brought about by exposure to RF through his own misunderstanding. It is only right, therefore, that those who use RF are expected to know a little about its effects and levels - not just upon themselves, but upon members of the public who might be around their equipment.

It is wrong to expect professional transmitter operators to make their sites safe for Joe Public when amateurs can emit RF on similar levels without giving a toss about the physiological effect upon the child next door or the baby in a pram at the traffic lights.

A late friend of mine used a Yaesu FT208 2-metre hand held regularly for years on its whip and died, in his 50s of a double brain tumour. I'm not convinced it was unrelated.

Out of curiosity I once put our RF survey monitor kit at car-roof level, above the drivers' door, with a 5/8 mag-mount in the centre of the roof and drove it with 25 Watts on 2 Metres. Surprise, surprise... It exceeded - although not by a lot - the ICNIRP level for electric field strength.

Better safe than sorry.

[PeterRoberts]

I've only just seen this thread and I can't see any mention of the RSGB version of the spreadsheet which is much more amateur friendly, but will still need some more work. It can be downloaded from the RSGB website.

Peter

G4DJB

[GMB]

I mentioned it. But it is a "work in progress" so not in the final form yet.

In fact I understand that it will probably not be a spreadsheet in its final form.

Out of curiosity I once put our RF survey monitor kit at car-roof level, above the drivers' door, with a 5/8 mag-mount in the centre of the roof and drove it with 25 Watts on 2 Metres. Surprise, surprise... It exceeded - although not by a lot - the ICNIRP level for electric field strength.

That is my experience too and I think gives a feel for the problem. But duty cycle is a factor that you can easily control to mitigate this.

Could this be the start of shorter overs?

[russell_w_b]

Originally Posted by GMB

But duty cycle is a factor that you can easily control to mitigate this.

Indeed. And this was on FM so constant power. I ought to have mentioned that radio amateurs may have Pacemakers fitted, or may invite someone to view their shack who has a Pacemaker or metalic bone-implant without considering the risks. That said, I would expect a Pacemaker-wearing amateur to be aware that there is an increased risk in the vicinity of an EMF.

As far as RF workers are concerned, those at particular risk include pregnant women; those with passive medical implants; those with external medical devices... In a working RF environment that has been surveyed, this isn't a problem as their transmitting employers are mindful of frequency, power level and duration of exposure: they are told where they can and can't go. But in the public arena things may be different.

Originally Posted by GMB

Could this be the start of shorter overs?

I wouldn't think so. Maybe looking around, if stationary-mobile (as it were, so to speak), before keying up, to conduct a mental risk-assessment. I suppose OfCOM are duty-bound to address the anomaly of those who aren't RF workers but members of the public who are in command of EMF-emitting equipment that may, in some circumstances, prove hazardous to others.

If ensuring that radio amateurs are EMF aware by having to complete a simple spreadsheet, then surely it is a small price to pay to continue enjoying their hobby? I might turn it around and say forthcoming legislation actually empowers radio amateurs and will enable them, once they have documented their EMF emissions, to challenge the nebby neighbour (there's always one) who confronts them 'about that monstrous aerial in your garden and what's it doing to my kids, etc...'

[MrBungle]

Originally Posted by GMB

Could this be the start of shorter overs?

Burst mode digital protocols are an interesting workaround.

[Panrock]

A quickie. What is the most power produced by mobile phone up against the skull and the duty cycle?

Thanks, Steve

[russell_w_b]

Originally Posted by Panrock

A quickie. What is the most power produced by mobile phone up against the skull...

The data I have for a GSM mobile suggests an output of 0.002 to 0.25 Watts. Don't know the duty cycle.

[Top Cap]

I don't go on the air much nowadays and the gear I have takes up a lot of room.
If this proposal goes through I will put a hammer through my TS940, TS440, Ten-Tec and various VHF/UHF Gear and send the bits to land-fill. I live in a block of flats with neighbours within my RF Bubble and trips to set up antennas in the park for HF operation will no longer be possible. The hobby is not the same as it was anyway so I will not miss it and I might make a few bob flogging the RF test gear and ATU's, 73's Les G4CNH

[G6ONEDave]

Hi Top Cap, If you do actually decide to cease the amateur hobby you would be better selling your equipment. At least that way you will get some financial benefit.

Now at the risk of playing Devil's advocate! What about the motorbike Police Officer, would he have to get off his bike and stand 4.5 or more metres away from it in order to use his bike mounted transmitter? He would most likely be less than 1 metre away from it while riding the bike.
Then there are those WWII airworthy aircraft a lot of which don't have any metal skin or metal framework that could act as a Faraday cage to possibly protect the aircrew. Likewise would a passenger aircrafts fuselage protect the occupants with the Faraday cage principle or not, especially if the aerial earthing becomes resistive? I feel that a lot of this will depend on the actual transmission frequencies.
I'm just glad that I am not involved with any of the potential legal issues from all of this latest requirement.
Dave

[CambridgeWorks]

I seem to recall back in the 60s C&G exam syllabus, your aerial must not cross a road, footpath or someone else's property. Oh, spark transmitters were forbidden as well!
Still stands today.
Rob

[SiriusHardware]

Originally Posted by robinshack

I seem to recall back in the 60s C&G exam syllabus, your aerial must not cross a road, footpath or someone else's property.

I used to work in North Shields early on in my 'career' and on the way home there was a block of houses facing a busy main road. Somehow, the owner of one of them had managed to rig up a very long longwire (all nicely done, with insulators etc at each end) going from the front of the house, over the road to a handy telegraph pole. I often wondered how they had done that - at three in the morning, perhaps?

[AdrianH]

For any motorcyclist or radio user, do not forget the duty cycle is over 6 minutes and a police motorcyclist is unlikely to be transmitting constantly mainly bursts of a few seconds, also as he is not general public when operating the TX will probably come under different levels.

I have operated HF mobile in an open top car, only when parked up. Some would say it has has fried my brain, but I tend to think it's just age. I do tend to drop down to 50 watts peak and the radiation pattern from the mobile whip will possibly be upward around 30 degrees. so I may not be in the main field, but if mobile operators do not need to do the exercise that is good, I will just have to park away from others in the open somewhere.



Adrian

[HamishBoxer]

Yes, I have a very useful telegraph post but on the other side of the road. Satan get behind me!

[G6Tanuki]

Originally Posted by AdrianH

For any motorcyclist or radio user, do not forget the duty cycle is over 6 minutes and a police motorcyclist is unlikely to be transmitting constantly mainly bursts of a few seconds, also as he is not general public when operating the TX will probably come under different levels.
Adrian

And remember that the police/public-service comms are now all-digital and using what amounts to mobile-phone-levels of TX power, on similar frequencies.

Long-gone are the days of them using VHF/UHF Pye Westminsters, Marconi 690s etc - these days police bikes/cars don't generally exhibit any external antennas like they used to.

Doing a bit more calculation using the Ofcom spreadsheet [which I find easier to use than the RSGB one] for frequencies above 10MHz it looks like I'm in the clear - my VHF antenna is something like 12 Metres above ground, the feedpoint of the 12AVQ I use for 14/21/28MHz is 8 Metres high.

[with a vertical, should we measure height to the feedpoint, or height to the centre of the radiating-element? If the latter then add another 2 metres to the 12AVQ's effective height].

The calculators and suchlike don't seem to be designed for work below 10MHz - shich is where, if anything, I am more worried, since the horizontal part of my inverted-L for those bands is at points only 5 Metres above ground, and the feedpoint is in a box bolted to the shack windowsill.

Wonder if I could claim the vertical part of the inverted-L is a 'single wire feeder' ??

[kevinaston1]

Here is my tuppence worth on safe RF levels, but not for the same service.

In the late 80's, my company went into radio microphones, MPT regulations, and overseen by the Radio Communications Agency.

The RA were quite firm, 2mW for a hand held device, and 10mW for a body worn transmitter; any more was dangerous we were told.

Years later, along came mobile telephones, but they seemed to be able to write their own regulations, so along came their SAR measurements for power.

Was the RA wrong?