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Re: [TowerTalk] High tension lines

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] High tension lines
From: Pete Smith <n4zr@contesting.com>
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2006 08:52:50 -0400
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
20-odd years ago, when my mother was diagnosed with ALS, my father became 
convinced that it was electric fields from nearby high-voltage transmission 
lines that were responsible.  He paid $250 to some charlatan for a little 
handheld field meter that claimed to show dangerous levels.  Needless to say, 
it was a fraud.

The history of the FCC imposition of RF exposure limits on amateur stations 
would make a wonderful case study of how pseudo-science gets turned into 
regulation.  Not that there is any shortage!

73, Pete N4ZR

At 08:10 AM 8/15/2006, Richard M. Gillingham wrote:
>Brodeur is known as a "Fear Monger".  He is selling books, not protecting 
>the public.  The majority of his writing has no basis in fact.  "The Zapping 
>of America" is a an excellent example of his fraud.
>
>Gil, W1RG
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Craig Clark" <jcclark@wildblue.net>
>To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
>Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2006 6:30 AM
>Subject: [TowerTalk] High tension lines
>
>
>> With all due respect, there has not been a correlation of cancer to
>> high tension lines. In 1979, Brodeur wrote "The Zapping of America"
>> where he tried to correlate cancers to proximity to high tension
>> lines and electrical substations. He followed up with several other
>> long screeds in the New Yorker Magazine on the same subject. All were
>> long on emotion but short on science.
>>
>> At Ham Radio Magazine, we supported quite a bit of research on RF
>> radiation and cancers working with some of the best in the field of
>> radio and  epidemiology. As I remember, this was the area Overbeck
>> was most concerned about due to his activity on the VHF/UHF
>> bands.  What we found was that non-ionizing radiation was unlikely to
>> cause any form of cancer. This is what you have around power lines
>> and HF amateur radio stations.
>>
>> I know nothing about the medical reasons of susceptibility to
>> cancer.  I do know that Brodeur was manipulating facts to prove his point.
>>
>> Finally, I personally would not locate my ham station anywhere near a
>> high tension line.
>>
>> Good luck!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 73, Craig Clark, K1QX
>>
>>
>> RADIOWARE AND RADIO BOOKSTORE
>> PO  BOX 209
>> RINDGE NH 03461
>> 603 899 6957
>> WWW.RADIO-WARE.COM
>>

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