[RTTY] A bit off topic......

[James C. Hall, MD]

I get this question from time to time as a cardiologist who implants pacemakers and defibrillators on a regular basis. In fact I received a phone call last night from a ham's mother who is one week post PM implant and wanted to know if there was any danger being around the radio - the antenna is about 100 feet away.

In fact, modern day pacemakers are VERY well shielded devices that will not be bothered at all by RF fields in the shack. The only recommendation about 'fields' and pacemakers AFAIK is the recommendation about EMP generators such as chain saws and the like. Interestingly, weed eaters are OK. The weirdest one is the recommendation about cell phone usage -> use the opposite ear ! I guess there's enough attenuation between the ears ! :)

Short answer - there are a lot of aging hams with pacemakers doing just fine with their radios. :)

73, Jamie
WB4YDL

Sent from my iPad

> On May 5, 2015, at 1:38 PM, Jerry Flanders <jeflanders at comcast.net> wrote:
> 
> I think I would call the pacemaker manufacturer.
> 
> Jerry W4UK
> 
> At 02:15 PM 5/5/2015, Ross wrote:
> 
>> 
>> 
>>           A bit off topic but rather important to me so thought I wud give it a whirl.
>> 
>>           I wonder if anyone has had any experience with amateur rigs interfering with pacemakers ?
>>           My XYL just became the possessor of a pacemaker and at the moment it is threatening my 45 yr amateur
>>           radio career which I find some upsetting.  I have checked the I-net  and have found many articles on
>>           interference to pacemakers from powerful industrial equipment to small electric appliances but little info abt
>>           amateur transmitter RFI except one QST article (20 yrs old).  I would appreciate hearing of any experience/info
>>           anybody has had regarding freq, power or mode on any of the amateur bands.
>> 
>>           TU,  Ross........VA7RME  -  VE4CW
>> 
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