[TowerTalk] Vatican to cut broadcasts over ecological fight

[Wes Cosand]

>
>At 14:14 01/04/09 , you wrote:
>>This is from Reuters.
>>
>>"The Vatican, in a last-ditch effort to stop Italy from cutting off
>>electricity to its radio station over a dispute centering on
>>electromagnetic radiation, said Monday it would eliminate some
>>transmissions after Easter.
>>..
>>The [Italian] minister of health has accused Vatican Radio of
>>exceeding Italian laws on radiation and of being a health hazard.
>>
>>...
>>The .. broadcaster would shutdown its medium wave (AM) transmissions
>>on the 1530 KHz band for seven hours a day ...

The 1985 World Radio TV Handbook says that they run 450 kW on 1530 kHZ ..

>>..
>>A Vatican Radio spokesman said broadcasts on shortwave and FM would
>>continue normally.


5 kW on 96.5 MHz FM
500 kW on shortwave frequencies

The sad thing is that NPR radio says that when the antennas were built some 
years ago, the surrounding area was quite rural but since that time there 
has been a lot of development around the transmitter site.  Sort'a like the 
poor hog farmer with a new housing development up against his fence!


>>The statement said it was "presumed" that the AM antennae whose
>>broadcasts are sent in horizontal waves, were the reason why the
>>broadcaster exceeded Italian limits."
>>
>>
>>--------------------
>>
>>This is really interesting.  Without details, it seems to go against
>>the type of RF exposure limits in a number of ways and the report
>>seems technically inaccurate.
>>
>>1) The FCC exposure limit is huge at Broadcast band frequencies. 50Kw
>>US stations have no trouble meeting it.  On 160M one can be within
>>inches of the antenna at 1.5KW and not exceed the limit.
>>
>>2) The shortwave and FM bands with lower exposure limits don't have a
>>problem.  Power is less? or limit is actually higher ?
>>
>>3) Most AM broadcasting is vertically polarized.
>>
>>
>>This all came about because of "cluster" lukemia deaths in areas
>>surrounding the Vatican.
>>
>>Italy has the EU's toughest limits on exposure.
>>
>>Measurements of Vatican radio exceeded the limits by a factor of 3.
>>
>>The Vatican is not part of Italy but Italy is imposing their limits on
>>them.
>>
>>I wonder what the limits are for amateur radio frequencies.  Are they
>>met by our fellow Italian hams?
>>
>>73 de Brian/K3KO


List Sponsor:  ChampionRadio.com - Trylon self-supporting towers,
safety equipment, rigging gear, LOOS tension guages & more!
http://www.championradio.com

-----
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/towertalk
Submissions:              towertalk@contesting.com
Administrative requests:  towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems:                 owner-towertalk@contesting.com