[TowerTalk] high tension wires

[Michael Tope]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Win" <w0lz at winlyn.us>
To: <TowerTalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 27, 2006 7:28 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] high tension wires


> For almost 50 years I have worked with high power RF.  I have felt the 
> hair
> on my neck move from a multi-megawatt HRI Radar antennas.  For over a year 
> I
> played cards every day next to a 10 KW tropo klystron.  I have slept next 
> to
> a 50 KW broadcast transmitter more nights than I can count.  I have seen
> people climb broadcast towers hot to change the lights. But, I have never
> seen or heard of anyone having health issues from these RF exposures.
>
> If you are losing sleep over a 1 kw RF exposure from amateur transmitters, 
> I
> fear you need go QRP and get some sleep.
>
> Win, w0lz

The instructor for the RF safety class I just took mentioned
two known RF exposure related fatalities. In both cases the
victims were untrained military personel who got too close
to very high power microwave sources. Both victims didn't
know to leave the area when they started to feel warm and
instead stayed in the vicinity of the emitter until they started
to feel pain. In both cases the individuals survived about two
weeks after the exposure, the internal organ damage being
so severe the doctors could do nothing for them except to
administer pain killers. Both these individuals were literally
cooked as if they were in a large microwave oven.

That being said, the RF exposure limits that apply to amateur
radio stations are extremely conservative. Tissue heating at
these levels is miniscule if even measurable (imagine trying to
cook a 2 lb slab of hamburger with a 400 milliwatt heat
source inside).

73, Mike W4EF......................................................