[TowerTalk] OT but relevant

[Earl Morse]

I remember watching Medtronic testing their pacemakers at a lab we used to use in MN back in the day.  I remember thinking that they were testing at ridiculously high levels at the time.

The pacemakers are small and relatively immune to RF.  On Medtronics webpage I couldn't find what levels they test to but would guess that they are around 100 V/m.

http://www.medtronic.com/patient-services/cardiac-emc-guide/communications-office-equipment/index.htm

Medtronics doesn't really seem to worry unless you get within a couple feet of the antenna.  Distance will vary with power and gain of the antenna but their rules of thumb seem to support that they are relatively immune.  They don't break it out by frequency but by power and distance 12" = 3-15 watts, 24" for 15-30 watts.  So your handheld has a better chance of causing you distress than your home HF station just due to proximity.

YMMV, so if you feel funny stop transmitting.

Earl
N8SS