HR2.0 - New FCC RF Safety Rules | Ham Radio Livestream with Ria Jiaram

For today's Lunchtime Livestream, I welcome Ria Jiaram, N2RJ, the ARRL Hudson Division Director. She is going to talk to us about some new FCC RF Safety Rules that the ARRL has put lots of time and effort info. As Ham Radio Operators, we need to be aware of RF Safety around our home Ham Radio base stations, so this is vital information for all of us.

 

Excellent presentation. It really isn't about a restriction on us, but rather good scientific cover for us if we are ever challenged.

After running the exemption calculation (which I passed), I ran the exposure calculators just for fun (and to be thorough, as suggested). ABSOLUTELY do the calculations yourself, but you would be hard-pressed to be out of compliance with a 100w station unless your antenna was in the shack with you. Even with full legal power, it shouldn't be very difficult at all to meet the requirements.

 

Correct her name, she is Ria Jairam, not Jiaram!

 

When I took my Technician Class examination in '05, RF Safety was a small section in the ARRL's "Now You're Talking" study guide, and in my 16 years of hamming I have never seen or heard of ANY ham (at least in my large social circle) performing an RF Safety assessment. Good video.

 

Good info and another good video providing usable info for all hams! Glad she joined you.

 

Cell phone networks, bluetooth devices, wi-fi networks, broadcast TV and radio, aircraft/weather radars, and thousands of salitlites exposing us to massive (collectively) RF radiation 24.7, and the FCC and ARRL are worried about a (comparatively) few ham radios...really?

I'd kind of like to see any data that actually confirms that operating an amateur radio station is any more dangerous than just sitting in your living room on any given day in the modern world..

 

Thanks, done. I guess she didn't notice that either, lol

 

I agree, good point.

 

Good info and all operators should have an understanding of the heating values / effects of RF. One wouldn't operate the microwave oven with the door off and watch the food cook??? without your fractal cloaking glasses on and a tin hat?? Distance is you friend and most station can keep antennas a few meters away from operators and public. Antenna up in the air... out of reach... likely safe. Some operators operating in condos or antenna in the attic could be a problem. That stealth loop antenna around the eves might not be a good idea? That 440 mHz yagi pointing at the neighbors might be of concern. Do the math.

Academia wise... IMO like all on the ZED...This has opening up a can of worms. Government regulation, compliance, inspection and the list never ends. Local city RF code reinforcement just like towers. Just saying. ARRL hello........

It's already been noted about mobile, portable op's and wait for it ... hand-held use. Run the math for those uses and bump the frequencies into the VHF - UHF bands.

Repeater operators take note TOO. Most of us should know the compliance/ human exposure at these location...just multiply it by all those site RF emitters. Signs posted as in my previous post.

Were all exposed to something. Hold your breath, Pinch your nose. WA6VVC / WA6CAM

 

"'I' before 'A', except after 'J'"

lol? A telling response.

 

This begs the question....Ham radio has been around for over a century. Has there EVER been a documented case of physiological damage that can directly be attributed to amateur radio operation?.... Are we trying to fix a problem that does not exist?

 

That's the bureaucratic mindset. It's about maintaining the appearance of being useful.

 

Not to mention comparing it to a microwave oven where the meat is less than 6 inches away from the antenna at 1100 watts with much longer exposure time, really!

 

Who needs a microwave when you can hang dinner at the end of your Yagi?

 

First question: Falling from a tower, yes. RF exposure? No.

Second question: Yes. It's the world we live in. If it weren't for over-regulating the piss out of everything, some government employees would starve to death, as they're otherwise unemployable.