New FCC RF Safety rules come into effect on May 3 - what you need to know

Probably as good as anything. I don't think there is any specific requirement, you do what makes you feel good.

 

You are responsible for your actions. You can document your compliance, even if that is an exemption. Its EZ. Its quick. Its the right thing to do.

 

What laws do you think I am breaking?

 

We should do our calculations because it's the right thing to do, not because we're afraid the FCC will send a swat team.

It would not surprise me if there are some hams (probably not many) that are out of compliance with at least the uncontrolled exposure limits, and didn't know it because they've never actually thought about it or taken RF safety seriously.

Amateur radio is a technical hobby, or at least it used to be and is supposed to be. It's a little disconcerting to see so many get so spun up over a relatively trivial technical issue. Especially since the FCC tells us exactly how to do it; the ARRL has resources that tell us exactly how to do it, with examples; and there's even online calculators you can plug a couple of numbers into and get an immediate answer, if you don't want to think about it.

It is not too much to expect new hams to know this stuff, too.

 

The moral code between the great creator and the land of the perfectly indifferent.

 

And I know there are several schools of thought about this.

There are those who will shrug, spend the 5 to 15 minutes to go through the calculations and keep a copy, as we’re supposed to do.

There are those who will spend hours and hours on the internet whining and arguing about it.

Then there are those who will simply ignore it, as they always have, figuring that it’s a waste of time, or that they resist “government control” or whatever.

And there are those will suggest that because some scofflaw “CBers” flaunt the rules, then it’s somehow unfair for amateurs to be expected to follow the rules, so we shoudl flaunt them too.

 

Welcome to the Zed!

 

Calculate and document. That's your job. It's easy; it's educational; it's..you!

 

As for "document", there's no explicit requirement. The new section of Part 97 only says "ensure compliance". However, they don't say to whom you are expected to "ensure compliance". So if you do the calculation and it turns out OK, then you have "ensured compliance" to yourself, but that does not "ensure compliance" to anyone else if you do not document it. Seems easier to just keep a record of it the first time. Should not be a big deal.

I've done the calculations before, right after I moved to this QTH, to satisfy myself that I was not going to fry my wife's brain. (She takes care of that herself, spending hours at a time on the cordless phone headset.) But I did not write it down, just make a note in my log.

I did the the calculations again a few weeks ago, this time writing it all down. Used conservative (worst case); i.e. maximum power, 100% duty cycle modes, zero cable loss; and confirmed that everything was in compliance with those worst-case conditions and therefore logically would be in compliance at lower power, lower duty cycle, higher coax loss, etc.; with the exception of my 2m/70 ground plane on mast outside the shack. It was fine for controlled exposure at my operating position, but not in compliance for uncontrolled exposure. I iterated the calculation, taking into account cable loss, and that brought the power density down just enough to bring it into compliance.

 

How would someone else know that you "ensured compliance"?

 

Maybe you could go to the sign shop and get a 4'x8' metal sign constructed saying "This amateur station complies with all current FCC mandated RF exposure safety rules", then in smaller type on the sign you could show the calculations and document the test equipment used for you verification.

There may be other ways, but that one should work.

 

Why is it the ARRL's responsibility? Wouldn't it be the individual HAMs responsibility to make the effort to research the topic and learn? A lessoning portion of this hobby remains somewhat technical. Just sayin....

 

I actually have one of these signs hanging in my shack:

Maybe I should hang it out side under my antenna?

 

Thank you, I will be doing an RF exposure analysis for sure, I have a neighbor that questioned the legality of me putting up my tower and antenna, they contacted the county inspector and found out i had a permit to do so and was Licensed from the FCC to transmit from said tower. The county inspector mentioned this to me when he came out and did his final inspection.

So yes I need to make sure I am compliant, which I know I am already, but I need to do the advanced calculations and document it.

TU, you did a wonderful job with your presentation.
73'

 

It would be great if others ALSO took up the torch to educate on measurement methods--not just simulations-- for hams; frankly there is not a whole heck of a lot of that.

If the ARRL asked me, I would help.

73
Chip W1YW