Thank you for walking me through this process. You did it because of the brotherhood of ham. Yours maybe the best example because you did me a favor and have no idea who I am, but I know who you are and will not forget you. Thank you.
We have started to do this for all 'public' events. Aside from it "being the law", it is a useful guide as to the exclusion zone that you need to maintain around your antennas. When we hung an EFHW about 12' above the ground for Armed Forced Day Crossband Test, we displayed these results on a A-frame, doubled the uncontrolled distances (for safety) and cordoned off the area below the antenna with cones and tape. IMO this was "erring on the side of safety", but I'd rather do that than face potential liability issues down the road.
Absolutely! I hadn’t thought of having it on hand for public operating events. Very timely as we approach Field Day. Thanks for bringing this up. I’ll definitely be talking about it on my livestream this weekend. Thanks for watching and commenting. 73!
@@spaceflight1019 Ain't that the truth!!! This requirement is so insane that it has to be asked: What is the real purpose of it? Nazi Germany, the USSR, Communist China and a myriad of other dictatorships around the world have all had or do have such requirements in an attempt to monitor who is using the airwaves. Looks like the FCC is following in their footsteps.
You actually only need it to be calculated once per Antenna at the Highest Freq , power and antenna gain with 100% duty. Basically run it for the worst case scenario and it will cover the rest.
Thanks Pat! That would definitely cover everything. I did it per band I operate just because I was curious, but yes, one report for each antenna at the highest operating freq, gain, duty cycle…worst case scenario should cover it all. Thanks for chiming in! 73!
Thank You for your Service ! To the Amateur Radio community ! But what is concerning, is the fact we now have to do it as Amateurs, what must those Cell Towers in everyone's backyard radiate 24/7 ? And their Antennas are facing downward to boot ! ⚡😳⚡
Makes sense! What about mobile? If I'm in my vehicle enclosed in metal, do these types of RF exposure calculations remain valid? For example, if the HF antenna is on the roof above me, do I measure the distance from the base of the antenna over my head (peak current at the base of a quarter-wave antenna)? 73 KJ6ER
That’s my question too! I operate 100% mobile, 20m-10m, 75 watts, USB. (CW Mobile someday) I put the excess coax as far away from me as possible but it still goes out of a side window.
Because of the multiple different combinations of radios and antennae that I have (shack, POTA and Field Day), I took the calculations from the page Javascript and worked up a spreadsheet that allows me to do multiple combinations, between four radios, different modes/duty cycles, and at least a half a dozen antenna rigs, including my mobile VHF/UHF. So if I build or buy a new antenna, or even buy an amp, adding in the new combinations are simple.
The website didn’t exist when they created the current pool of questions. But the good news is that stuff like this travels fast and we can all do our part once we know. :) Thanks for watching, Rob! 73!
One thing I noticed is that the gain information is in dBi for the ARRL calculator and some antennas give the gain in dBd. A quick search shows that dBi = dBd+2.15 so that is something to consider when entering your figures for the calculator. When plugging in the numbers I was surprised to see what the minimum safe distance should be for my handhelds. I also understand why some operators prefer to have a tower away from their house when they are setting up their stations.
Having a tower away from the house is a good way to prevent lightning from causing problems. It also reduces RFI issues. Back in the CB boom days a lot of fires were caused by lightning striking house mounted antennas, and they were only 20 feet or less above the roof.
Interesting. This is not a requirement here in Canada, and at first I thought it was bonkers. However, it does force you to be aware of the safe distances to your antennas for various modes of operations and power outputs etc. That is a good thing.
Nice video, and thank you! I recently changed my attic antenna to a 41' random wire and haven't been able to find any info on gain in order to calculate exposure. Any ballpark ideas what gain factor I might use?
I’m going to be switching the time so I don’t interfere with another hamtuber that streams at 6 pm Eastern. I’m thinking Sundays at 5 pm, but am confirming that’s a good time with others. Today being Mothers Day, I’m not streaming as I need to honor my wife and MIL. :)
Great vid. Now my reading are about minimum safe distance in uncontrolled environment is 4 foot and the AT is about 30 feet up ⬆️. So what does this really mean? No one can possibly get within 30’?
Same here with my VHF/UHF antenna. It's at 30' on the peak of my house. The only ones that can get within 4' of mine are birds and squirrels. I'm not sweating it. Of course, everyone has to make their own determination. :) Thanks for watching! 73!
here in the UK, the RSGB calculator factors that in. take 1.8 metres (6 feet) off your antenna height to allow for a persons height, then make sure that the antenna is above the minimum distance from there. the ARRL should add that to their calculator.
I intend to have these reports handy for all the bands and modes I operate for each antenna I own, including my portable antennas. As others have said, just screen capturing or printing to pdf and saving to your device is fine. No printer required then.
You will be accused of fudging the numbers in your favor. Better to bookmark the calculator so that the complainant can see what numbers you're entering and why. If they don't like the results they can argue with the arrl and FCC.
Lots of good advice, but... time to go further. What if you need some form of Positive Access Control? How do I demonstrate compliance to an inspector when we use so many assumptions?
In the USA, having the report handy is apparently sufficient for compliance. Realistically, I don't think the FCC is going to go looking for these. KB5MIQ had a great down to earth explanation of why in his video on the subject. However, vigilant hams can certainly take measures to cordon off their antenna area for the safe distances.
Basic electrical safety rules here. If you have an antenna that CAN be touched by passersby you MUST prevent it. If you have a tower anti-climbing measures MUST be employed. Having your antennas on the roof, in a locked, fenced-in area, or at least 10 feet above ground is often sufficient. For instance, if you have a swimming pool in a locked, fenced-in area and you have your tower inside it's considered protected.
The calculation for a handheld would have been good. Much lower power and generally no gain on the antenna would probably be really low, but you are holding it next to your head... Use a speaker mic or headset.
I've seen some multiphysics FEA analysis with COMSOL (RF & heat transfer modules) of a cell phone at the head (bio modeling) & there's some heating of the brain while on the cell phone that diminishes after the Convo ends. I expect HTs would have similar impact. So yeah, headset & mic are important.
That looks to be a vertical antenna. Refer to the link on the calculator page in the gain part of the form. It will open a page with general gain levels for various types, including verticals. If I had to guess, it's a quarter wave vertical? I found the product on the DX Engineering website so perhaps you could give them a quick call and see if they know. Thanks for watching! 73!
@@n8vox I did reach out to them, and hey had no clue, reached out to the manufacturer with no answer. Yes, vertical with a coil in the middle and I can’t imagine it has the same gain as my 43 foot vertical at home.
This is very helpful! We must recognize that our world is changing. Radio frequency exposures, food coloring, ever expanding realms of medical diagnoses, etc. Good advice. Thank you. 72 KI6GZK
Here's the stupid part of this. I have sold everything in my shack except my 50 watt Yaesu FT7800 dual band radio, a couple of Tram mobile dual band mag mounts and a couple dual band HTs. All else is gone. No HF anything left. Do I still report to those idiots at the FCC?
You don't need to report anything to anyone. All that is required is to have the reports on hand should they ever be asked for. I think there's a lot of misinterpretation of this...we don't send reports to anyone. Just gotta have them handy, like having your license handy. I think of it more like an awareness thing. I appreciated figuring out the safe distances for my antennas. Thanks for watching and commenting! 73!
That the German Navy gave a shxt for RF safety is why i had a tumor in my back, can stand for 5mins and have to lay in bed for 24/7 now since 2014. SO LISTEN TO HIM !
Does this RF exposure issue, apply to CB radio or not, because if it not why doesn't it. The situation seems to be, this applies to Hams using 10 Meters, but if you tune down to 11 Meters and transmit, it doesn't apply to you at all. It makes no sense at all in that respect.
Okay, let's say hypothetically I get back into ham (currently inactive) and buy a 2m/440 HT and I live alone. I would be the only person that would be affected by the emissions at all and even a 5 watt HT would not harm anyone next door or even if they were my house if I was upstairs and they were downstairs. What's the chance of anyone making a complaint to the FFC about me using a ham HT anyway? People in my neighborhood use both FRS and GMRS but I bet they don't have to comply with doing a report. It's just that the FCC has the boot on the necks of hams a lot more than other radio groups and they can get away with bullying us to comply. Are they trying to be like the East German STASI secret police? They always bother ham radio folks. It's government intrusion similar to the criminals in the ATF that want to bash my door down and take my guns. Glad now that I'm an old man and won't be around much longer when the tyranny gets even worse.
If you don't have a station, then you don't need a report handy. I think it's really just a matter of awareness. As someone else commented, run the calculation for the highest frequency, at your highest power, at the highest duty cycle, and there you have the worst case scenario for RF exposure. 73!
That's a good question that I honestly don't know the answer to. But I would start here: www.arrl.org/rf-exposure-calc-instructions I'll look in my ARRL Antenna Handbook today to see if it has any info. Also, you may be able to call or email the ARRL technical folks and ask them if you are a member. There's got to be a formula somewhere to figure that out. I'll mention this on the livestream this weekend as well.
Oh they want us to do this for our small stations yet they don’t give a damn about all the cell/wireless tech that’s blasting the shit out of everyone 😂😂
I’m betting they actually do take measurements but unlike hams, they likely do have to submit reports. All we have to do is have them on hand. I’m curious where we might find RF exposure data for phones and towers.
Same question myself - I'm stuck living across the street from a self-proclaimed CB "technician" that runs more illegal trash than a mob garbage truck in NYC. And the FCC is USELESS.
You could possibly file a police report if he’s actively interfering with your licensed station. I’d start there then attempt to escalate to the FCC. But then again, if you gotta live across the street from him, well, there’s keeping peace with the neighbors to consider. Sorry man, there’s no silver bullet answer without enforcement from the FCC.
They don’t have to file reports and neither do hams. However, we ARE required to have the report on hand at our station. TBH, I’m glad for this requirement because it has caused me to pause and consider what, if any, RF exposure I am radiating to my family and neighbors. The CBers that run power (and their neighbors) are likely at higher risk of exposure and it’s effects. :(
@@n8vox I am a German radio amateur (DM3BC) operating in Greece (SV0SGS). same rf documentation requirements for hams in both places. I did the calcs for bothQTH‘s for my own and family’s sake. We sit on lots of private land and antennas are far away from house snd road. i use max 100w at TX. I don‘t expect anyone from the Bundesnetzagentur or the Greek equivalent to come knocking on my door. „I‘m the the one who knocks.“ (Walter White, Breaking Bad). Still.I wonder why this reporting requirement is now getting so much YT attention.
I’m wondering the same! Haha! I’m curious though, do you have to actually file a report with an agency? The FCC just requires we have it on hand. We don’t need to send it in and “file” it with the FCC. How does it work there?
Who do I bill for the ream of paper and the ink jet cartridge? Its actually silly if you think about it. Is the FCC going to take your word if there is a complaint? No, they will do their own calculations. I adjust my power settings all the time, do they expect me to run a calculator for every band, every mode and every power setting 5 to 1000 watts? A boiler plate calculator is silly in itself. It is in no way a scientific fact of exposure. Not hating the video, and this was helpful in what is required, just questioning validity of required reports.
I had, emphasis on HAD, an 80 foot tower that topped out at 105 feet with five element 25 element 15 and four element 10 with five elements 6 interlaced on top. I still have that one period but, The other tower was a 70 foot motorized crank up with her two LEMENT full size 40 meter quad on top and that boom ALSO contained a 30 meter two element and three ELEMENTS on the other two WarC brands. Neighbor moved in under the quad and so my wife had it all taken down. Surprise. //////// I don't have to do an exposure RF chart here, DE HS0ZCW.............. Good old friend GoT me The CW in my call. Tony WAITEd and GoT HS0ZDX............. All foreign born hams who are licensed in Thailand have to have HS0Z plus two more letters that are usually assigned at random, but there have been some to pass away and not vacate there HS0Z suffixes. Sadly, most lately is Fred K3ZO and HS0ZAR ......... One of the best known hams around the world and a masterful contester, now sadly SK. BTW, 6 meters is not allowed nowadays for H0Z GUYS.
This is total B.S. (but good intentioned). I'm a completely inactive ham that likes to renew his license every ten years (just renewed lately) but right now I don't even own and type of radio!! None!! Should I just make this up and B.S. it? I renew just in case I get interested again and this way I would not have to start all over again and retest. I have the old, old 'Advanced' class license. So are they going to do Gestapo raids and see if I did one of these?
Sometimes complying with nonsense gov'ment requests is a total waste of time. In this case, does anyone sit .997" away from their antenna? Would it even be possible with a handheld? So, the question that needs to be asked is: since, the bureacrats that came up with this requirement know that no one is ever going to sit .997" away from any antenna while transmitting, what is the real purpose of this required data gathering? Is this just to see who will comply with whatever the gov'ment "requires"? Or is to amass a data base of who will not comply? Since there is no way to track if anyone is complying at all, or even accurately, what is the purpose behind this? With a person who never submits any data - will it be assumed that they are scofflaws or that they just don't talk on the radio anymore? This whole thing is so childishly insane that one wonders what is the real motive behind these new requirements. Nazi Germany, the USSR, Communist China and a myriad of other dictatorships around the world have all had similar requirements to see and control who was/is using the radio. It appears the FCC is taking a page out of the totalitarian playbook. This is an insane requirement and hams across the U.S. should be pushing back against this. Evil triumphs only when good people do nothing.
So, if this even applies to handhelds for hams, then are people with GMRS and FRS handhelds going to have to do this? How about CB'ers (yes, it still exists) or MURS? Probably not, only hams so it seems likes it's just another way to hassle hams by the FCC! There are GMRS HTs that transmit up to 5 watts (very common) so if they aren't going to do it, then why should we? The FCC seemingly does not like hams very much. And I say that as ham that goes way back to the old days (pretty old and grumpy too) but I just know things. I'm no longer active, I just listen on receive only devices. I own no transmitting radios. Maybe if I see someone using a GMRS handheld I'll file a complaint to the FFC just to see what happens? They are not required to do this report so it would be interested to say the least.
If you’re operating at that part of the spectrum, I would think having the report for that band and mode would be good to keep on file at your station.
I'm pretty sure that controlled means controlled by operator, and uncontrolled is for anyone not associated with station operation. In other words, you neighbors that are not radio operators need a little bit more consideration or respect to RF exposure.
This is not acceptable to me. Most of us don't need it, a few do. leave us alone and quit trying to control us. I can't believe so many just fall in line without a word back.
Nope, and I will flout this ridiculous rule because: -RF does not ionize and therefore does not strip subatomic particles from DNA. -At the power levels amateurs use, tissue heating is immeasurable. -Aside from certain microwave frequencies (2.4 GHz for example), wavelengths used by amateurs are non bio-effective and or are far too long to pose a risk. -Even the most avid amateur's TX duty cycle is very, very short.
