OFCOM re: International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)

[GMB]

Much work and numerous surveys at high power broadcast sites has gone into ensuring the public levels are not exceeded.

I think this is the origin of the new rules. Professional broadcasters and mobile phone operators have been doing this stuff for ever. But someone has asked the embarrassing question: "What about all the other operators of high power radios? Why can they get away with anything and we can't?"

There is no good answer to that. If a government believes in the ICNIRP limits then how can it allow them to be flaunted by inconsistent regulations?
The new rules are not an attack on amateur radio specifically, they have a much wider remit.

The 10W EIRP (that's not PEP or 10W from the transmitter) is the quick fudge to take mobile phones, smart meters, Wifi, Bluetooth and hand-held radios out of it (for the moment).

[dglcomp]

Originally Posted by russell_w_b

Where are body worn transmitters worn? On a belt? Excessive exposure above 400 MHz can lead to a reduction of sperm count. Granted, this is for very high levels of exposure. Above 400 MHz surface heating increases with frequency.

Either on a belt, or any item of clothing it can be attached too, generally the trousers. Or on a guitar strap is another common placement.

Naturally the location of the transmit aerial will vary, most exit on the top and are rigid although the ones for VHF systems are generally a longer wire aerial and as such will generally flop down.

[G6Tanuki]

Originally Posted by Andrew2

Call me a conspiracy nut if you want, but I'm beginning to think Ofcom wants to get rid of the amateur bands completely so they can gobble up more spectrum to flog to the Telcom industry.

I totally doubt it: the HF and VHF spectrum is vastly less-occupied now than it was a few decades back (when there _was_ interest in the VHF/UHF ham-bands from the two-way-radio brigade) but HF/VHF is not really the sort of spectrum that the current incarnation of the telecomms industry wants.

We were given an extra MHz at 2 Metres a few years back....

was referred politely to OFCOM

Sage advice, I like to be polite and helpful even to my most annoying neighbour, keeps me sane (!!!).

[SiriusHardware]

Originally Posted by G6ONEDave

The only reason I now know about this latest Ofcom news is through being a forum member and following this thread.

Same here, but when I read about this here and found no such email in my own inbox, I looked a bit further and found the email from Ofcom sulking in my 'junk' folder. For once, the AI seems to have got it right.

If you actually want to read yours trying looking in your junk folder, it may be there.

[Restoration73]

From the date at which the licence is varied to include EMF existing users have 6 months
to comply for use above 10MHz, and 12 months below 10MHz - see 12.6

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/asse...nforcement.pdf

[m0cemdave]

Originally Posted by kevinaston1

The RA were quite firm, 2mW for a hand held device, and 10mW for a body worn transmitter; any more was dangerous we were told.

[/QUOTE]
For a long time now, it's been 10mW for a handheld, or 50mW for a body-worn pack.
The higher power permitted for a pack is due to the aerial being so inefficient when very close to the user (effectively a bag of, mostly, water).

[Junk Box Nick]

Originally Posted by russell_w_b

I think you’ll find that the impact of EMF from the Droitwich transmitter is minimal in the public domain, and is nothing to be concerned about; it has to be, by law. Much work and numerous surveys at high power broadcast sites has gone into ensuring the public levels are not exceeded.

I’m sure this is the case – just the sardonic side of my humour coming to the fore.

It’s an interesting comparison, though, given how close the masts are to the A38, and indeed houses, given it’s pumping out 400kW of AM on 198 and 100kW or so each from the other two Txs on MW – those masts even closer to the road. The old BBC building on the Washford site was, at least the last time I went by, a children’s adventure-cum-zoo type place IIRC. Now we’re worrying about 10 watts from an amateur Tx!

Even when I was still at school and an SWL with a bit of wire to a admittedly a tallish pole I was getting grief from neighbours “interfering with the telly” and causing an eysore. I can remember some ham cases making it onto TV consumer programmes when the latter started to arrive on our screens. They’d have had a field day with this.

”Have you a radio amateur in your street? Did you know their signals could damage your health? You could be entitled to thousands in compensation! Text HAMITUP now to Sue Grabbit & Runne on 08 bla bla bla...”

[AdrianH]

It is not just for amateurs, but the process is for all installations of RF transmitters, Mobile radio TV, Broadcast hospital radios etc. In most instances the aerial is up a mast of on the roof of the building.

So the local Taxis company that is on the end terrace of the block, or in the town centre etc. will also have to deal with this.

Adrian

[russell_w_b]

Originally Posted by Junk Box Nick

It’s an interesting comparison, though, given how close the masts are to the A38, and indeed houses, given it’s pumping out 400kW of AM on 198 and 100kW or so each from the other two Txs on MW – those masts even closer to the road. The old BBC building on the Washford site was, at least the last time I went by, a children’s adventure-cum-zoo type place IIRC. Now we’re worrying about 10 watts from an amateur Tx!

Indeedy... And things were very different once upon a time! I remember being on night shift at Droitwich back in the summer of '84 and being asked, with a colleague, to 'get those two sheep off the lawn and back into the field'. Out we went, rounded them up, and sent them through the hole in the fence they'd come in by. Muggins here grabbed both sides of the mesh fence to pull it together with the intention of zip-tying it, and I got such a belt!

Yeah, Washford was a Tropic-quarium with exotic birds and other wildlife. It used part of the old transmitter building and the waste heat from the MF transmitters through the wall there to keep the environment toasty. I don't think it exists anymore now. This was back in '89 - '91.

When I erected a long-wire after getting licenced I had a particular neighbour round giving me grief about her telly. She wasn't particularly interested that I hadn't anything connected to it, of course. This latest piece of legislation will empower radio amateurs who hitherto have only been concerned with un-neighbourly electrical interference to state categorically that they are running a safe and responsible outfit.

[G6Tanuki]

Originally Posted by russell_w_b

This latest piece of legislation will empower radio amateurs who hitherto have only been concerned with un-neighbourly electrical interference to state categorically that they are running a safe and responsible outfit.

That's my take on it too. It's minded me to do a long-overdue rearrangement of the support-mastage here - meaning I can get my low-HF-band antennas significantly higher and at the same time entirely contained within my property rather than going over a piece of land [and associated PROW/BOAT] that I don't own but am covenantly-required to maintain in order to have a vehicle/pedestrian access to my orchard.

[I wonder if the OFCOM people would know the legal differences between historic Curtilage, Demesne and Messuage as it applies to my QTH?]

[Top Cap]

Originally Posted by Junk Box Nick

A grumpy old man writes:

The golden days of amateur radio – though these are different periods for different enthusiasts – are all long gone.

The irony of the current situation is that amateur radio equipment has become a consumer item. Plug and play and away you go. CB with a few more bands. No more lash-ups lying around the shack, exposed aerial matching units, etc., not to mention the lethal voltages.

Goodness knows what damage I’ve done to myself with full legal limit in the shack – or my parents who both lived to a ripe old age. And now I get to thinking about the number of times I’ve driven through Wychbold, ogling those enormous Radio 4 masts when doing so.

As we move towards a zero-risk society, enjoy what is left of this hobby (and some others in a similar vein), until restoring your humble vintage broadcast receiver becomes a job that can only be undertaken by those with professional qualifications.

In a hundred years everyone will have the same hobby: staying (at) home watching the telly/screen.

Cannot agree more, apart from RF emanating from my Amateur gear, I slept every night for 12 months alongside a 1MW Radar transmitter which caused a neon screwdriver to glow continuously in my shirt pocket. Then many months on a wireless station running numerous 10kW transmitters with open line feeders going over my head. Everything was 'hot' with RF burns from the Light switches to the bog chain.
But still alive at 74! My letter to OFCOM:-
'Next year will be my 50th anniversary of obtaining a Full Amateur Licence.
It is a shame that your proposals will mean that I may have to go permanently off-air as I cannot afford the professional services
required for RF field measurement to comply with your licence variation.
It has been a very good hobby but a shame that the H & S requirements have all but destroyed the joy it gave.
To comply with the Licence requirement that equipment shall not be made available to any person without a licence, I can confirm that if necessary, all of my equipment will be physically destroyed before taking to the local recycling centre. '
73 es gd DX, G4CNH now QRT

[G6Tanuki]

Rather than sad and unconstructive moaning about it, has anyone else made a first-attempt at a template to capture the information needed to document and achieve a likely-OFCOM-acceptable level of compliance?

I've been working on something for the last few days and - if you're interested - I will post this [as a Word2019/16.0 .docx] later this week.

I'm not saying it will cover _all_ the issues that may apply at your particular QTH, rather that it could serve as a template on which you can easily build your own locally-appropriate case.

[russell_w_b]

Originally Posted by G6Tanuki

[I wonder if the OFCOM people would know the legal differences between historic Curtilage, Demesne and Messuage as it applies to my QTH?]

Maybe they would know someone who knew someone who did, should such knowledge of the differences be required.

Don't forget your hereditaments!

[dsergeant]

Top Cap, most stations will be able to comply by running one of the spreadsheets or programs readily available to calculate the safe distance (usually just a few metres) and addressing any parts which exceed that. Or if the calculated field strength is less than 10W EIRP just highlight the fact and do nothing more. It is not necessary to hire expensive equipment or consultants unless there is a significant issue. It is certainly not necessary to go QRT and destroy all your equipment, it is not WW3.

73 Dave G3YMC
Already compliant QRP station with a few more sunspot cycles still on the clock

[crackle]

Originally Posted by Colinaps

It gives the same result for 1W as for 100W. Hmm.

Colin.

How can that be, it seems crazy.

[Andrew2]

Hmm, it looks like my Topband days are over. Even my modest 30w is too much to allow for my vertical being within 1 metre of a public walkway and literally one brick wall thickness from my neighbour's property. Moving the vertical in any direction just transfers the problem to another place.

[Nicola_Jayne]

Originally Posted by G6Tanuki

I totally doubt it: the HF and VHF spectrum is vastly less-occupied now than it was a few decades back (when there _was_ interest in the VHF/UHF ham-bands from the two-way-radio brigade) but HF/VHF is not really the sort of spectrum that the current incarnation of the telecomms industry wants.

We were given an extra MHz at 2 Metres a few years back....

while there may be pressure on 70cm , the spectrum most likely to be taken under international pressure ins SHF

one only needs to look at what the commercial sellers are suggesting for on site / industrial uses that even a couple of years ago would be prime licenced PMR territory ... ISM bands 'wi-fi' kit on the basis that many settings now have wi-fi for machinery // computers / RF 'guns' not to mention telematics on MHE fleet ...

'radios' which are wifi terminals

[eaglework]

In my own experience the recent commercial exploitation of RF spectrum has focused largely on UHF and SHF.
In a previous life part of my role was helping to protect free access to international C-band satellite down links from the rollout of UK based WiFi services. The commercial operators had little to zero interest in HF spectrum - it was all about selling services in urban areas and with controlled coverage.

[G6ONEDave]

I will be contacting Ofcom about this, as there have been no emails from them, whether to renew licence details or otherwise, no letter post either. The only licence emails that I have received have all been of the 'there is a problem with your licence' spamming/fishing type re my tv licence! Which is automatically paid by direct debit. Luckily with using Thunderbird for my emails, it shows if anything has been put in it's trash/spam sections, which I check before closing the program.
Dave
Dave