| |
DL6FC > IARU 19.12.97 03:56l 123 Lines 5386 Bytes #999 (999) @ EU
BID : 19C701DB0BMI
Read: DG1HUA DF8NZ DK2ZA DH7RW DG0LEO GUEST DK3EL
Subj: RF safety = QRT
Path: DB0MAK<DB0SON<DB0SIF<DB0AIS<DB0ZDF<DB0GV<DB0BMI
Sent: 971219/0040z @:DB0BMI.#HES.DEU.EU [BSO Michelstadt] LT:100 $:19C701DB0BMI
de DL6FC @ DB0BMI.#HES.DEU.EU (Fritz)
to IARU @ EU
Human Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields
DL Amateurs threatend by bureaucratic procedures to prove their sta-
tions to be in compliance with stringent RF exposure rules
Dear friends in Europe,
staff members of european Amateurradio Associations!
December 17th 1997 may turn out to be a black day for amateurradio
in DL. German Secretary of State for Posts and Telecommunications
Dr. Boetsch will have signed brand new rules on RF safety procedures
and stringent RF exposure limits. This beeing done he took his leave
from office and the ministry was abolished effective December 31th
1997.
The new rules relate to all RF stations. They contain the obligation
to submit worst case calculations on compliance distances together
with a site plan. Existing stations have to comply with the new ru-
les and present their calculations on making changes that could af-
fect RF exposure or in 3 years time.
Worst element of the new rules is the fact that exposure limits de-
rived from outdated cardiac pace-maker's sensitivities still do set
an extremely low limit.
These rules have been knocked together in a relatively short time
period of about 3 months. Common consent of all parties concerned
has - as far as I know - not been achieved. Neither has european
harmonisation been taken into account. As far as I know, in CEPT
Germany was the only one country which voiced interest in the field
of RF safety. Matter of fact, this is due to a big row on elctrosmog
kicked up in all german media.
However, since european harmonisation in this field will inevitably
come some time it's not too late to care for a better solution.
And there is one which is approved by common consent:
FCCs OET Bulletin 65: Evaluating Compliance with FCC Guidelines for
Human Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagne-
tic Fields
together with its
Supplement A Additional Information for Radio and Televi-
sion Stations
and
Supplement B Additional Information for Amateur Radio Sta-
tions
The FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology issued the long-anti-
cipated Supplement B on November 18th. Bulletin and Supplements go
into effect January 1st 1998 for all new stations.
The whole concept is miles away from the german regulation. It po-
stulats solely that applicants and licensees perform a routine RF
evaluation. It covers definitions of RF radiation and discusses the
FCC exposure guidelines and their applications, methods of pre-
dicting human exposure, estimating compliance distances, and con-
trolling exposure to RF fields.
The Amateur Radio Supplement runs 70 pages. Among its noteworthy
highlights are numerous easy-to-use tables based on various frequen-
cies, power levels and antenna configurations to help hams determine
whether their stations comply with the FCC's published RF exposure
guidelines. Most tables show compliance distance - the distance that
an antenna needs to be located from areas of exposure to be in com-
pliance.
As first announced, the FCC set a power threshold of 50 W to trigger
the need to do a station evaluation. In late August this was revi-
sed. The newest guidelines provide a sliding scale for threshold
levels dependant upon frequency:
160 m 500 W all VHF bands 50 W
80 m 500 W 70 cm 70 W
40 m 500 W 33 cm 150 W
30 m 425 W 23 cm 200 W
20 m 225 W 13 cm and higher 250 W
17 m 125 W
15 m 100 W
12 m 75 W
10 m 50 W
These are PEP power levels at the output of the transmitter. Stati-
ons operating at or below these power levels are c a t e g o r i -
c a l l y e x c l u d e d from having to conduct a routine RF ra-
diation evaluation! Mobile and portable (hand held) devices using
push-to-talk operation generally are also exempt from evaluation.
These guidelines - to my knowledge - constitute the most praisewor-
thy example of deregulation. It is the first handbook and guide on
RF safety which is appropiate, physically well founded, easy to use
by radio amateurs and costsaving for the administration.
It well deserves to be the pattern of regulations on RF safety in
all european countries. It therefor should be part of the documents
which european Amateur Association staff members rely on when
discussing RF safety regulations with their telecommunications admi-
nistrations.
You can easily lay your hand on Bullentin 65 an its supplements.
They are available at
http:// www.gov./oet/info/documents/bulletins/#65
Bulletin 65 is file oet65.pdf 84 pages
Supplement A is file oet65a.pdf 43 pages
Supplement B is file oet65b.pdf 70 pages
Everybody will have a quick transfer and can read it on his screen.
Printing the 197 pages is worthwhile to use it and to make the whole
of it well known in the Radio Amateur Community in Europe.
We are on our way to spread Bulletin 65 to all parties concerned and
interested. And we hope that Europe some time gets the RF safety
guidelines it deserves.
Vy 73 de Fritz, DL6FC, @ DB0TCP.#HES.DEU.EU
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
