like everyone else i have received a email from ofcom and downloaded ICNIRP calculator but it doesn’t cover the types of antennas we typically use for activations ie flower pot rh770 jpole or slim jim’s
so how do we (me) know how much gain the antenna’s have to work out safe distance’s from other walkers
i always stay well clear of every one while still staying in the activation zone, but you still get walker’s coming over and asking what you are going
the other thing is will i have to do a risk assessment and have it with me in case some clued up bloke asks me
has anyone else thought about this and can please enlighten me
my best regards to all and with a bit of luck we my get back on air in a few week’s
stay 73 reg 2e0ldf
Yes, we should be able to get onto the fells with radios again at the end of the month. I think. Hurrah.
I think most people are a bit bamboozled by the OFCOM requirements - I don’t think they are fixed yet though. What we need to do is sort out some simple rules of thumb. Any takers?! Just to note that we are permanently bathed in RF from our phones, wifi setups and all the rest, but it’s perhaps a good idea to get a handle on amateur transmissions specifically.
My understanding is if you are using 10w or less and a vertical, dipole or other broadly unity gain antenna you are exempt. You don’t have to worry about frying your own brain either - OFCOM aren’t bothered about that. So anyone with a handheld and a slim-g etc. will be fine as is.
I will do an assessment of my Inverted V dipole when running 100 watts and my Super Antenna MP1 with 150 watts and will be mindful of folk getting close when transmitting.
For me it is primarily a case of increased awareness of folk being around when transmitting which is the real issue - if we are keen to be operating safely as opposed to complying with an arbitrary regulation. So if the minimum distance is 3 metres I’ll ensure I don’t transmit if anyone is near that limit.
There is a reason for the regulations, and it is a sensible one, and it is the application of common sense to comply that to me is the key takeaway.
I think it will be worth an extra sticky point on the discourse server with a number of example configurations with minimum safe distances so that folk have an idea of what is sensible.
This kind of confused me, too. Reading more into it, it seems like someone on a hill with a handie and small antenna will be exempt from the new regulations. The distance can be even less if you calculate in the duty cycle of the radio, but to make things more straightforward we just need to test the equipment and prove it’s exempt. Then do what we always have and use common sense and not transmit while someone is within 3-4 meters of the antenna.
I think it would make it a little easier if we used Dipole instead of Isotropic mind:-)
Hope you’re all keeping well and we can all have a meet up at the club soon.