When do you start feeling radio signals?

Brownhunter

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Jan 6, 2021
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Hi there!

I have just recently been getting interested in the whole EMF spectrum of late but something suddenly made me curious.

How strong does a radio frequency has to be in megahertz for you to feel it?

Any assistance would be appreciated.
 

MtnHam

Industry Expert
Jan 12, 2014
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Megahertz is a measurement of the RF (radio frequency) that refers to the signal's place in the overall radio spectrum and has nothing to do with it's strength. As a Ham Radio operator (K6ABC) I have a linear amplifier that boosts the power of my RF to a Kilowatt which can result in serious RF energy in the room, surrounding me. I have never felt it!
 
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ack

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May 6, 2010
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Don't discount the potential effect of RF to the brain and other tissue; there is plenty of medical research around that spans many decades, like https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/could-certain-frequencies/ and https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg15621052-800-radio-head-the-brain-has-its-own-fm-receiver/ for starters

Evidence of health effects from EMF, including their influence on the brain, is inconclusive, and the probability that EMF exposure is a genuine health hazard is currently small. Nevertheless, exposure to high levels of nonionizing energy, such as at radio wave frequencies, can damage the structure and function of the nervous system. For example, microwave frequencies below 3,000 megahertz can penetrate the outer layers of the skin, be absorbed in the underlying tissues, and result in all of the known biological effects of heating, including burns, cataracts, and possibly death. Indeed, government regulators set most exposure limits to ensure that the amount of tissue heated by the absorption of energy is not in excess of what the body can take.

Specifically, a kW of RF in your room may or may not end up causing you harm in the long run; so I would advise caution. This is not unlike the effect that very strong magnetic fields at close proximity may potentially induce, irrespective of the nature of these types of energy effects. They may not be as harmful as microwaves, but they should not be outright dismissed either IMO.
 
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MtnHam

Industry Expert
Jan 12, 2014
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335
Nothern California Wine Country
Don't discount the potential effect of RF to the brain and other tissue; there is plenty of medical research around that spans many decades, like https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/could-certain-frequencies/ and https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg15621052-800-radio-head-the-brain-has-its-own-fm-receiver/ for starters



Specifically, a kW of RF in your room may or may not end up causing you harm in the long run; so I would advise caution. This is not unlike the effect that very strong magnetic fields at close proxomity may potentially induce, irrespective of the nature of these types of energy effects. They may not be as harmful as microwaves, but they should not be outright dismissed either IMO.
I did not mean to imply that I am unaware of nor dismissed the potential health issues, but simply said I have not ever felt the RF, except when some object like a microphone boom has become energized by RF. There are approximately 750,000 licensed Amateur Radio operators in the US and I can't help but think there would be some chatter amongst the community of Hams if this was a problem.

While I do have a world class station capable of easily making radio contacts around the globe I am rarely on the air, these days, preferring to spend my time listening to music!
 

marty

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Apr 20, 2010
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When i was a kid, I was mesmerized by a neighbor who had what looked like a space ship antenna twice the height of his house, sitting on his roof. Not sure how, but I eventually got to see his ham radio rig and was fascinated when he started talking to someone from another country! Could have been Mars as far as I was concerned. When I got into audio, I learned a lot from ham operators, especially about tube technology. But I have to assume that ham radio is now passe, as I presume it has essentially been replaced by the internet and audio and video transmissions. So my question is this- is the ham radio hobby like high end audio in that the generation that thrived on it is experiencing significant attrition and may disappear? Or is there something like the renewed interest of turntables in the younger population that is keeping the flame alive?
 

MtnHam

Industry Expert
Jan 12, 2014
275
50
335
Nothern California Wine Country
When i was a kid, I was mesmerized by a neighbor who had what looked like a space ship antenna twice the height of his house, sitting on his roof. Not sure how, but I eventually got to see his ham radio rig and was fascinated when he started talking to someone from another country! Could have been Mars as far as I was concerned. When I got into audio, I learned a lot from ham operators, especially about tube technology. But I have to assume that ham radio is now passe, as I presume it has essentially been replaced by the internet and audio and video transmissions. So my question is this- is the ham radio hobby like high end audio in that the generation that thrived on it is experiencing significant attrition and may disappear? Or is there something like the renewed interest of turntables in the younger population that is keeping the flame alive?
The # of licensed Ham Radio operators has actually increased from a few years ago when it was in decline. One of the reasons the FCC dropped the Morse Code requirement was to encourage younger people who had no interest in learning the code to participate. Yes, there are a lot of old timers who are becoming "silent keys" in the jargon of the hobby, but many new, younger people are getting licensed.

Unlike the internet that requires a complex infrastructure of servers and fiber optic networks, which are vulnerable to interruptions, particularly in times of crises, Amateur Radio is dependent only on the equipment at each end of the conversation, and the skill and knowledge of the operator. While the equipment has advanced, it's still much the same challenge it was in the early days of radio, starting in the 1920's. In times of emergencies and disruptions, Hams continue to provide a valuable communications link when other systems we take for granted have gone down. When major disasters strike, authorities often close public access to the cellular networks so they not jammed by everyone attempting to call their loved ones, and reserve their use for emergency workers.

Additionally, there are many different niches to the hobby that attract different types: contesting, DX (long distance), Satellite bounce, emergency networks, 2 meter repeater assisted local networks, internet linked repeaters that allow small hand held radios to have worldwide reach, and digital transmissions. Different radio bands have different propagation characteristics and draw many different types of operators. The 160 meter band (just above the old commercial AM Radio band so popular last century, is the home for old timers who gather nightly to "rag chew". The 20 meter band bounces signals off the ionosphere for long range, other side of the world contacts. Antennas are extremely important part of making it work, and many Hams are constantly considering how to build or put up a better one.

So, yes. It is much like High End audio and there is crossover, and I suspect there are more than a few Hams among the What's Best membership.
 
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marty

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
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United States
The # of licensed Ham Radio operators has actually increased from a few years ago when it was in decline. One of the reasons the FCC dropped the Morse Code requirement was to encourage younger people who had no interest in learning the code to participate. Yes, there are a lot of old timers who are becoming "silent keys" in the jargon of the hobby, but many new, younger people are getting licensed.

Unlike the internet that requires a complex infrastructure of servers and fiber optic networks, which are vulnerable to interruptions, particularly in times of crises, Amateur Radio is dependent only on the equipment at each end of the conversation, and the skill and knowledge of the operator. While the equipment has advanced, it's still much the same challenge it was in the early days of radio, starting in the 1920's. In times of emergencies and disruptions, Hams continue to provide a valuable communications link when other systems we take for granted have gone down. When major disasters strike, authorities often close public access to the cellular networks so they not jammed by everyone attempting to call their loved ones, and reserve their use for emergency workers.

Additionally, there are many different niches to the hobby that attract different types: contesting, DX (long distance), Satellite bounce, emergency networks, 2 meter repeater assisted local networks, internet linked repeaters that allow small hand held radios to have worldwide reach, and digital transmissions. Different radio bands have different propagation characteristics and draw many different types of operators. The 160 meter band (just above the old commercial AM Radio band so popular last century, is the home for old timers who gather nightly to "rag chew". The 20 meter band bounces signals off the ionosphere for long range, other side of the world contacts. Antennas are extremely important part of making it work, and many Hams are constantly considering how to build or put up a better one.

So, yes. It is much like High End audio and there is crossover, and I suspect there are more than a few Hams among the What's Best membership.
What a wonderful and thoughtful reply. Thanks for educating me!
 

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