[Elecraft] Was Amplifier - Now RF exposure limits

[Fred Jensen]

On 4/7/2017 4:05 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
> Remember, the microwave oven was "invented" by an engineer working around
> magnetron RF sources and discovered the "Hershey" chocolate bar in his shirt
> pocket had melted. When he figured out why, the "Radar Range" (first brand
> of microwave oven) was born.
So the story goes.  However, I believe I invented the microwave oven 
when I discovered I could cram a hot dog into the feedhorn and it would 
heat up in a few tens of seconds.  Sadly, Amana came along with the name 
"Radar Range," and "cram it into the feedhorn" as a name was consumer 
toast.  I've also noted that chocolate bars get really soft in my shirt 
pocket, magnetrons or not.
> One cold night in the late 1950's, working outside on a flight line of F-86D
> fighters lined up wingtip to wingtip for preflight repairs and testing, I
> concluded I must be catching the flu. I felt weak hot and sweaty after
> several minutes talking with someone. We were standing in front of the
> planes, most of which had the nose radomes removed for testing the
> fire-control radar systems. Looking up, I noticed the radar antenna of one
> plane across the way with someone sitting in the cockpit was pointing
> directly at me. On a hunch, I took a few steps to one side and the antenna
> twitched to follow me. I immediately moved completely out of the way and
> within a short time I felt quite normal.
Working my way thru college at the local TV station, the CE offered me 
$50 each time to climb the tower and replace the clearance lamps twice a 
year.  FAA requirement.  They sent me to climbing school at the local 
utility, provided an approved harness, I "climbed" on a ladder inside 
the tower with a fall arrestor hooked to a cable down the center.  $50 
was big money then.  We were on a ridge, I could see the Pacific after 
100 ft or so, wind was constant, and it was cold even in summer.  I 
climbed in the warmest part of the day, and we were on the air of 
course.  The last clearance lamps were at the base of the mast holding 
the turnstile antenna, bottom of which was about 40 ft above me.  I 
warmed nicely doing those three lamps, and it made the downhill leg a 
lot more comfortable.  OSHA today would have had a cow.

I use an HOA-Stealth antenna with my K3 at home, an end-fed wire along 
the wooden fence.  I did the calcs, and at 100W, we're definitely safe.  
I do flash the two touch lamps in the bedroom on 80 and 160 but those 
things will turn on if I sneeze. [:-)

The calcs are really easy on the on-line devices, I used the ARRL one.  
Paste the results in your station notebook and you're home free.

73,

Fred ("Skip") K6DGW
Sparks NV USA
Washoe County DM09dn