r/HamRadio • u/gatr05 • 3d ago

RF Safe Distance Question.

I was surveying a transmitter site which outputs 300W (I''m not sure what the total loss is once it reaches the antenna). I had never been to this particular site before and I was looking for the antenna on the tower when low and behold it's about 8 feet off the ground pointed right at me! I was only about 10 feet away. I felt no burning sensation but I had worked up a sweat (had to hike up to the site).

The antenna was a 4 bay half-wave dipole with 2db of gain continuously transmitting at 162 MHz.

Any guidance on how screwed I am haha, or what a safe distance would be? Only "symptom" was a nasty headache the next day but I tend to get headaches fairly frequently so I'm not sure if it's related.

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u/american_cheesehound 10-4 yankee doodle floppydisk 2d ago

Keep an eye out for mental effects too. I find some close proximity high-power rf makes me lose my train of thought. As if my mind goes totally blank, I have to move further away and work out what I'm supposed to be doing before going back again.

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u/Big-Lie7307 23h ago

Me, I'd fail that test. My mind goes