Why RF Safety Matters
RF (radio frequency) exposure can pose health risks if not managed properly. As an amateur radio operator, it’s your responsibility to ensure your station complies with FCC regulations and best safety practices.
Basic Safety Tips
- Keep antennas and radiating elements away from living spaces and areas with frequent human presence.
- Use proper grounding and lightning protection.
- Minimize RF exposure by using directional antennas and placing them at sufficient height.
- Follow FCC guidelines for Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) limits.
- Avoid long periods of operation near antennas with high transmit power.
FCC RF Exposure Guidelines
The FCC requires amateur operators to perform a routine RF exposure evaluation if transmitting above certain power levels. Details are outlined in FCC Bulletin OET-65.
Recommended Practices
- Perform regular RF evaluations when modifying your station.
- Label areas with significant RF presence.
- Use low duty cycle modes (like SSB or CW) when operating near people.
- Educate others in your household or club about RF safety.
You transmit for minutes minutes (and repeat).
Results for a controlled environment:
For an uncontrolled environment:
Calculation Sources:
FCC's OST Bulletin 65, originally issued in 1985 and revised in 1997, provides additional guidance for evaluating compliance with the latest FCC policies and guidelines and is available here. A supplement for the Amateur Radio Service (Supplement B) is available here. Likewise a supplement for Mobile and Portable equipment (Supplement C) is available here.
The Javascript contained on this page was derived from a CPM BASIC program written by Wayne Overbeck N6NB and published in the January, 1997 issue of CQ VHF, p. 33. This version of the calculator is an iteration of what was generously provided by the Lake Washington Ham Club, Kirkland WA