In article , Bruce in Alaska wrote:
In article WN_Yf.1391$_u1.990@pd7tw2no, "surfnturf"
wrote:

While on the topic of antennas, what do you all think about the issue of RF
exposure and the recomendation that omni directional antennas with a gain of
under 9 dB be mounted 5 meters (15 ft) above deck level?

Even the 1 meter above head level given as minimum height for the base of
the antenna seems to be ignored on many boats.

surfnturf



RF Radiation is NOT ever going to be a problem on ANY non-commercial
vessel. Period. None of the radiators that one can buy and install
ever even come close to maximum RF Radiations Power Densities considered
the Safe Levels. The same is true for most commercial Marine
installations. My only concern would be to make sure that any MF/HF
Antenna system be well insulated at any place where a person could come
in contact with it. GTO-15 certainly would do this job for wire
antennas, or a nonconductive insulating layer applied to any other
antenna section that is within reach of a humans. The worst that could
happen, should a person come in contact with the above, while
transmitting, is that they could get an RF Burn, that is going to smart

When I was in the Army, I would test my transmitter/antenna system
out by touching the antenna to get a burn and I think I learned that from others, don't
remember. If it burned, then it was OK. The antenna was a 1/4 wave vertical and transmitted
to the Northrop drone planes. I later made a separate box to have a lamp indicator
when placed near the antenna. The hing was, there was no indiction on the transmitter
if a cable connection was bad.

When I was on a Carnival cruise in 1986, I ventured up to the radio room. Took me back,
I saw a man using a bug or some kind of key, sending CW. The antenna
wire came out of the rack, up the wall, along side of which was a light bulb flashing in tune with
the CW. I thought it was pretty neat.

greg

In article ,
(GregS) wrote:



When I was in the Army, I would test my transmitter/antenna system
out by touching the antenna to get a burn and I think I learned that from
others, don't
remember. If it burned, then it was OK. The antenna was a 1/4 wave vertical
and transmitted
to the Northrop drone planes. I later made a separate box to have a lamp
indicator
when placed near the antenna. The hing was, there was no indiction on the
transmitter
if a cable connection was bad.

When I was on a Carnival cruise in 1986, I ventured up to the radio room.
Took me back,
I saw a man using a bug or some kind of key, sending CW. The antenna
wire came out of the rack, up the wall, along side of which was a light bulb
flashing in tune with
the CW. I thought it was pretty neat.

greg


For SOLAS Inspected vessels an RF Indicator is part of the Required
Equipment for each Transmitter. This is a device that indicates that RF
Energy is present at the Antenna Port of the transmitter. I learned
very early in my career that an NE2 Neon Light taped to the antenna
just above the antenna tuner, would light up, when the transmitter was
in operation. These cost $.20 each, and the FCC Inspectors would accept
them, as fullfilling that requirement. For VHF's however, we always
used the Radio Shack FS1 Field Strength Meter/SWR Bridge, which used to
be $9.95, back in the day. I understand that these are now very hard to
find, and I am not sure what folks are using on SOLAS Inspected vessels
these days. Maybe Lynn knows.....


Bruce in alaska
--
add a 2 before @

"Bruce in Alaska" wrote:
For SOLAS Inspected vessels an RF Indicator is part of the Required
Equipment for each Transmitter. This is a device that indicates that RF
Energy is present at the Antenna Port of the transmitter. I learned
very early in my career that an NE2 Neon Light taped to the antenna
just above the antenna tuner, would light up, when the transmitter was
in operation. These cost $.20 each, and the FCC Inspectors would accept
them, as fullfilling that requirement. For VHF's however, we always
used the Radio Shack FS1 Field Strength Meter/SWR Bridge, which used to
be $9.95, back in the day. I understand that these are now very hard to
find, and I am not sure what folks are using on SOLAS Inspected vessels
these days. Maybe Lynn knows.....


Bruce in alaska

RF indicators: Yes, we've put on a few Radio Shack SWR bridges as well
as some Vanco's, which came in a handy vertical case configuration. I've got
a Vanco in my 10 meter coax now.... it was put there to tune my attic
dipole. (before I got my snazzy MFJ-259)
I've never done this newly authorized contract SOLAS inspection by
myself. When I was still in the business, the FCC's field engineer did the
inspecting, and I was hired to tag along and keep discrepancies from
becoming open warfare. Of course if I was the regular servicing tech, there
weren't and discrepancies. Yoou Betcha! Wasn't Zinns, or something like
that, the nice guy that liked to go to a nice place for lunch and tell
inspection humor stories? He was my favorite inspector.
Old Chief Lynn

"Lynn Coffelt" wrote in news:e16m9n$vnv$1
@emma.aioe.org:

Wasn't Zinns, or something like
that, the nice guy that liked to go to a nice place for lunch and tell
inspection humor stories? He was my favorite inspector.


You boys needed to meet Mr Sheehan, the FCC inspector from Savannah. His
boss had to go retrieve him from a small town lockup when he barged into
the radio room of a small town sheriff's office demanding to see the
transmitter without identifying himself, properly.

Over here, we all miss Mr Sheehan....(c;

In article ,
Larry wrote:

"Lynn Coffelt" wrote in news:e16m9n$vnv$1
@emma.aioe.org:

Wasn't Zinns, or something like
that, the nice guy that liked to go to a nice place for lunch and tell
inspection humor stories? He was my favorite inspector.


You boys needed to meet Mr Sheehan, the FCC inspector from Savannah. His
boss had to go retrieve him from a small town lockup when he barged into
the radio room of a small town sheriff's office demanding to see the
transmitter without identifying himself, properly.

Over here, we all miss Mr Sheehan....(c;


There is a good FCC Story about Pete Baliogenn, getting thrown out of a
small Cop-Shop over in Idaho, somewhere, because the Sheriff, didn't
have his annual "Cert" work done. Pete went and got the local US
Marshall, and locked the Sheriff in his own Jail, shutoff and sealed
ALL the Radio Power Switches and told the Senior Deputy that if ANYONE
but a Licensed Radio Tech broke the seals while doing the "Certifacation
Work" they would join the Sheriff in the back cell. Pete really had a
mean temper, if you crossed him, and he KNEW his Powers, and how to wield
it, when he felt justified. I learned a lot about intimidation from
watching him work. This was back in the Day, when the FCC wasn't just a
"Paper Tiger" outfit. I have used the US Marshall's Service and the USCG
to provide Enforcement Mussle, a couple of times when it was required.
Once on an Alaska State Ferry that Failed a SOLAS Inspection and was due
to sail in a couple of hours. It is amazing the cooperation you get
when a USCG Lt. is standing on the Bridge with a couple of Armed USCG
Crewdogs......

Bruce in alaska
--
add a 2 before @

Bruce in Alaska wrote in news:bruceg-
:

ALL the Radio Power Switches and told the Senior Deputy that if ANYONE
but a Licensed Radio Tech broke the seals while doing the "Certifacation
Work" they would join the Sheriff in the back cell. Pete really had a
mean temper, if you crossed him, and he KNEW his Powers, and how to wield
it, when he felt justified.

It might have been interesting that while this was going on a murder or
some other disaster the radio system could have had an effect on, like
saving a life in a car crash they wouldn't know about because the stupid
**** turned them all off.

It'd be a honey of a lawsuit and this asshole would have been history if
someone had the right politician looking into it.

FCC Bureaucrats aren't omnipotent. They are employees of the
state....subject to its laws and lawsuits, assholes or not.

He might have learned something.....(c;

Same is true of IRS agents....

In article ,
"Lynn Coffelt" wrote:


RF indicators: Yes, we've put on a few Radio Shack SWR bridges as well
as some Vanco's, which came in a handy vertical case configuration. I've got
a Vanco in my 10 meter coax now.... it was put there to tune my attic
dipole. (before I got my snazzy MFJ-259)
I've never done this newly authorized contract SOLAS inspection by
myself. When I was still in the business, the FCC's field engineer did the
inspecting, and I was hired to tag along and keep discrepancies from
becoming open warfare. Of course if I was the regular servicing tech, there
weren't and discrepancies. Yoou Betcha! Wasn't Zinns, or something like
that, the nice guy that liked to go to a nice place for lunch and tell
inspection humor stories? He was my favorite inspector.
Old Chief Lynn


Bob Zinns was one of the best FCC Engineers that worked out of the
Seattle Field Office. I think that Pete Baliogenn, was before your time,
but he was the "*******" that always found something to RDI (Repaired
during Inspection) during any inspection. He carried a Black Book, that
we all called, the "Baliogenn Bible", that had all the non-Rule Rules in
it, and he could ALWAYS find something to bitch about. I figured out,
early on, that if Pete was coming to do an Inspection, that I needed to
leave at least one "Glaring" ommission for him to find, that was easy to
fix on the spot, and after he found it, and I fixed it, he would be alot
more reasonable about the rest of the stuff. Years later, when I joined
the FCC, as a Resident Field Agent, I did my initial training with the
Seattle Field Office, and had Gary Solsby as my Training Officer. I
still drop in on those guys, and gals when I get down that way.

Bruce in alaska
--
add a 2 before @

Bruce in Alaska wrote in news:bruceg-
:

I learned
very early in my career that an NE2 Neon Light taped to the antenna
just above the antenna tuner, would light up, when the transmitter was
in operation.

Just unplug any florescent tube from one of the cabin lights. Tape it to
the antenna about where the guests hang onto the insulated backstay. At
150 watts it's quite bright in the dark and modulated by the mic audio very
nicely.

Have a nontechie guest hold a florescent tube in his/her hand and move it
up near the antenna while you're on the air. Great fun to watch their
faces when it lights up in their hands.

Of course, it's more fun at 10KW. They don't need to be near the
antenna....(c; Just hand them the lit tube you've been holding when they
come around the corner....(c; "Here, hold this a minute, wouldya? I'm
trying to tune this transmitter and need two hands."