Ofcom EMF consultation

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by CUSAC

Another own goal from Ofcom. Final decision email with two broken hyperlinks needing them to send a second communication.......

Yup, I’ve read it & still non the wiser. I’m not going to lose any sleep.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Got two emails yesterday and another today

[neil.mccrirrick]

Me too not read either and no plans to. I’m sure it will make no sense be impossible to implement and or police

[Metz Antenna Man]

When this thing first came out I thought it was a scam but then realised that it was not. I fit Antennas regularly and I am the UK and European Metz Antenna distributor. I’m not an electrician but I’ve learnt all about these antennas and the outputs of them over the years.
This latest development applies to all VHF radios over six watts so handheld radios don’t come into it. Ofcom have a handy calculator which you put your radio wattage into together with your frequency and it works out the safe distance from your antenna. However in the small print it tells you that you can apply what is called the ‘duty cycle’ and put simply this is the amount of time that the radio transmits expressed as a percentage of your journey. Most people will just do a Test call at the start and end of a trip, if they use the radio at all. If you just put in radio wattage of your main set as 25 watch into the calculator you will end up with a safe distance of three or four m which is obviously impractical. If you apply the duty cycle that distance will come down to 30 or 40cm.
I know not many people are worried about this but to comply with Ofcom‘s requirements all you have to do is put these figures into the calculator, make a note of what your duty cycle is and print it out to carry on the boat somewhere. That’s all you have to do. In the likelihood of someone from Ofcom checking I very much doubt anyone is going to dispute the figures. If you have a radio test meter you will find that the actual output of your radio is probably going to be between 18 and 22 watts but if you don’t have a meter just use the manufacturers figure which is generally 25watts. I’ve done about 10 certificates for various boats but I have a meter so I can measure precisely the outputs on the antennas. The rationale behind it is just to protect workers from excessive radiation such as people working on 5G masts so the rationale behind it is well intentioned. I hope that this helps.

[spartacus]

Section 4. Keeping and display of licence documents.
The Licence, the relevant Maritime Radio Operator’s Certificate of Competence and valid Authority to Operate, and any notices of variation to the Licence shall be kept with or near to the licensed radio equipment at all times, where it is physically practicable to do so.

Is this the Government's latest gunboat diplomacy? "Your papers do not appear to be in order!"

If I need to carry my licence then it will be at the bottom of a dry bag with my tuna sandwiches!

Absolutely none the wiser as to what I'm meant to do.

[Iankristy]

Seen this comment on FB which might hep clear things up for folk [ATTACH]137473

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Iankristy

Seen this comment on FB which might hep clear things up for folk [ATTACH]137473

Maybe we need a traffic light system......

[jwalker]

It seams a case of, "Not me officer, I never transmit at more than 5watts ." "OK sir, you're off the hook."


Circumstances in which spectrum users are not required to carry
out an EMF assessment

In the following scenarios, spectrum users subject to the EMF condition will not need to
carry out an EMF assessment and will not need to demonstrate compliance with the
general public EMF limits:

a) The spectrum user is not currently authorised to transmit at power levels higher than
10 Watts EIRP or 6.1 Watts ERP (for example, a spectrum licence may not currently
allow the licensee to transmit at power levels higher than 10 Watts EIRP or 6.1 Watts
ERP).
b) The spectrum user is no longer using their radio equipment (i.e. they do not currently
transmit using any of their equipment that is authorised to transmit at powers higher
than 10 Watts EIRP or 6.1 Watts ERP).

c) The spectrum user does not transmit at powers higher than 10 Watts EIRP or 6.1 Watts
ERP.

d) The spectrum user has calculated that they (i) do not transmit at an average power9
higher than 10 Watts EIRP or 6.1 Watts ERP; and (ii) do not transmit at a peak power
above 100 Watts EIRP or 61 Watts ERP.
e) The spectrum user has previously carried out an EMF assessment and is satisfied their
equipment already complies with the general public EMF limits.10
9 We explain how to calculate average power in paragraphs 6.17 – 6.21 below. 10 For example, a user may have already ensured their equipment is set-up in a location or has been designed or installed in
a way which means it is not possible for the EMF exposure levels from their equipment to exceed the general public EMF
limits in any area in which a member of the general public may be present when they are transmitting.
Version number 1.0 (effective 18 May 2021)
9
f) The spectrum user only uses their radio equipment in emergency situations (see
Section 13 below for further information on the Emergency Situations). 11

...In all of the scenarios identified in paragraph 6.12 above (apart from scenarios (d) and (e)),spectrum users will not need to carry out an EMF assessment or hold any EMF records demonstrating their compliance with the EMF condition.


In scenarios (d) and (e), spectrum
users will not need to carry out an EMF assessment but they will need to hold appropriate
EMF records demonstrating their compliance.