Ham Radio Attic Antenna Safety

It has been known since the early days of radio that rf energy can cause injuries by heating body tissue.

Ham radio attic antenna safety.

I ve read some of the hf 10m homebrew constructions and they seem do able for me but. Discussion in general technical questions and answers started by w9mbt feb 29 2012. W9mbt ham member qrz page. First is safety with less than 100 watts what do i need to know about health and fire hazard.

Safety and rf exposure are important topics to consider. On vhf a beam antenna can work well in the attic even a rotator can be used. On hf wire beams can be run on the roof supports or the rafters these usually are good for one direction only but can be switched electrically for different coverage. In extreme cases rf induced heating can cause blindness sterility and other serious health problems.

If your attic was full of explosive gases you ll have an issue but how likely is that going to be. Have 2 story home with ample attic above for antenna or can put antenna against house and not extending above roof. If you are mounting the antenna in your attic you d need about 7 10 feet of space between the antenna and the occupants in the house. The attic shortwave antenna wire this is the most importantaspect to improve.

Lots of amateurs in these situations are doing so successfully especially on hf. That s a good one. Most amateur radio clubs in chicago area that hold training classes for new amateur radio operators. Attic antennas can be significantly affected by attic wiring and hvac ducting.

Yes there are high voltages at the ends of the antenna but there is very little current and it would have trouble creating a spark on all but the smallest gap. A second advantage to mounting the antenna in the attic is that you will be protected from lightning strikes in the event of severe weather. The house will act as a natural shield and as long as your attic mounted antenna system is independent to the rest of your antennas lightning won t be an issue. With time bare copper oxidizes the wood where the wire is tightly stapled to absorbs some of this oxidization and forms a loose yet lossy bond with the wire.

Distance gain and duty cycle are the three factors to consider when installing and safely operating an antenna system be it outdoors or in your attic. Thanks w9mbt feb 29 2012 3. Bare copper antenna wire stapled directly on wood rafters causes loss of rf signal energy. Again stay away from metal and wires to maintain your pattern.

Before i take the leap particularly into hf i need to learn more about antennas in the house. Safety of indoor antennas. Also the height of attic antennas is usually lower than optimum. These heat related health hazards are called thermal effects.

Yes in the attic. This is great for the amateur radio operator that is providing net control activities during a skywarn severe weather activation.