RF Exposure Safety
Edit on GitHubAntenna placement, duty cycle and keeping a transmitting beacon away from eyes and head
RF Exposure Safety
Overview
At +17 to +30 dBm the beacon is low power by ham standards, but a transmitting antenna held against the body or eyes is still worth avoiding. This page gives practical exposure rules.
Power Context
| Setting | Power | Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| +17 dBm | ~50 mW | Below most phone TX peaks |
| +22 dBm | ~160 mW | Modest handheld level |
| +30 dBm (PA) | ~1 W | Ham HT territory |
Practical Rules
- Do not hold the antenna against your head or eyes while transmitting.
- Keep the beacon at arm’s length during bench TX tests.
- Point the antenna away from people when running EMERGENCY tests.
- Use a dummy load for repeated bench transmissions - see Dummy Load and Bench Testing.
Duty Cycle
Morse keying is not continuous: at 13 WPM the carrier is on less than half the time, and the deep-sleep duty cycle is tiny. EMERGENCY mode is the exception - treat it as continuous TX and keep clear.