Cell Phone Relay Masts

[triffid]

I have one of these tall red & white things just the other side of my house's surrounding wall - 50 yards from the house/me. I recently looked into internet info on the health aspects of these and read some scary stuff. Is there anyone with knowledge on this who might comment or throw some light? (Preferably on these chaingmai/thai ones specifically, in case such have been tweaked to mitigate health hazards - wishful thought!)

[zippydedodah]

well...google is your friend... and you will probably find a lot of diverse viewpoints on the matter. I worked for the city of berkeley, for 13 yrs and folks there are VERY conservative and health conscious. For the last few years before i retired, the city had a moratorium on additional towers (the small ones, relative to the big monster you are talking about)... and their reluctance was based on health impact on local residents. Each side (the naysayers vs. the telecos) would trot out their experts and city council chambers would degenerate into shouting matches.

Personally, i would prefer to error on the side of safety and not live near one.

[cmbe]

What I found is dangerous if you live in 400 meters radius.

[bobl]

As it happens, I've had some time on my hands and have been visiting many, many sites over the last couple of days looking into the sweetener, Aspertame. If you don't know the thread to which I refer don't go looking for it, trust me.

Anyway, suffice to say that many, many of the sites I visited were quite clearly (in my opinion) being operated by certifiably insane loons. One such site, rense.com, has a diatribe about cellphone and cell tower radiation. By an amazing coincidence they also host advertisements for some holistic/ayurvedic/whateva potion that protects you from radiation. You can probably pick up a tinfoil hat from them while you're at it.

Ok, enough joking around (but do look at that rense.com site if you want a laugh). I've looked into this subject (on a purely personal level, I don't claim to be qualified to offer a professional opinion) before and was unable to find any serious data on the subject. Opinion is divided between professionals who are mostly reluctant to give an opinion, governments who are currently leaning towards "they're safe" and of course the loons, who think the fairies living in their garden died because of a cell tower.

That said, you don't have to look any further than your microwave oven to see the effects radiation (radiowaves, not nuclear) can have on a piece of meat. Does a cellphone tower transmit sufficient power to cause you harm from 50m away? Personally I very much doubt it unless perhaps taking into account the possible cumulative effect of sitting in front of the thing for 30 years non stop. Otoh, would I want to live 50M from one? I honestly don't know. But I do think I'm probably getting more radiation from the wifi router 3 feet away than I am from my nearest cell tower.

$0.02

[hellodolly]

As it happens, I've had some time on my hands and have been visiting many, many sites over the last couple of days looking into the sweetener, Aspertame. If you don't know the thread to which I refer don't go looking for it, trust me.

Anyway, suffice to say that many, many of the sites I visited were quite clearly (in my opinion) being operated by certifiably insane loons. One such site, rense.com, has a diatribe about cellphone and cell tower radiation. By an amazing coincidence they also host advertisements for some holistic/ayurvedic/whateva potion that protects you from radiation. You can probably pick up a tinfoil hat from them while you're at it.

Ok, enough joking around (but do look at that rense.com site if you want a laugh). I've looked into this subject (on a purely personal level, I don't claim to be qualified to offer a professional opinion) before and was unable to find any serious data on the subject. Opinion is divided between professionals who are mostly reluctant to give an opinion, governments who are currently leaning towards "they're safe" and of course the loons, who think the fairies living in their garden died because of a cell tower.

That said, you don't have to look any further than your microwave oven to see the effects radiation (radiowaves, not nuclear) can have on a piece of meat. Does a cellphone tower transmit sufficient power to cause you harm from 50m away? Personally I very much doubt it unless perhaps taking into account the possible cumulative effect of sitting in front of the thing for 30 years non stop. Otoh, would I want to live 50M from one? I honestly don't know. But I do think I'm probably getting more radiation from the wifi router 3 feet away than I am from my nearest cell tower.

$0.02

Well said. And yes I stopped on the other thread. Some people know absolutely nothing and decide some thing and proceed to find all kinds of nonsense to back them up. Never mind that their is more proof for the opposite view point. I personally don't know If I would choose to live that close to one but I am relatively sure their is not enough proof out there to make me believe either way. I might just decide to do it because I like the looks of the house. (and the price)

[briley]

Look up the WHO report, mobile phone towers have about the same risk as a cup of coffee every day.

More worrying is the radiation from the phone that you hold a cm from your brain?

[cloudhopper]

But I do think I'm probably getting more radiation from the wifi router 3 feet away than I am from my nearest cell tower.

Way more. And way more than that when you chat on the mobile.

[triffid]

Look up the WHO report, mobile phone towers have about the same risk as a cup of coffee every day.

More worrying is the radiation from the phone that you hold a cm from your brain?

Couldn't find the WHO report specifically on the towers, only the one on cell phones.

[market trader]

But I do think I'm probably getting more radiation from the wifi router 3 feet away than I am from my nearest cell tower.

Way more. And way more than that when you chat on the mobile.

Do you have any evidence to back that up?

[bristolgeoff]

what do you want a signal for the mobile,or knowing it is not that bad for your health with a mast near you

[cloudhopper]

But I do think I'm probably getting more radiation from the wifi router 3 feet away than I am from my nearest cell tower.

Way more. And way more than that when you chat on the mobile.

Do you have any evidence to back that up?

Perhaps this will be helpful - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverse-square_law

[wales01]

But I do think I'm probably getting more radiation from the wifi router 3 feet away than I am from my nearest cell tower.

Way more. And way more than that when you chat on the mobile.

Do you have any evidence to back that up?

Perhaps this will be helpful - http://en.wikipedia....erse-square_law

If you look at the tower you need to look at the GSM and 3G antennas! Do they have a down tilt to your house? This is what you need to establish first.

[Feeld]

The bigger red and white towers tend to be predominently microwave relay masts, sometimes with mobile kit attached lower down, solely mobile masts are typically not very tall. So, the bigger question perhaps is whether microwave is a health threat.

[lexilis]

The bigger red and white towers tend to be predominently microwave relay masts, sometimes with mobile kit attached lower down, solely mobile masts are typically not very tall. So, the bigger question perhaps is whether microwave is a health threat.

The microwave relays use narrow beams pointed to the next relay station, so there is relatively little power is the sidelobes and in the general area. But the cell-phone transmitter/receivers must cover a broad footprint so their power is distributed accordingly. Its just a guess but I would bet that you would detect more power from a cell-phone tower 300-400 meters away than you would from standing directly under a microwave relay tower.

[wales01]

The bigger red and white towers tend to be predominently microwave relay masts, sometimes with mobile kit attached lower down, solely mobile masts are typically not very tall. So, the bigger question perhaps is whether microwave is a health threat.

The microwave relays use narrow beams pointed to the next relay station, so there is relatively little power is the sidelobes and in the general area. But the cell-phone transmitter/receivers must cover a broad footprint so their power is distributed accordingly. Its just a guess but I would bet that you would detect more power from a cell-phone tower 300-400 meters away than you would from standing directly under a microwave relay tower.

You are 100% correct unless the celluar operator has used downtilt on the antennas. Regarding the microwave I agree again it is point to point.

[KNJ]

_{Not dangerous at all, maximum is 50 watts raiation, and is automatically always retuning to send as minimal power as possible in order to minimise power consumption as well as interference. Add to that the square law and unless you are within a few feet for a very long time,. no issue what soever}

_{Microwave is point to point, if it was pointing at you it would not work.}

_{However if it is a TV mast then it is a whole new ball game}

[zippydedodah]

and if you were living in California...you would have this to worry about.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/science/july-dec12/meters_07-20.html

I like the part where you can opt out of the program, but have to pay more!

[cmbe]

A lot of thing to read, link below hope it useful.

http://www.magdahavas.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Blake_Levit-Henry_Lai.pdf

[triffid]

As I said initially the tower is a tall red and white one. So from the responses I draw the following info

1) There is microwave radiation being emitted but it is sharp, narrow, pointed to the next tower and going at some height well above my house, - it should therefore be entirely irrelevant to my house. If it is not going in a sharp line above the house it is still of no danger because it is of weak intensity and further diluted by the inverse square law - on the other hand I am barely 100 metres away. (I was wondering what is the point of microwave radiation going nowhere except to another similar tower.)

2) but there will be mobile phone transmitters radiating a more concerning form of radiation. These would presumably be of concern at the distance I am because even though unlike a mobile the transmitters are not stuck to my ear, they are continuous (& with a cumulative effect) and of not negligible strength at this distance.

3) There was a possible consideration of direction of kit on the tower, but I have no idea how to detect or recognise this.

4 Someone raised the issue of tv transmitters being something mch worse - again how do I recognise these?

I have yet to read the articles that I've been referred to - and I shall - but the key worries I have are that radiation towards my house may be far stronger than wifi (& bluetooth?) that is in use anyway, that it is continuous and I suspect it is of high intensity at this distance.

I appreciate people having taken trouble to respond.

Edited July 24, 2012 by triffid

[triffid]

As I said initially the tower is a tall red and white one. So from the responses I draw the following info

1) There is microwave radiation being emitted but it is sharp, narrow, pointed to the next tower and going at some height well above my house, - it should therefore be entirely irrelevant to my house. If it is not going in a sharp line above the house it is still of no danger because it is of weak intensity and further diluted by the inverse square law - on the other hand I am barely 100 metres away. (I was wondering what is the point of microwave radiation going nowhere except to another similar tower.)

2) but there will be mobile phone transmitters radiating a more concerning form of radiation. These would presumably be of concern at the distance I am because even though unlike a mobile the transmitters are not stuck to my ear, they are continuous (& with a cumulative effect) and of not negligible strength at this distance.

3) There was a possible consideration of direction of kit on the tower, but I have no idea how to detect or recognise this.

4 Someone raised the issue of tv transmitters being something mch worse - again how do I recognise these?

I have yet to read the articles that I've been referred to - and I shall - but the key worries I have are that radiation towards my house may be far stronger than wifi (& bluetooth?) that is in use anyway, that it is continuous and I suspect it is of high intensity at this distance.

I appreciate people having taken trouble to respond.

[Dante99]

Assuming you have a choice, don't live near such a tower. There is more than a little evidence to justify concern and nobody has proven they are safe, it will take decades before conclusive data is available.

[wales01]

As I said initially the tower is a tall red and white one. So from the responses I draw the following info

1) There is microwave radiation being emitted but it is sharp, narrow, pointed to the next tower and going at some height well above my house, - it should therefore be entirely irrelevant to my house. If it is not going in a sharp line above the house it is still of no danger because it is of weak intensity and further diluted by the inverse square law - on the other hand I am barely 100 metres away. (I was wondering what is the point of microwave radiation going nowhere except to another similar tower.)

2) but there will be mobile phone transmitters radiating a more concerning form of radiation. These would presumably be of concern at the distance I am because even though unlike a mobile the transmitters are not stuck to my ear, they are continuous (& with a cumulative effect) and of not negligible strength at this distance.

3) There was a possible consideration of direction of kit on the tower, but I have no idea how to detect or recognise this.

4 Someone raised the issue of tv transmitters being something mch worse - again how do I recognise these?

I have yet to read the articles that I've been referred to - and I shall - but the key worries I have are that radiation towards my house may be far stronger than wifi (& bluetooth?) that is in use anyway, that it is continuous and I suspect it is of high intensity at this distance.

I appreciate people having taken trouble to respond.

You really have nothing to worry about. I have been in this industry for many years.

[KNJ]

Do not worry about the microwave nor mobile antennas, there is no danger.

If it is a TV antenna it will be at least 100 metres high, minimum and usually on a hill.

Be worried, much more so if you have a radar station rearby, having said that I worked in that industry for years with no ill effect and no one has ever had a related problem at Heathrow or Standsted.

Relax and do not worry yourself

[triffid]

it was the continuous nature & cumulative effect of the radiation that was concerning me. I'll have a read of the weighty article referred to me by cube. In the meantime I'll take comfort from the reassurances of wales & knj. Appreciate everyone's input.

[wales01]

it was the continuous nature & cumulative effect of the radiation that was concerning me. I'll have a read of the weighty article referred to me by cube. In the meantime I'll take comfort from the reassurances of wales & knj. Appreciate everyone's input.

Here is a typical example on how Microwave is transmitted and receved Point to Point.

Typical Microwave transmission.docx

[hellodolly]

The bigger red and white towers tend to be predominently microwave relay masts, sometimes with mobile kit attached lower down, solely mobile masts are typically not very tall. So, the bigger question perhaps is whether microwave is a health threat.

The microwave relays use narrow beams pointed to the next relay station, so there is relatively little power is the sidelobes and in the general area. But the cell-phone transmitter/receivers must cover a broad footprint so their power is distributed accordingly. Its just a guess but I would bet that you would detect more power from a cell-phone tower 300-400 meters away than you would from standing directly under a microwave relay tower.

That makes sense.