The Basic lessons · Station assembly, practice and safety · B-003-021

Staying Safe with UHF and Microwave Antennas

Learn why radio frequency energy can heat body tissue and how to position antennas to keep yourself and others safe. This lesson explains the specific risks to your eyes and the simple rules for mounting equipment indoors and outdoors.

This lesson is part of SignalPrep Pro. The subsection's 11 exam questions are free to practise: practise B-003-021.

What this subsection asks

• What should you do for safety when operating at UHF and microwave frequencies?
• What should you do for safety if you put up a UHF transmitting antenna?
• What should you do for safety, before removing the shielding on a UHF power amplifier?
• Why should you make sure the antenna of a hand-held transceiver is not close to your head when transmitting?
• How should you position the antenna of a hand-held transceiver while you are transmitting?
• How can exposure to a large amount of RF energy affect body tissue?
• Which body organ is the most likely to be damaged from the heating effects of RF radiation?
• How does the power density of an electromagnetic wave change as it propagates away from an antenna in free space?
• If you operate your station with indoor antennas, what precautions should you take when you install them?
• Why should directional high-gain antennas be mounted higher than nearby structures?
• For best RF safety, where should the ends and centre of a dipole antenna be located?