Radio, Amateurishly

I'm not a lawyer. Or a physicist. Or even a real engineer. This isn't legal advice, or a step-by-step guide to how to perform your RF-safety evaluation. This is just one ham's story about something interesting that came up in the course of trying to make sure his station was safe.   Earlier this month, the FCC's new rules regarding the need for amateur radio operators to perform a radio frequency (RF) safety evaluation went into effect. The specifics of the regulations, their purpose, and how to comply is a topic that has been well covered by people who have expertise on those subjects. This article won't be a deep dive on any of that. Instead, I'll summarize by making three points Exposure of human tissue to RF energy results in energy transfer that has the potential to cause skin burns, eye injuries, and other adverse health effects Most amateur radio activity occurs on frequencies and at power levels where those adverse health effects are negligible Because o...

What makes enigmatic music enigmatic One in a series that we'll have to see how it works out I must've come home late after a night of goofing off with my friends. There were a lot of late nights goofing off with my friends. Not yet ready for sleep, I flipped on the television and put on USA Network's Night Flight , an eclectic collection of short films, music videos, and cheesy old movies, all tied together by some cool  (for the time)  graphics depicting an aerial view of a nocturnal urban scene. On this early spring night in 1988, it was mostly music videos. The presenter was over the moon about a new (to her) Australian band who were sure to be the Next Big Thing.  Just four bars into the intro I found myself sharing in the presenter's enthusiasm. The key of A minor, but with a modal feel, an E minor seventh chord for the dominant rather than the more conventional E7. A bass line that never seemed to want to settle into root position. An unassuming vocal in a comfor...