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Most people are unware of the Radio Frequency (RF) radiation they are exposed to. Radiation is usually associated with radium, weapons, medical treatments, nuclear power plants and smoke detectors. Before we discuss covert cell towers and other numerous radiating antennas being installed with impunity, we should review the RF spectrum. This will be helpful in understanding how the radio spectrum affects us. We will not discuss HAARP, which is in itself a unique area of the radio spectrum in the shortwave band. There are essentially TWO types of harmful radiation (not including light such as ultraviolet): A. GOVT. CONTROLLED RADIOACTIVE SOURCES: Power plants, smoke detectors, medical treatment sources, etc... B. UNCONTROLLED RF EXPOSURE: Radio Frequency devices of many types. The RD spectrum is regulated by the FCC in America, and other similar regulatory agencies that exist in other countries around the world through international radio agreements. Yet most of them appear to be very unconcerned about health effects. We will concentrate on the latter in this esay - UNCONTROLLED RF EXPOSURE. RF signals are without a doubt an invisible form of pollution. Most people see a smokestack smoking and scream "OH ! Look at that pollution !" But as we will see, this is not really the most immediate, serious health hazard. What IS known about RF, is that unhealthy effects from it are related to an almost infinte combination of each of the five following factors: 1. FREQUENCY - Certain frequencies are absorbed in the body more than others. For example, the new riot control weapons the Pentagon have operates in the Super-High Frequency (SHF) region. This frequency is about 15 times higher than a conventional microwave oven. Although SHF is not absorbed into the skin, it boils perspiration on the skin causing pain. 2. DURATION - How long you are exposed to the radiation, or how long the transmitter is "on." 3. DISTANCE - How close you are to the antenna. Energy levels decrease with the square of the distance. 4. POWER LEVEL - What the strength of the signal is. This is measured in microwatts, milliwatts and watts. One microwatt is a millionth of a watt, One milliwatt is one-thousandth of a watt. For example, 1,000 milliwatts is one watt. Cell phone power levels are often in the 100 milliwatt to 4 watt class. In the past, older bag type cell phones people carried around, were up near 4 watts of power. Getting a strong signal was no problem. Today's pocket cell phones are in the 100 milliwatt area. Reducing the power goes with size reduction and a smaller battery. This also reduces cell size, which actually is beneficialas I'll explain latter. 5. SUSCEPTABILITY - Like tobacco smoke, you cannot tell if you will or will not become ill from RF exposure. But RF heating of body tissues and possible DNA alteration (mutation) happens to 100% of the people exposed to RF. The amount of heating is determined by a combination of the four factors above. The immune system is responsible for cleaning up mutant DNA. But can the immune system clean it out all the defective DNA and dead cells, and do this indefinitely ? Modern medical science knows there are limits to how much of an assault on the body the immune system can deal with. WHY RF IS SIMILAR TO RADIOACTIVITY For those familiar with radiation exposure hazards, the striking parallels to radioactivity are obvious here. RF Frequency is similar to the radiation type, like Alpha, Beta or Gamma. In fact, each of these particles move as a frequency above that of ultraviolet light, and are actually composed of high speed particles. Each of the particle types affects the human body and systems in different ways. RF power level is like the number of particles per second of a radioactive source. Both duration and distance also translate into the realm of radiation exposure. We know that certain radioactive particles from Alpha particle emitters cause the most damage to lung cells when inhaled. Alpha particle ionizing radiation alters DNA in cells, and can create pre-cursor changes leading to cancer. Tissues and structures in the body that appear on scans and x-rays are sometimes diagnosed as a "pre-cancerous condition" by doctors. Older camping mantle lanterns were very radioactive, because they were made from the element thorium. (The author of this paper found such a radioactive mantle in an older propane lantern. It is believed that most of these are now off the market.) The reason for discussing the above subject, is to show that anything which alters cellular DNA can be extremely unhealthy. And this is both nuclear radiation and RF. There are also chemical and effects from ultraviolet as well. THE RF SPECTRUM - WHAT DIFFERENT RF FREQUENCIES DO TO THE HUMAN BODY For our European friends, please note that all the frequencies referenced below are for the American and Canadian radio spectrum. The lowest frequencies are radio waves, that are actually the same as frequencies as the audio sound which comes out of your speakers. This called VLF, or Very Low Frequency. These waves have wavelengths measured in thousands of miles. They pass through the body without damage. Commercial AM radio signals, use waves that are also quite long and pass through the body with relative ease. These are also waves, whose wavelengths are measured in hundreds of feet. Shortwave signals are also very long, and this part of the spectrum reaches up to a part of the miltary band, located below TV channel 2. Decades ago, people could go to a doctor for aches and pains and be treated with a Diathermy machine. This machine was essentially a shortwave radio transmitter, and operated with a curved antenna that fits the human body. When placed against the skin, the antenna radiated energy that was absorbed deep in the body's tissues. A sufficient power level of RF energy will cause currents of electricity to flow in these tissues, thereby creating warmth. These machines are probably outlawed by now and died a quiet death in America. RF energy causes molecules to collide with one another creating heat. This occurs in tisuues like muscles, as well as blood.FM stations (located in the radio band near TV channel 6) and over the air television channels 2 through 13 are all in the VHF band. These signals can also pass through the human body without harm. These waves are measured in several feet.When you look at any TV antenna, multiply the width of the antenna by four, and that will be the wavelength of the wave from the TV transmitter. Hence the term 1/4 wavelength, which is a design rule for most antennas. Television channels 14 through 83 are in the UHF region. Channel 83 is actually just below analog cell phone frequencies. Progammable police scanners scan police channels that are very close to cell phone frequencies.(Privacy laws force scanners to block the cell phone band. ) WHERE DOES MICROWAVE BEGIN ? We are now entering the realm where RF begins to affect the human body at a distance. It is generally considered that any frequency above TV channel 83 is microwave. There is a "fuzzy" line between microwave and non-microwave radio signals. In fact, the upper channels of the UHF band in America are considered the near microwave band. Radio signals operating with short wavelengths measured in centimeters, can increase the temperature of water and tissues at a distance. Although most people equate this only with microwave ovens, this effects happens at lower frequencies. Complex proteins present in blood also break down into toxic materials. These invisible, toxic compounds can cause increasing muscle, joint and nerve pain in people over time as toxins build up in the body. Alteration of proteins and toxin generation not only happens to the body when exposed to RF, but also to food in microwave ovens. Many people have put their microwave ovens on the curb, when they discovered their pain was linked to microwaved food. The effects of microwaved food on the immune system are largely unexplored by mainstream science,but are well known by those that suffer from them. In reality, Diathermy treatments work on the same principle that microwave ovens operate on, except that microwave ovens use higher power levels and higher frequencies. In later years after Diathermy became popular, it was found that higher RF frequencies allowed heating at a distance, without direct electrode contact. The story about the microwave oven invention is that it was discovered by accident, by an engineer working in an electronics lab. He found the radiation from the equipment melted a candy bar in his pocket. Amana is credited with building and selling the first commonly available oven - the infamous RadarRange. The discovery reminds one of the sticky-note origin story. Another accidental discovery - found while 3M was trying to create a better adhesive.. For many years, everyone treated microwaves as nothing to be concerned about. No one learned from the lessons of Madam and Pierre Curie who tinkered with radium a century ago, and died from radiation poisoning. Remember the comparison of RF with radioactiviting above ? Several decades ago, a man walked past the front of a telephone relay dish on the roof of a building. He suffered no immediate ill effects, but died some days later in the hospital as his organs began to fail. His organs had absorbed the microwave radiation, and were permanently and fatally damaged. He was essentially cooked and didn't know it. If he has walked past a sufficient amount of Plutonium, the same thing would happen but in a different way. He would have still died. RADIATION BY ANY OTHER NAME IS STILL RADIATION Today, ALL microwave transmitting dishes and antennas must have radiation stickers on them, if people can become near them. Located on the front nose-cone of aircraft are small warning stickers if they have radar. THe radar MUST be turned off when the aircraft is on the ground, as it is hazardous to ground personnel. Warning stickers use the universal radiation warning symbol, of three triangles inside a circle. This the identical symbol used for radioactive materials. Many in the armed forces know the stories and often unpleasant fate of those that unknowingly walked in front of operating aircraft radar. C band microwave remote uplink trucks used at sports events use power levels typically on the order of 120 watts. Fortunately all the RF energy is pointed upwards towards a satellite more than 22,000 miles away. Now with all that said, how are WE being irradiated ? The effects of low level radiation are only now beginning to be understood\from the efforts of lab research around the world. There are a number of RF frequencies the FCC has set aside, that have unlimited civilian use. Although related unlicensed transmitter operation is usually limited to short range digital devices like garage door openers and cordless phones, low level RF may have a cumulative effect that is not yet understood. For a more in-depth look at complex microwave frequency allocation assignment by the FCC see [6]. Here is a quick list of common sources of radiation: 1. CELL PHONES - Here the antenna is very close to the brain, and many studies have been done on this. Recent studies done in Europe show that tumors can be induced in rats, which are exposed to the same power levels and distances that normal cell phone users are from the phone's antenna. 2. CORDLESS PHONES - In reality, these are as detrimental as cell phones because they operate near the microwave frequencies of cell phones (microwave.) In some ways, they could be worse than cell phones because many people spend more time on these. 3. GARAGE DOOR OPENERS - A source of radiation when the button is pressed. 4. WIRELESS PDAs and NOTEBOOK COMPUTERS - These work very much like cell phones, with the same potential effects. 5. MICROWAVE ALARM SYSTEM SENSORS - This is one area NO ONE talks about. These are common in homes and businesses. Although the power level is in the microwatt realm, one may sit exposed to it all day, every day, sometimes just a few feet away. Again, think about it in terms of exposure time vs. energy levels. 6. BLUE TOOTH WIRELESS DEVICES - Operate in the lower microwave region. 7. WIRELESS VIDEO CAMERAS - Operate in the microwave region above analog cell phones. 8. TV EXTENDERS - Used to transmit video and sound without wires from one room to another in a home. These also operatein the microwave region above analog cell phones. 9. SATELLITES - Walk outside, anywhere, and you will be bombarded with RF from satellites, both civilian and military. If you could visibly "see" these sources, you would see points of "light" from the 22,500 mile high Clarke belt of stationary satellites. This belt of satellites rise from the western horizon and arcs across the sky to the east. There will also be hundreds of moving lights in the sky from lower geosynchronous orbits. Some of these are also satellites the military uses that send signals to earth, too. Many military satellites have high-powered optical sensors, with huge telephoto lenses that watch everything from orbit. These satellites orbit about 200 miles up and contrary to public belief, can actually read a newspaper headline from orbit. The portrayal of distant fuzzy images as seen in "Patriot Games" is far from the truth. And these satellites bombard the earth with more RF radiation as they send their data to earth. 10. POLICE RADIOS - Police officers now have antennas on their microphones, also have a similar risk to that of cell phone users since the antenna is located near the head. There is also radiation from the antennas on their vehicles, too. 11. WALKIE-TALKIE TYPE RADIOS - In decades past, business radios operated in the lower VHF band.These were known as business band radios, and are still in use today. No known ill effects are known to have originated from these radios. Today's family channel radios operate in the 400Mhz UHF band, near TV channel 14. 12. DOOR OPENERS - Often used in grocery and discount stores, these open the door when you pass under a microwave motion detector. You pass directly under the unit when you enter or exit the store, receiving more microwave radiation. 13. SECURITY FOR STORES - Used in WalMart, video rental and other stores, these exit portals generate an RF field you are forced to walk through upon entering and exiting the store.The square "Be Kind Please Rewind" tag is often a tuned printed circuit behind the label, that will trigger the security system when passed through a portal at the exit. Libraries use a very similar system with thin resonanting devices slipped into the spine of books. These systems operate in the lower microwave band, allowing the use of small coils (or no coils at all) because of the high frequencies employed. 14. CELL TOWERS - Last but not least, cell tower antennas which operate at power levels of about 10 watts FOR EACH ANTENNA on the tower. Some use higher wattage than that. These directional antennas divide a geographical area into cells of service. There are many more toys, products and devices too numerous to mention here. We are immersed in a virtual SEA of RF energy, with cell towers as one of the strongest continuous sources of RF energy. MORE ABOUT CELL PHONES When you turn your cell phone on, the cell phone company carrier you have uses a computer network connected to all the cell towers, to invisibly command your phone to change to an available frequency. This is why numerous people can talk in a given cell phone area and not hear one another. When a cell phone is on, it transmits frequently to notify the phone company it is actually on. As you walk or drive, the cell system determines signal strength and switches you connection to another tower near you. Even when you are not talking, the phone can still radiate energy. If you have it in your shirt or pants pocket or on your belt, body tissues around the antenna on the phone are being irradiated with RF energy. This is an inescapable fact. Since this is a multi-billion dollar industry, it's very unlikely the public will be told about the health hazards of cell phones. This is about as likely as the public being properly informed about microwave oven risks. As you read on, you'll see the similarities between the two microwave based technologies. COVERT ANTENNAS The closer to a radiating antenna you are, the higher the health risk there is. In an effort to increase channel availability for the increasing number of cell phone users, cells have to be made smaller. These are often known as microcells. In the past, cell towers typically covered a 10 mile cell. Microcells today are often less than one mile, depending on local population size. More towers are required to be assured a cell phone will get a channel when talk is pressed, or when someone answers a cell phone. In 2002, industry officials stated that there were more than 128,000 cell towers across America. About 25% of these were hidden towers, and the remaining number of them were traditional types. [1] Keep in mind that cell tower density is directly connected to population density. There are still parts of North America where no cell towers exist, because population density makes them economically unfeasable. There is a map showing cell tower proliferation. Althought the paper is four years old, it details graphically the density and distribution of cell towers across America at that time, which has greatly increased. [2] Antennas come in many forms, including trees, cactus, gas station signs and even replacement church steeples Below are some photos of hidden cell towers manufactured by the Larson Company: PICTURES OF COVERT ANTENNAS Antennas come in many forms, including trees, cactus, gas station signs and even replacement church steeples Below are nine photos of hidden cell towers manufactured by the Larson Company:
