Safety issues with C- and Ku-band

[The_Greg]

I'm hoping to tap some fo the expertise on this site for some informaton on safety around the C- and Ku-band dish systems I have on site. I'm new to sat data systems, and my staff isn't really up to speed on safety issues.

We got a number of dishes on site that serve a variety of purposes (redundant Internet, corporate network, etc), and a question was raised by management with regards to safety around the dishes. Specfically, does anyone have details (ideally, links to documents) on what is considered the minimum safe distance buildings can be placed in front of the dish so that there is no concern for possible dangerous exposure to RF coming from them?


TIA,


-Greg

 

[grohgreg]

Rule of thumb is not to pass through the transmit beam. But that said, it's typically safe to walk beneath it. Think of it like a ladder leaning against the side of a building at an arbitrary 45 degree angle. Walk alongside it - ok. Walk behind it, ok. But to walk in front of it you have to be far enough away from the bottom so as to not hit your head. Treat the active satellite dishes the same way as you would around a ladder that's leaning at an angle equal to that of your dish elevations. http://www.comtech.ca/pdfs/com_VSAT_1.pdf may help illustrate. But keep in mind their 15.5m rule is based upon typically low dish elevation angles in Canada. As dish elevations increase with proximity to the equator, the danger zone in the front grows smaller.

There should be no radiated emissions at all behind the dish. Alongside, they are minor. Remember the main beam is never wider than the dish. For safe approach distance from the side, first determine the dish diameter - then divide by four. Stay that far away (d/4) from the edge of the beam. Example; if you've got a 2 meter dish, you're safe to within 0.5 meter from the side (or in front where the beam passes >0.5m over your head).

//greg//