Hi all,
I have been wanting to get into climbing towers, but I have heard that certain towers are dangerous (due to radiation from radio waves) -- does anyone have any info regarding this or how to identify if a tower is dangerous / safe?

Hello hello,
I m kinda in a rush today but I’m really excited to provide helpful info regarding a topic I’m fascinated about.

So I’m gonna complete my answer with a second post tomorrow, and I ll provide you with sources and complementary images too, tomorrow. ^_^

Nerd info:
Depending on what frequency/wavelength of the electromagnetic spectrum antennas transmit on, you can have from compact antennas (2 feet in length) to really gigantic ones (200 meters)

Hence, you can have towers with antennas mounted on them, and towers that ARE the antenna itself.

Let’s talk about the second category, since it is easier to address.

They are some 60-200 meters tall, plain towers with no other infrastructure mounted on them, other than some wires to keep them in place. They are insulated from the ground and carry KiloVolts across them. Meaning that touching them will fry (kill) you (unless you are a physics guru, really know what you’re doing and really want to risk your life, wouldn’t recommend!).

If such antennas appear in more than one in close proximity, even if you know that one specific tower of the array is not actively transmitting, it can pick up on the signal of a neighboring such tower and still carry enough voltage to kill you, if you touch the tower.

I ll elaborate on the not-lethal-to-touch category tomorrow, and I m more than happy to answer any questions.

Photo of the type discussed on the previous post (aka AM towers)
[2]


> Intro
So, as for towers with antennas mounted on them, the summary is: you should be fine, as long as you don't put your head right in front of an antenna.
Disclaimer, I'm talking on a theoretical basis only, haven't climbed one myself.
Some empirical answers will be useful too.

[9]

> Effects of Radio and Micro wave radiation on the body:
^^(The radiation antennas emit) Primarily, it heats up the body, much like your microwave oven warms up your food. This, in high doses, can mess with your thermo-regulatory mechanisms causing dizziness. In even higher doses than that, it could lead to burns. Other than that, it can mildly disrupt some chemical procedures happening within your body, but currently, the consensus is that this doesn't pose a health hazard. I should note that this is a field of active investigation and there is experimental data out there *possibly* suggesting correlation of long term exposure to high-intensity such fields and DNA damage.


> Antenna types:
Directional: Emit strongly in a certain direction, and weakly anywhere else (eg. dish antenna, really any antenna that is not a mono-pole/dipole one). You can see the emission patterns by googling "antenna types polar diagrams" or sth
Omnidirectional: Emit all around them (horizontally at least)(eg. monopole antenna-basically a pole some 2 feet in length)

You don't really need to worry about directional ones, since they emit away from the very tower you will be climbing. Just, don't stick your head right in front of the dish.
Omnidirectional ones, might pose a a little trouble, giving you some of the aforementioned symptoms, if you get too close. Be advised that, their intensity increases exponentially the closer you get to them, so.. avoid hugging or touching the antenna =)


> Numbers
In the end of the day, all that matters is the specific amount of radiation you are getting compared to what is considered safe, or the threshold for nausea, or burns.
So, if you want to really play it safe, I suggest figuring out what those thresholds are, and a way to measure radiation on the spot. No need to freak out before comparing numbers.


> Video recommendation to get a basic understanding of antenna theory
https://www.youtub...atch?v=sRX2EY5Ubto


> Sources for the post above
[1] university courses
[2] https://en.wikiped...o_masts_and_towers


> Sources for current post
[3] uni courses
[4] https://www.osha.g...ion/health-effects (a hub of surveys)
[5] https://transition.../oet56/oet56e4.pdf
[6] https://www.iarc.w...018/07/pr208_E.pdf
[7] https://today.tamu...se-brain-injuries/
[8] https://www.ncbi.n...v/books/NBK208983/
[9] https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1075718

Thank you so much! I will be sure to check out this information, probably tomorrow as well because im about to go hiking haha.