Hi, all.
I don't know whether I have shared this with folks on the list, but I have a
pacemaker, due to an existing heart condition. Believe me, when it became
apparent that the pacemaker was necessary, one of my biggest concerns was
what that would mean for my amateur radio hobby.
I asked a lot of questions, and got many conflicting answers, but I have
found that, with a little caution and common sense, an individual with a
pacemaker today should be able to carry on in amateur radio just fine.
No, I don't use 1500-watt amplifiers, nor will I go to any of our repeater
sites which have lots of RF floating around from a number of RF sources, but
I have had no problems whatsoever using my standard 100 watts on any of the
HF frequencies, and even two meters.
And, yes, Steve is right; as I understand, the modern-day pacemakers are
quite well shielded, and shouldn't create problems like the older ones did
if used with amateur equipment.
Granted, I'm not an expert--but am just sharing experience I have had over
the past several years.
Best 73 from Tom Behler: KB8TYJ
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2004 5:54 PM
Subject: Re: concerns when transmitting in a hospital
> I remember reading an article in QST about 25 years ago about a guy with a
> pacemaker who fired up his HF rig and amplifier. He became unconscious
while
> transmitting, but luckily he had a spring-loaded PTT button on his mike,
so
> when he passed out, he went off-air and recovered.
>
> I assume that nowadays, the shilding on pacemakers is more robust than it
was
> then.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David W Wood" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2004 5:17 PM
> Subject: Re: concerns when transmitting in a hospital
>
>
> Hello
>
> here in the U.K. all radio transmissions and cell phone usage is banned
> in hospitals. They can adversely affect some monitoring equipment.
>
> As a physiotherapist, we are taught not to use short wave equipment on
> patients with pacemakers.
> As this struck me to be a bit silly as many hams using amps also have
> pacemakers fitted, I contacted my good friend N4AR who is a heart
> specialist.
> Bill suggested that it was purely the manufacturers of the pacemakers
> who were covering their own backs!
>
> So i guess that the answer is still to use it till you are asked not to
> do so, and yet be careful about it!
>
> David
>
>
> In message <[log in to unmask]>, Jeff Kenyon
> <[log in to unmask]> writes
> >Hi everyone. I volunteer at a Children's Hospital, and I always have my
HT
> >with me should something happen either there or weather wise, and I have
> >tried getting to some repeaters in different parts of the hospital, and
for
> >the most part it works fine, though I don't know how strong I am into the
> >repeaters when inside parts of the building. I mainly transmit on
2-meters
> >or 440 and have tried them both with no problem with some machines, and a
> >few of the patients have been impressed even when I tell them all that I
can
> >do with ham radio. Although nobody has complained I still am just
wondering
> >if anyone else has had other complaints when working from within a
hospital?
>
> --
> David W Wood
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