RFUANZ report: the world's gone crazy

It has to be said a lot has changed since the start of the year: a camp-in of protestors on the lawns of parliament; Eastern Europe erupting into war; the cost of living going through the roof; housing prices up in some areas by more than 400%, taking rental accommodation availability to an all-time low; floods up north, drought down south and all with COVID throughout the country: and that is just in little ole New Zealand.

For or against, it is ultra-polarising.

I feel it is time for a radio frequency safety warning. What happens when you wrap a potato in tin foil and add energy?

Among the community of anti-mandate protestors, aluminium helmets served as the protective measure of choice against invasive radio signals. At best this may produce a Faraday cage for your cranium, protecting you from RF or, at worst, produce a passive aerial acting as a parabolic reflector concentrating RF directly into the brain.

The professional radio industry is aware of the dangers of RF and what it can be used for; a little look into the theory is required. Luckily, the hard work has been done.

In 2005 the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) investigated the efficacy of tin foil helmets. The receiver antenna was placed at various places on the cranium of four different subjects with three different helmet designs and a control volunteer with no helmet. The test frequency swept from 10 KHz to 3 GHz.

Regardless of the position of the antenna on the cranium, all helmets showed the same results: 1. 30 db amplification at 2.6 GHz. 2. 20 db amplification at 1.2 GHz. 3. 20 db attenuation at around 1.5 GHz. 4. No significant attenuation beyond 10 db anywhere else.

In conclusion, the helmets attenuate some invasive radio frequencies but certain frequencies are greatly amplified. These amplified frequencies coincide with radio bands reserved for government and telecommunication companies. So, if there was such a thing as the government’s invasive mind-reading and control capabilities, statistical evidence suggests the use of helmets may in fact enhance these.

Some have even gone so far as to suggest that governments may in fact have started the tin foil helmet craze for this exact reason.

On to more serious matters, the Radio Spectrum Management Group, Radio Register of Frequencies (RRF) will soon launch their much needed and updated licensing register. We are also excited that our annual gala dinner and industry awards evening, although now postponed until 22 June, will now be able to host more than 100 people and include overseas guests.

We have waited a long time for this, so please make sure you book early. Partnership opportunities are still available, please see our website for more information and book your dinner tickets on the RFUANZ website.