Discussion
Sorry if this has been done before, but I wondered if you knew about the new Tetra radio system and health concerns:
www.mastsanity.org/documents/police-neil-0704.html
www.mastsanity.org/documents/police-neil-0704.html
turbobloke said:I'm sure London Underground use TETRA in one of their various departments (quite possibly the BTP), always presumed because it could permiate concrete etc. better due to the frequency used.
And that the TETRA radios must be off when a vehicle is carrying out speed checks
Would be interested to know more about it...
Tripps said:
And that the TETRA radios must be off when a vehicle is carrying out speed checks
I'm sure London Underground use TETRA in one of their various departments (quite possibly the BTP), always presumed because it could permiate concrete etc. better due to the frequency used.
Would be interested to know more about it...
It's a radio network kind of similar to the mobile phone network but operating on a frequency a little below the bottom of the band used for TV broadcasting. It can't penetrate concrete any more than TV signals can. It's possible, though, that it could be used in tunnels by laying a leaky feeder through the tunnel, so maybe that's what they're doing.
TETRA handset is basically a mobile phone, it runs over the O2 network allowing secure communication between agencies and a much better coverage than the old style radios. There are some health concerns in the police about its use but it was decided that when your in the crap its better to have coverage than get beeten up with no backup enroute.
The NHS like us to have to switch them to transmit inhibit when we are near sensitive medical equipment but there has been no evidence to suggest that they do interfere with the machines...
The same goes for speed check equipment there is no evidence to suggest they interfere with speed equipment as i believe if there is any kind of interferance present it will return a message on the bit of kit that says there is a problem but feel free to correct me if im wrong.
So far TETRA is a really good bit of kit which will allow us to do much more ie it will be connected to pnc so we can do the checks without the need to talk to an operator as it has data facility as well.
Just think of it as a mobile phone and you wont go far wrong.
Gareth
The NHS like us to have to switch them to transmit inhibit when we are near sensitive medical equipment but there has been no evidence to suggest that they do interfere with the machines...
The same goes for speed check equipment there is no evidence to suggest they interfere with speed equipment as i believe if there is any kind of interferance present it will return a message on the bit of kit that says there is a problem but feel free to correct me if im wrong.
So far TETRA is a really good bit of kit which will allow us to do much more ie it will be connected to pnc so we can do the checks without the need to talk to an operator as it has data facility as well.
Just think of it as a mobile phone and you wont go far wrong.
Gareth
The article doesn't quote their sources for their figures. Do a search and you get this page:
www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=4484
I read elsewhere that the "other colleague" isn't an operation police officer who used handheld radios very often.
That said, if a link is identified between TETRA and cancers and the hundred other conditions people seem to blame on it, it would be a very serious public health problem, on line with BSE. Obviously flicking the switch on the system would solve the immediate problems but it would leave a question mark on mobile phones and similar sytems.
Gareth
>> Edited by g_attrill on Saturday 18th September 14:14
www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=4484
The page said:
Oesophageal cancer (cancer of the gullet) is now the 9th commonest cancer in adults in the UK. There are over 7,300 cases diagnosed each year. It is more common in men than it is in women – for every 4 men diagnosed, there are 3 women diagnosed. In other words, with roughly 7,000 people diagnosed every year in the UK, about 4,000 are men and 3,000 women.
The page said:
Less than 1 case in 100 is diagnosed in someone under 40
I read elsewhere that the "other colleague" isn't an operation police officer who used handheld radios very often.
That said, if a link is identified between TETRA and cancers and the hundred other conditions people seem to blame on it, it would be a very serious public health problem, on line with BSE. Obviously flicking the switch on the system would solve the immediate problems but it would leave a question mark on mobile phones and similar sytems.
Gareth
>> Edited by g_attrill on Saturday 18th September 14:14
I've just filled in a survey at work, and we get a free health screen as well. It's all linked to research into health effects of Tetra, by (I think) Imperial College London.
It's the usual thing with the Police though in relation to compatibility with other equipment - Tetra was launched, then someone said "hang on a minute, might this interfere with X, Y or Z?"
That's the reason we reverted to bag and tube breath kits,although we're now told that putting the set in TXI (transmit inhibit) mode is the same as switching them off, and as long as they're more than 30cm from equipment, there's no compromise (don't know for sure whether this is fact, guideline or what though).
So if there are no health concerns, why the f
do we have to switch off the sets/go TXI? The new sets are worn on the shoulder/chest, a lot less than 30cms from my head...
It's the usual thing with the Police though in relation to compatibility with other equipment - Tetra was launched, then someone said "hang on a minute, might this interfere with X, Y or Z?"
That's the reason we reverted to bag and tube breath kits,although we're now told that putting the set in TXI (transmit inhibit) mode is the same as switching them off, and as long as they're more than 30cm from equipment, there's no compromise (don't know for sure whether this is fact, guideline or what though).
So if there are no health concerns, why the f
do we have to switch off the sets/go TXI? The new sets are worn on the shoulder/chest, a lot less than 30cms from my head...The impression i get from our lot is..... There maybe health concerns but they havent been proved yet so there are no health concerns at this time.
So untill there is proof then ill just have a device thats pretty much constant transmit / recieve for 9 hrs a day on my chest....
But aparently the federation is looking into it.
But the coverage could prove vital to me as i think with the old sets we had about 40 odd % coverage whereas now we have close to 80% which is all good.
Gareth
So untill there is proof then ill just have a device thats pretty much constant transmit / recieve for 9 hrs a day on my chest....
But aparently the federation is looking into it.
But the coverage could prove vital to me as i think with the old sets we had about 40 odd % coverage whereas now we have close to 80% which is all good.
Gareth
medicineman said:
There is evidence from an American study that mobiles do indeed interfer with medical gear. It was in the American Journal of Emergency Medicines, I will dig out the reference if anyone is really that bothered.
well My Pc/monitor goes completely bonkers if a call is about to be recived.
madant69 said:
Well we're caught between a rock and a hard place...
Either we get the crap kicked out of us because we can't raise a southwest...
Or we go sterile/get throat cancer...
I want my whistle back!!!
Think of the benefits.
Starter...you can keep the pies warm while you shop for doughnuts......
ginge said:
Why is this? Does it intefere with the speed check equipment? Are there specific guidelines about this? Just curious.
Got it here: "Police officers on the Lancashire trial found that their Tetra radios interfered with speed trap machines and breath-test equipment, giving alleged criminals a defence in court." Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) said that revised stringent guidelines had to be issued about switching off radios to avoid potential interference. The digital TETRA system was intended to replace all existing emergency service radios, partly because of concerns that they can be easily picked up on scanners.
TETRA operates at much higher frequencies than existing police vehicle radios (143..156MHz), in a frequency band previously used by military aircraft (380..400MHz).
[url]www.vnunet.com/News/1117018[/url]
>> Edited by turbobloke on Sunday 19th September 01:03
turbobloke said:
Got it here: "Police officers on the Lancashire trial found that their Tetra radios interfered with speed trap machines and breath-test equipment, giving alleged criminals a defence in court."
AFAIK speeding isn't a criminal offence - yet - though it will probably be upgraded from civil to capital... that'll reduce congestion.
turbobloke said:
TETRA operates at much higher frequencies than existing police vehicle radios (143..156MHz), in a frequency band previously used by military aircraft (380..400MHz).
Hence watch out for incoming HARM anti-radiation missiles...
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