Weather Tower and Radiation

Re “Weather Tower on Sulphur Mountain,” Ventura County letters, Feb. 16.

I feel compelled to rebut Bruce Garber’s concerns about radiation from the tower.

First, the antenna is mounted 90 feet above the terrain--well above the local population. To operate efficiently, the radiation is focused into a narrow beam of only a very few degrees vertically and horizontally, which should obviate spraying of the local populace with radiation.

Second, the intensity of such radiation varies in inverse proportion to the square of the distance from the site. I think I calculated the intensity at a half-mile once and it was on the order of 120 milliwatts--probably considerably less than might be measured immediately adjacent to an average cordless or cellular telephone.

I am curious as to how Garber knows that one neighbor is receiving 12 times an unstated “acceptable” limit.

The only way to properly detect any radiation hazard is to hire an independent consulting firm to plot the antenna pattern and determine if there are any side lobes of consequence and intensity to constitute a hazard. Or, as the radar was paid for by public funds, a polar plot should be available from the Weather Service for the asking. A competent engineer should be able to read the plot and provide the information.

GEORGE E. MARSHALL

Ojai