

Navy wants to post trucks with electromagnetic radiation equipment on West End - o0-0o
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20140927/news/309279992/for-war-games-next-year-navy-wants-to-post-trucks-with

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lutusp
This is an unbelievably incoherent newspaper story. It doesn't say what the
"electromagnetic radiation" is, what frequencies, power levels, beam patterns,
or purpose. It reads like a press release by someone who hasn't visited Earth
yet.

Quote: "Extended close exposure to electromagnetic radiation could be a health
hazard."

Yes, and (1) sitting outside too long can get you sunburned (sunlight is
electromagnetic radiation), and (2) defeating the safety interlocks on a
microwave oven is a very bad idea. Which degree of threat is the reporter
telling us about?

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sp332
It's not the reporter's fault. I don't think any of the official documents
discuss what kind of radiation is involved. [http://data.ecosystem-
management.org/nepaweb/nepa_project_ex...](http://data.ecosystem-
management.org/nepaweb/nepa_project_exp.php?project=42759) The only
information I could find is "(3) the beam pattern emitted is directional,
which minimizes the area exposed to radiation".
[http://a123.g.akamai.net/7/123/11558/abc123/forestservic.dow...](http://a123.g.akamai.net/7/123/11558/abc123/forestservic.download.akamai.com/11558/www/nepa/97011_FSPLT3_2242043.pdf)

~~~
lutusp
> It's not the reporter's fault.

Of course it is. Reporters aren't supposed to simply reprint the content of
press releases as in this case, they're supposed to dig up some facts,
something not covered by self-serving public relations documents.

> The only information I could find is "(3) the beam pattern emitted is
> directional, which minimizes the area exposed to radiation".

Yes, and that's true for sunlight also. It's just not at all informative. If
anyone cared to, they could visit the Navy public relations office and ask a
few pointed questions. Most likely, the Navy would say it's a relatively high-
powered microwave transmitter, with a beam directed upwards to the intended
target (fighter jets overhead), with about the power of a microwave oven with
the door open.

I'm not saying they would give that exact reply, but it would be likely to
resemble it. But for that to happen, a real journalist would have to be on the
job.

