# What Would Happen to Me Physically if I Climbed to the Top of a Radio Tower? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 29, 2004, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232 "2004-11-29T23:10:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232/21 "2004-11-30T15:22:59Z")
I wasn’t being altogether serious. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232/22 "2004-11-30T15:25:58Z")
In Christopher Moore’s book [_Island of the Sequined Love Nun_](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060735449/qid=1101828087/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/002-8061471-7809603?v=glance&s=books&n=507846), the main character Tucker Case enjoyed blasting people with the radar from the nose cone of the Learjet he piloted. I always wondered what kind of damage that would really do. ---
**Author:** ![coffeecat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coffeecat/32/3405_2.png) [@coffeecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffeecat)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232/23 "2004-11-30T16:24:53Z")
Wouldn’t it have to be near the resonant frequency of water to cook you? My quick-and-dirty internet research reveals that microwave ovens put out 2.45 GHz, but the highest U.S. TV broadcast frequency is 807.25 MHz. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232/24 "2004-11-30T16:27:34Z")
> [@chorpler](#): > > In Christopher Moore’s book [_Island of the Sequined Love Nun_](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060735449/qid=1101828087/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/002-8061471-7809603?v=glance&s=books&n=507846), the main character Tucker Case enjoyed blasting people with the radar from the nose cone of the Learjet he piloted. I always wondered what kind of damage that would really do. I’ve seen a video of a demo where they took some steel wool and placed it on the ground in front of an F-4. Added a little fuel and switched on the RADAR in continuous wave mode. Able to ignite the steel wool and fuel. The pile was over 100’ away. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232/25 "2004-11-30T16:39:02Z")
> [@coffeecat](#): > > Wouldn’t it have to be near the resonant frequency of water to cook you? My quick-and-dirty internet research reveals that microwave ovens put out 2.45 GHz, but the highest U.S. TV broadcast frequency is 807.25 MHz. Here we go again… No, there isn’t any resonant frequency of liquid water. It seems to be something of an unstoppable science myth that microwave ovens are tuned to the maximum resonance of water, but that’s not the case. There _is_ a maximum absorption point; a frequency at which liquid water aborbs RF most strongly, but it’s not 2.45 GHz - it’s more near 10 GHz. 2.45 GHz was chosen because it is absorbed well by most foods (but not TOO well - to much absorption makes only the surface layer cook), and because it wasn’t going to interfere with any then-current usage of the spectrum. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232/26 "2004-11-30T17:08:15Z")
> [@JasonFin](#): > > Technically, that’s only true if you’re farther away from the antenna than the size of the antenna itself. Electromagnetic waves simply aren’t capable of varying much in intensity over a scale less than their wavelength. Closer in, the strength should be roughly constant, so being right next to a radio wave source is less dangerous than you might otherwise think (which is not to say it isn’t dangerous at all). True. If you are closer to the antenna than where the ratio wavelength/2pi = 1 you are in the area of the induction field. In the case of an AM broadcast antenna that is a vertical, 1/4-wavelength tower, the field in this area is predominately an electric field of very high intensity for a powerful transmitter. As you get further from the tower the electric field decreases as the cube of the distance and the magnetic field decreases as the square. At the distance where the ratio = 1 the two fields are equal with Electric field intensity/Magnetic field intensity = 377 and that is the beginning of the area of the far field where both electric and magnetic fields decrease as the distance with the power (their vector product) falling off as the square of the distance. I don’t know what the physiological effect would be of a strong electric field at broadcast frequencies but it can’t be beneficial. I recommend not doing it. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232/27 "2004-11-30T17:24:48Z")
Measure twice, cut once - in other words before posting review, review, review. That garbled part about the ration wavelength/2pi should read “the ratio of your distance from the antenna to the wavelength/2pi = 1” or about 1/6 wavelength away. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232/28 "2004-11-30T20:39:51Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > It is likely that the chocolate bar in your pocket will melt. > > Other than that, the guy with the banana on his head may shoot you in the back with a laser capable of emitting a beam of pure anti-matter. But that’s it. Unless, of course, the transsexual blows fire at you. [🙂](http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWSHeyMartha9910/19_tower.html) ---
**Author:** ![trupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@trupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trupa)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232/29 "2004-11-30T23:53:13Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > I’ve seen a video of a demo where they took some steel wool and placed it on the ground in front of an F-4. Added a little fuel and switched on the RADAR in continuous wave mode. Able to ignite the steel wool and fuel. The pile was over 100’ away. The Mig-25 pilot who defected by flying his Mig-25 to Japan (Viktor Belenko?)indicated in his book that the radar in the nose cone would kill & partially cook a rabit on the side of the runway if he had it on and had to wait on the taxi-way a little before his take-off roll. :eek: [Elmer Fudd, singing Wagner with a Russian accent] Kill the Wabbit, **Kill the Waabit, Kill the WAAA-bit!** [\Elmer Fudd, singing Wagner with a Russian accent] ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232/30 "2004-12-01T01:01:27Z")
Isn’t there one of these on the empire state building? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232/31 "2004-12-01T02:24:59Z")
> [@alterego](#): > > Isn’t there one of these on the empire state building? I’m fairly certain there are no microwave cooked rabbits on top of the empire state building. There are however several communication towers: [http://www.esbnyc.com/tourism/tourism\_facts\_broadcasting.cfm](http://www.esbnyc.com/tourism/tourism_facts_broadcasting.cfm) ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232/32 "2004-12-01T02:28:13Z")
What I was getting at is that none of those folks, myself included, seem to have gotten fried upon nearing it. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232/33 "2004-12-01T03:14:30Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > I assume that the transmitting gizmo at the top of a commercial radio tower is broadcasting very powerful radio waves. So, if I stood next to it for a few seconds (or a few minutes), what would happen? Instand death? Excruciating pain? Absolutely nothing? First, depending on the height of the tower and how fast you climbed you should be very tired. Probably the worst effect. The antenns are designed to radiate the rf energy outward and away from the antenna and tower. Otherwise little or no ill effects. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232/34 "2004-12-01T05:28:21Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > > [@HeyHomie](#): > > > > I assume that the transmitting gizmo at the top of a commercial radio tower is broadcasting very powerful radio waves. So, if I stood next to it for a few seconds (or a few minutes), what would happen? Instand death? Excruciating pain? Absolutely nothing? > > The antenns are designed to radiate the rf energy outward and away from the antenna and tower. > Otherwise little or no ill effects. Assume that the radiated power is 1 kW (kilowatt) and the main beam of the antenna has a gain over an omnidirectional antenna of 30 dB, or a factor of 1000. In that case the power density at 1 meter in the main beam would be 79.6 kW/meter[/sup]2[/sup] which would be dangerous indeed. You probably wouldn’t be in the antenna main beam but rather in one of the side or back lobes. Such extraneous transmissions would probably be at least 30 dB below the main lobe which makes the power density there equal to 79.6 W/meter[sup]2[/sup]. If your eye has an area of 1 cm[sup]2[/sup] the power into the eye would be 7.96 mW which, I think, exceeds the maximum exposure allowed by US standards. If the radiated power differs from 1 kW, the numbers scale directly. ---
**Author:** ![beltbuckle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@beltbuckle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beltbuckle)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232/35 "2004-12-01T05:39:52Z")
You guys must have some weak radio stations. We have a few in my area that put out 50,000 watts. Yes, 50 kilowatts. Would hate to see their power bill. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232/36 "2004-12-01T06:02:24Z")
It’s not unusual in this country (Oz) for a tower servicing a rural region to have a radiated power in the multi-megawatt range. For instance, there’s one south of Sydney at Robertson. It broadcasts 10-20 different frequencies in the UHF range, at 250 kW per frequency. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232/37 "2004-12-01T06:14:16Z")
> [@Desmostylus](#): > > For instance, there’s one south of Sydney at Robertson. It broadcasts 10-20 different frequencies in the UHF range, at 250 kW per frequency. Jesus. You could skewer an ostrich on one of the elements an cook it in no time. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232/38 "2004-12-01T06:43:19Z")
Emu. The bird’s called an emu. Not an ostrich. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232/39 "2004-12-01T06:50:11Z")
Why settle for the _second_ largest bird, just because it’s domestic for you? Africa’s right across the pond. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232/40 "2004-12-01T07:03:03Z")
The pond? The North Atlantic ain’t anywhere near here, sport. And if you mean the Indian Ocean, there’s an entire continent intervening. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-to-me-physically-if-i-climbed-to-the-top-of-a-radio-tower/277232.md?page=3)