OK, so I’m a 61 year- old geezer. The reason that I asked my question in the way I have is this. Here in England there is a very strong grass roots resistance to the aerials that form the cell phone network. I mean people are prepared lay in the road to stop the construction of a new mast. The scientists and installation crews can only smack their foreheads before these people who will not understand the two phrases ‘‘power output’’ and ‘‘order of magnitude’’. I think that the environmentalist truth twisters are happy to use these people in their war against, well just about everybody who doesn’t read the Guardian. Now, speed cameras also radiate microwaves and in this country every short drive will see you illuminated by their beams at some time. I have been trying to find out what sort of dose of microwave power the speed cameras give to the car driver and his passengers compared to the cell phone masts. I have failed, so I wonder if any Doper can come up with the answer.
This was one of the first links I found on google:
http://www.astroproducts.net/Phantom.htm
I’m assuming that it is fairly typical. It has an output of 10 to 20 milliwatts. If I recall correctly, hand held cell phones are limited to 500 milliwatts, which should put the power levels in perspective.
It took a bit more googling, but here’s an actual camera system and not just a radar gun: http://www.photocop.com/speed.htm
As expected, the power output is in the same ballpark, 25 milliwatts in this case.
Microwave radiation is not ionizing radiation, therefore, it is not dangerous to living cells (unless there is enough produced to cook you). So unless you’re getting inside your microwave oven, there is nothing to fear.