STARLINK - Comparison of frequencies and transmission power

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Starlink, In the context of EMF (Electromagnetic field) and health effects such as EHS (Electro-hyper-sensitivity), interest in the frequencies used and permitted transmission power is increasing as STARLINK access becomes more widespread.

This article lists the frequencies and transmission power of standard household technology to enable a comparison with the technology used by STARLINK.

STARLINK

Starlink satellites are stationed at an altitude of 1,150 km with an inclination of 53° and communicate with each other in the Ka band (27.5 .. 29.1 GHz UL, 17.3 .. 18.6 DL).

The terrestrial antennas transmit on 14.0 ... 14.5 GHz with a maximum permissible transmission power of only 2.5 W, and receive on 10.95 ... 12.7 GHz.

The antenna structure is completely shielded downwards. Radiation is only emitted upwards (towards the satellite).

The antenna itself consists of several hundred individual antennas, which together form a circularly polarized beam that can be swivelled electronically. This antenna technology is called phased array. Its advantage is a very high directivity.

The motorized antenna adjustment is only used to roughly align the antenna to the next satellite. Fine tuning is achieved via the electronic beam alignment of this antenna array.

The STARLINK app shows a schematic representation of the "beam" during the search and after the satellite has been found. Without knowledge of antenna technology and beam formation, you would hardly expect the representation to largely correspond to reality.

An integrated GPS transmits the terrestrial position for forwarding to the satellites. In this way, geographically closest satellites can be addressed and regional regulations can be taken into account.

WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS

The domestic WLAN transmits with a longer range but lower data rate in the 2.4 GHz band (2.400 GHz - 2.4835 GHz) with a maximum transmission power of 100 mW, or in the 5 GHz band (5.150 GHz - 5.350 GHz, or 5.470 GHz - 5.725 GHz) with a shorter range but higher data rate, with a maximum permissible transmission power of 1 W.

WLAN antennas are omnidirectional antennas, i.e. they transmit in a circular pattern with almost identical power in every direction.

Walls, concrete ceilings, especially reinforced concrete, but also trees, rain and snow attenuate the frequencies all the more the higher the frequencies are.
This is why it used to be possible to receive television stations in the VHF band (below 300 MHz) more clearly during snowfall than those in the UHF band (above 300 MHz).

mobile

Cell phones use frequencies of 900 MHz with a transmission power of 2 W, or up to 1 W in the networks with 1,800 and 2,100 MHz.

Their antennas have omnidirectional characteristics and, like WLAN antennas, transmit and receive equally from all directions with the same power density.

Base stations transmit with 10 ... 50 W. Some stations, especially in conurbations, are only a few hundred meters away, in overland regions even up to 30 km. They are generally designed as directional radio links with a relatively wide beam in the shape of a club, which achieve network-like, overlapping coverage of the respective area.

If a cell phone moves to the edge of a radio cell, the overlapping cell takes over.

Conclusion

The radiation intensity of base stations of cell phone network operators in urban centers, that of a WLAN in the immediate vicinity, such as at home, in offices, etc., but also that of a cell phone at the ear, is in each case incomparably higher than a STARLINK antenna above the human body can ever be.

Finally, currently determined radiation data:

measurement data 40 cm below the STARLINK antenna (EF Electric fieldRF High frequency power):

• EMF 0.01 µT
• EF 1.0 V / m
• RF 0.0001mW / m²

Cell phone measurement data (skin contact)

• EMF < 34.1 µT
• EF < 58 V / m
• RF < 270 mW / m²

WLAN measurement data (1 m distance) ( - are determined - )

• EMF 0.02 µT
• EF 1.0 V / m
• RF 5.652 mW / m²

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