Operating instructions

MFJ-933 Loop Tuner
TM
Instruction & Technical Manual
- 2 -
RF HAZARD PRECAUTIONS
An electromagnetic wave is characterized by its wavelength and frequency. The
wavelength is the distance covered by one complete wave cycle. The frequency
is the number of waves passing a point in a second. For example, a typical radio
wave transmitted by a 2-meter VHF station has a wavelength of about 2 meters
and a frequency of about 145 million cycles per second (145 million Hertz): one
cycle/second = one Hertz, abbreviated Hz.
Electromagnetic waves travel through space at the speed of light. Wavelength
and frequency are inversely related by a simple equation: (frequency) times
(wavelength) = the speed of light. Since the speed of light is a constant quantity,
High Frequency (HF) electromagnetic waves have short wavelengths, and Low-
Frequency (LF) waves have long wavelengths. Frequency bands used for
amateur radio transmissions are usually characterized by their approximate
corresponding wavelengths, e.g., 12, 15, 17, 20 meters, etc.
The electromagnetic "spectrum" includes all of the various forms of
electromagnetic energy ranging from extremely low frequency (ELF) energy (with
very long wavelengths) to all the way up to X-rays and gamma rays, which have
very high frequencies and correspondingly short wavelengths. In between these
extremes lie radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light and
ultraviolet radiation, respectively. The RF part of the electromagnetic spectrum
can generally be defined as that part of the spectrum where electromagnetic
waves have frequencies that range from about 3 kilohertz (kHz) to 300 gigahertz
(GHz). Figure 1 illustrates the electromagnetic spectrum.
Figure 1 The Electromagnetic Spectrum