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Commentary on base station RF survey results
All measurements collected in this survey are well below the limits defined by the current ARPANSA Standard RPS3.
The largest extrapolated RF EME level was found at Bulleen East where 1.33% of the general public exposure limit defined by RPS3 was recorded. This value is approximately 75 times less than the permitted exposure level under the current standard.
The largest measured levels of RF EME were found for the South Coogee site where a value of 0.27% of the general public exposure limit defined by RPS3 was measured (around 370 times below the limit defined by the standard).
The antennas at Bulleen East and South Coogee were mounted on building rooftops and were relatively close to the ground in comparison to many of the other sites where the antennas are mounted high up on concrete monopoles or steel lattice towers. This is one reason why the measured values were comparatively larger at these sites.
The graphs in the following figures compare the observed and predicted RF EME levels as a percentage of the general public limit of the ARPANSA Standard RPS3.
Comparison, using a linear scale, of observed and predicted RF EME levels as a percentage of the general public limit of the ARPANSA Standard RPS3.
Measured and 
Extrapolated values on a linear scale.
Open diamonds indicate extrapolation from demodulated pilot signals.
Filled diamonds indicate extrapolation from analogue measurements.
Symbols above the diagonal black line indicate sites where extrapolated measurements exceeded the predicted maximum values.
Comparison, using a logarithmic scale, of observed and predicted RF EME levels as a percentage of the general public limit of the ARPANSA Standard RPS3.
Measured and Extrapolated values on a logarithmic scale.
Open diamonds indicate extrapolation from demodulated pilot signals.
Filled diamonds indicate extrapolation from analogue measurements.
Symbols above the diagonal black line indicate sites where extrapolated measurements exceeded the predicted maximum values.
There is one site (Beaconsfield) for which the highest measured RF level exceeded the extrapolated maximum value. This indicates that there was a significant contribution from other base station antennas in the vicinity. At Beaconsfield there was only one service installed on this base station, but contributions for many other services were detected.
There are currently four surveyed base stations where the extrapolated maximum RF EME level exceeds the prediction from the environmental EME report. For three of these sites (Bulleen East, Palmerston and Lower Sandy Bay) the UMTS (or WCDMA) pilot signals were not demodulated, rather the extrapolation was done assuming that only the pilot signal was present. The largest of these discrepancies was found at Palmerston where the extrapolated measured value was more than twice the prediction. The fourth site (Drummoyne) is the only one for which the extrapolation from demodulated pilot signals exceeded the EME report prediction, albeit only marginally. This difference (1.18% extrapolated compared to 1.13% of the limit) is well within the error bounds on the measurement.
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