Just upgraded to General and planning my first HF station - 100W transceiver with a dipole at 30 feet. I keep reading about Part 97.13 and RF exposure evaluations, but I'm honestly confused about what's required. Do I need to do calculations, file paperwork, or measure RF fields? The rules say I need to take certain actions before transmitting if my station could cause exposure above FCC guidelines, but the FCC relies on amateurs to perform their own evaluations.

Can someone break down the actual steps in plain English? What triggers the requirement and what are my options for compliance?

Welcome to HF! The actual requirements aren't as onerous as they sound, and most hams will not have difficulty meeting them - in fact, most are already in compliance with MPE levels. For your 100W HF setup, you'll likely need to do a routine evaluation since you exceed the power thresholds in §97.13(c)(1).

The evaluation is often as easy as using tables to determine that your antenna is far enough away from people - the bulletin outlines several ways hams can evaluate their stations. Start with the distance tables in OET Bulletin 65 Supplement B - if your antenna meets the minimum distances, you're done. No measurements or paperwork to the FCC required!

I went through this same process last year with my 100W station. Don't fear having to do difficult measurements, perform extensive calculations or file paperwork with the FCC - wrong on all counts. The ARRL RF exposure calculator made it simple to verify my dipole installation was compliant. Keep your evaluation records just in case.