Mobile phone masts

[Spirallingsometimes]

I know I’m being unreasonable but I can’t help it, we’re looking to move house and I don’t want to move right near a mobile phone mast the health implications concern me. But I’m finding it impossible to locate where mobile phone masts are, I’ve downloaded various apps that show you there location, they are showing about 17 “towers” in the small village where I live, there are numerous network codes “GSM” “LTE” “NR” there aren’t this many massive masts in the village and I don’t know what these codes mean. I’m a big worrier about these things, and I know that’s not normal. Do most people not give this a second thought? How close would you live to a mast? Does anyone know what these codes mean and how to actually find out where the large towers are? Thanks

They can be everywhere and if you let that be a deciding factor you will potentially be missing out on what may be otherwise perfectly lovely houses.

Obviously there are the dedicated towers but antennas are also added onto existing structures such as TV transmitters, electricity pylons etc. You will also see clusters on the top of tall buildings including offices, flats, factories, churches etc.
Lamp posts are a popular location and then there are the structures designed to give low visual impact (i.e. disguised) and these include dummy telegraph poles, flagpoles, inside signs (garage signs were very popular) and my favourite, fake trees which includes fir trees and (dead) Silver Birch.

As you can tell, OH and I looked into this a lot and we would sometimes play antenna bingo! 😁

Honestly, the only reason I'd even be remotely bothered about it is when there's a high possibility of conspiracy wonks showing up to vandalise the towers. There aren't any health implications at all.

Otherwise, enjoy the great cell reception.

Thanks for replying, so basically they can’t be avoided and I should completely disregard it when looking for a house? I’m not sure with my anxiety I can do that 🙈but you’re right they just seem unavoidable. The app I’m using is showing something in a field I walk my dogs in everyday, there isn’t anything there though? Unless it is a fake tree in which case it’s amazingly realistic?!

You are worrying about nothing, but have you tried Cellmapper?

If you are worried about radiation, the best place to be is directly underneath one. The closer the better.

cellmapper.net

Well, ask yourself where that data came from and how accurate it is. Most of these apps rely on a combination of industry-provided data (which is often out of date) and crowdsourced data (which is unreliable at best).

Do you have a mobile phone OP?
A microwave?
television?

Reminds me of that sketch on Gavin and Stacey when they go out to protest against a mast being sited near where they live - and then complain they can't get a signal on their mobiles.

Also be aware that a mast doesn’t necessarily radiate 360 degrees. The signal is often aimed in a specific direction.

There are no health risks from mobile phone masts.
Did you know that your mobile phone handset emits many times more electromagnetic “radiation” (radio frequency signal) than you are exposed to from any mast? So if you are worried about this harmless “radiation”, get rid of your mobile phone.

Just find a house with no mobile signal.

There are no health implications.

You need help for your anxiety over this, as it's clearly having a negative impact on your life and presumably therefore your family's too. Your fears aren't rational and you're letting those unfounded fears control major life decisions.

I know it’s something I need to get a grip on and relax a little, I’m terrible that once a seed has been planted I’ll get obsessive about it. I also worry about living too close to a farmers field because I read about pesticide drift being a health concern in one of the newspapers once. I live in a semi rural area much is beautiful and both farmers fields and mobile phone masts are plentiful. I guess I need to disregard both of these concerns if I’m ever going to be able to move.

You could also use this tool…

https://checker.ofcom.org.uk/en-gb/mobile-coverage

Enter the postode you are interested in and then ask for a map showing the coverage. Try all the different providers. Look for the white bits.

Then try and find a house for sale in them. Good luck!

I wouldn’t say it’s having a negative effect on mine or my family’s life, I’m not making the kids wear tin foil hats to bed or anything. It’s just something I want to look into before I buy a property. Us moving or not moving doesn’t effect anyone in my family, we don’t need to move for any reason, we just enjoy doing renovation projects and would like a bigger garden for our dogs.

Buy an old house with thick walls. We have a mobile signal outside but it doesn’t penetrate the house. We rely on wifi calling.

However, that uses a radio signal too, just like the mobile phone network

Do you live near or walk on the path along side a road (engine fumes), let your children play in a pond or stream (rat wee), swim in the sea (sewage), play in the garden (snails & slugs), eat processed food or sweets (sugar, salt & fats)...….....

There are an unlimited list of things that "could" be a risk but if you let them overtake your life........you have no life.
Take a reasonable level of care of course but try not to let everything control you.

You can find out where the rural ones are fairly easily by looking on the coverage maps. But in a city there are loads of them. Many are on the roof of a building and you will never see them or know they are there.

Depends how close to the mast you are really.

Members of the public can’t get close enough to the transmitter to have an exposure that is not many many times lower than they get from their mobile phone handset.

Thank you EMR trust. Thankfully more people are waking up to the dangers of these towers. I wouldn’t live near one in a million years.

Honestly op. It can't be a factor as you could but a house and then they could add one to the top of your building.