Magic bands frequency and pacemakers

[Rose01]

I have a pacemaker and was informed by my pacemaker maker that the frequency on the rfid emi hf of 13.56 mhz and 2.4 ghz will affect the pacemaker. All of the journals say this as well. So those with pacemakers cannot enjoy Disney.

 

[k5jm]

I have a pacemaker and was informed by my pacemaker maker that the frequency on the rfid emi hf of 13.56 mhz and 2.4 ghz will affect the pacemaker. All of the journals say this as well. So those with pacemakers cannot enjoy Disney.

If that is the case, then you cannot drive on a road that has toll tag readers, and not stand next to a cast member with a UHF digital Radio, and you can forget Cell Phones,

You would have to wear a portable Faraday Cage. (And a Tomorrowland "Tesla" reference)

Besides, the HF is Passive. And 2.4GHZ is way above the 1GHZ that typically would pose a problem for Pacemakers.

Make sure you stay away from all Bi-directional Amplifiers, in-building Cellular repeaters, Wifi Access Points, Parade Floats, RF Speaker Systems, Buses, Monorails, and Boats. Disney Parks are a virtual sewer of RF Energy. The Magic Bands are the least of your concerns.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Just something to consider like I said on a similar thread on the Disabilities board about Diabetes pumps it's most likely both side just covering themselves against any legal issues should something happen then they are not at fault for it. As someone pointed out before there are many devices around you all the time that put out similar frequencies on a daily basses.

 

[Rose01]

Don't have to be nasty. It was a legimate concern of mine. All rfid journals state that those frequencies have an affect on pacemakers as well as my own pacemaker company. The toll tags dont affect me nor do cell phones but those aren't on a scale as large as disney.

 

[jcb]

Rose, I think what caught everyone's attention was your statement: "So those with pacemakers cannot enjoy Disney." That's a huge claim, as people with pacemakers undoubtedly go to WDW without any reported incident. I'd also hazard a guess that cell phone radiation is much more predominant in general than RFID radiation at WDW (not that I am claiming cell phone radiation is harmful). I think you are experiencing pacemaker company litigation avoidance measures. A company can avoid some liability in a products liability lawsuit by showing it issued warnings, even if the warnings are for contingencies that are not terribly likely to happen.

 

[Rose01]

Not all brands of pacemakers are affected. What I meant to say was I couldnt go to disney because I was told my particular model is affected by the emi of 13.56 mhz and 2.4 ghz put out by the bands and transmitter at Disney. Its not the radiation. It can shut if my pacemaker if I am less then 2.5 feet away.

 

[Rose01]

I have the data sent by my pacemaker company and rfid journals who did tests and found that these frequencies interfere with the operation of the pacemaker at this HF of 13.56.
So I take a chance and go to Disney and my pacemaker shuts off, (I am pacemaker dependant) who does my family blame.

 

[jcb]

Two more thoughts. Radio frequencies are radiation. They are not the kind of ionizing radiation that freaks folks out but radiation nonetheless. Without at all meaning you should trivialize what you have been told (or read), you might want to get a second opinion. One of the prior posters knows a lot about radio frequencies. And even I know enough to say that 2.4 ghz is used by a wide variety of personal radio devices (your "router, your cordless phone, your Bluetooth earpiece, your baby monitor and your garage opener all love and live on this radio frequency, and no others") http://www.wired.com/2010/09/wireless-explainer/all/

 

[Rose01]

EMI is electromagnetic interference is what interferes with the function of a pacemaker

 

[Rose01]

I understand but you only are near one of those at a time. I know I have to keep my cell phone 6 inches away from the pacemaker which it isnt affected. I have to keep the bands at least 2.5 feet away from the pacemaker and you cant do that while waiting in lines, on rides, at parades because people will be closer and there will be no way of avoiding them.

 

[k5jm]

EMI is electromagnetic interference is what interferes with the function of a pacemaker

I understand but you only are near one of those at a time. I know I have to keep my cell phone 6 inches away from the pacemaker which it isnt affected. I have to keep the bands at least 2.5 feet away from the pacemaker and you cant do that while waiting in lines, on rides, at parades because people will be closer and there will be no way of avoiding them.

The magnitude of RF Energy that is at WDW at any given time is enormous. One must also consider that the greatest natural attenuater of RF energy is water, and, as a consequence of the Human Body being 70% water, humans absorb a tremendous amount of RF Energy. The Magic Bands do not actively transmit 13.56mhz. This is a passive reaction to the Mickey head transducer that sends that RF out. Also note that any cell phone with NFC, also will transmit at that Frequency. That means that there are hundreds if not thousands of Phones in the parks at any given time emitting that frequency. Any of the "avatar" style games in Magic Kingdom or Epcot are using the same RFID technology.

WDW has also posted about this:

Implanted Pacemakers or Cardioverter-Defibrillators and RF Technology

If you have questions about your medical device and RF technology, we encourage you to seek the guidance of the manufacturer of your device and your physician. Manufacturers of Implantable Pacemaker and Cardioverter-Defibrillators (ICDs) typically recommend that you keep your medical device 9 inches (23 cm) away from RF transmitters comparable to the one found inside the MagicBand and touch points found throughout Walt Disney World Resort.

If you suspect interference with your device is taking place, move away from the RF device so it is at least 9-inches (23-cm) distance away from your Pacemaker or ICD.

A few of the Frequencies in use at the parks (not including unlicensed radios and radios owned by other companies that operate inside the parks):

123.050 Aircraft Ops
148.100 E-stop Great Movie Ride
151.655 Space Mountain/Riverboats/Studio Trams
151.895 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
154.47875 Light Barges (Electrical Water Pageant)
206-212 MHz parade wireless feeds
450-450.5 wireless mikes in Magic Kingdom
452.650 Cash Control (Wells Fargo Trucks)
461.3375 Warehouses Ch.1
461.7875
461.9375 Warehouses Ch.2
462.475/ Reedy Creek Energy Systems
462.675/ Maintenance Ch.1-Epcot Center
462.825
462.850 park-wide paging announcements
464.0625 People Finder (what is this?), studio tours
464.500/ Entertainment Ch.4-Special
464.600 Operations
464.925
464.9375 Entertainment Ch.3
466.3375 distribution center
466.9125 distribution center

 

[Rose01]

Where is this posted so all people with pacemakers can see it.
So Disney is aware that some pacemakers can be affected.
I just hope the csr know to ask and inform.

 

[Rose01]

Where is this posted so all people with pacemakers can see it.
So Disney is aware that some pacemakers can be affected.
I just hope the csr know to ask and inform.

 

[k5jm]

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/my-disney-experience/frequency-technology/

http://www.medtronic.com/patient-se...ide/communications-office-equipment/index.htm - these folks actually say Magic Bands are fine with their equipment, but the readers could pose minimal risk

 

[jcb]

"If you prefer, you may elect to use a card instead of a MagicBand. Cards contain a passive HF Radio Frequency chip and cannot be detected by the long-range readers." I didn't realize this. Another reason to prefer cards over magic bands.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

"If you prefer, you may elect to use a card instead of a MagicBand. Cards contain a passive HF Radio Frequency chip and cannot be detected by the long-range readers." I didn't realize this. Another reason to prefer cards over magic bands.

Something to keep in mind with using the cards only though if you have memory maker and want to get ride photos and videos from 7 dwarfs or TOT it can only read a magic band. Also just because you have a device that isn't receiving the RFID signal doesn't mean it's not there you could be in a ride vehicle with someone that has a magic band on and may not know that someone has a pacemaker or diabetes pump or some other medical device that may be affected by it. When it comes down to it you assume all risks as both the manufacture and Disney have given warnings.

 

[jcb]

Something to keep in mind with using the cards only though if you have memory maker and want to get ride photos and videos from 7 dwarfs or TOT it can only read a magic band. Also just because you have a device that isn't receiving the RFID signal doesn't mean it's not there you could be in a ride vehicle with someone that has a magic band on and may not know that someone has a pacemaker or diabetes pump or some other medical device that may be affected by it. When it comes down to it you assume all risks as both the manufacture and Disney have given warnings.

I should have been a little less cryptic. I don't like magic bands because I don't like "thingies" around my wrist. It has nothing to do with any medial issue. WDW's technology, however, will let it monitor the RFID chip locations within the park (whether they actually do this or not, I don't know). So, if crowd levels are high in one area, and low in another, the magic bands in the high density area can be sent promotions or prompts to get them to move to the lower density area. I'm not really sure I like that level of monitoring. It is probably harmless enough but I prefer a technology a little less intrusive. I'm sure my iPhone gives off all sorts of information, especially it were connected to WDW's wifi network, but I have some measure of control what my iPhone does.

And while I don't mean to be unfairly technical, there is a difference between warnings and assumption of the risk. They are related concepts but just because Disney gives out warnings does not mean all risks are assumed. Assumption of the risk typically provides a defense to intentional torts (assault, as in boxing) or ultra-hazardous activities (hang-gliding). The most common assumption of the risk is attending a baseball game and sitting beyond the protective screen. Warnings can provide a defense if clear enough but this still assumes the product is not defectively designed. The modern thought is that warnings protect from reasonably safe products. To put this into the current discussion, if Disney chose to make MM+ technology less safe for pacemaker users (assuming that is possible) and rely upon warnings, Disney would be taking the risk that a court would find the product design flawed despite the warnings. There was a very good discussion of these issues in the Florida Bar Journal.

 

[darrengs]

W

I have a pacemaker and was informed by my pacemaker maker that the frequency on the rfid emi hf of 13.56 mhz and 2.4 ghz will affect the pacemaker. All of the journals say this as well. So those with pacemakers cannot enjoy Disney.

Who manufacturers your Pacemaker?