User Manual

Table Of Contents

RF and Microwave Field Detection

To measure an RF eld, turn the knob to the RF setting and point the top of the meter at the

potential source, or simply hold the meter vertically.

Generally, your hand can shield the RF signals, so grip the meter as shown on page 2.

The RF Mode uses the same plate sensor as the AC Electric Mode. The signal is amplied

and converted to a power density magnitude, calibrated at a frequency of 1 GHz (1000 MHz).

Maximum range is 19.999 mW/m

with resolution of 0.001 mW/m

and accuracy of ±20% of

reading at 1 GHz. A frequency response graph of the RF mode is on page 7.

When reading RF emitted by digital devices, such as mobile phones and smart meters, the Peak

Measurement (small numerals in the upper-left of the display) is of more interest than the

Field Measurement (large numerals at the bottom). The information from digital RF devices is

transmitted in brief packets that occur irregularly (perhaps once per minute with smart meters

and several times per second with Wi-Fi transmitters or mobile phones that are in use). The

Peak Measurement detects these packets and displays the strongest packet for several

seconds before resetting itself.

RF and microwaves are composed of a particular combination of electric elds and magnetic

elds that is self-sustaining. For frequencies below about 100 MHz the principle eect on

a conducting body is from the magnetic eld part only. This is because the electric eld

component of radio waves produces much weaker currents in the body than does the magnetic

eld unless the wavelength of the waves is smaller than the height of the body. Low-frequency

electric elds by themselves can be strong enough to create signicant current, but only if they

are from sources other than true radio waves.

The Standard and Weighted Modes

The light blue Standard modes for AC magnetic elds (MAG) and AC electric elds (ELEC) will

measure elds using a at frequency response. That is, all frequencies from 40 Hz to 100 kHz

(100,000 Hz) are measured with equal sensitivity. The dark blue Weighted modes for magnetic

and electric elds measure 60 Hz elds with the same sensitivity as the Standard mode.

However, the Weighted modes are more sensitive at frequencies higher than 60 Hz, and from 60

Hz to 500 Hz, sensitivity increases proportional to frequency. That is, 1 milligauss (mG) at 60 Hz

will read “1.0” on the display, whereas 1 mG at 120 Hz will read “2.0”. See the frequency response

curves on page 7 for more detail. On Weighted modes, the Field Measurement shows a number

proportional to the average electric current induced inside the human body from the elds,

and the number is equivalent to the amount of 60 Hz magnetic or electric eld that would be