Stewart's Corral

About me (part 2 - continuation) and
Testing Electrosmog meters

page 33

visitor #

About Me and EHS Index
About me, part 1 How it started	About me, part 2, Living with EHS Conversion chart and entry table Searching for EM Smog in Rural Outdoors Meter Evaluation Features to Look For Specifications Emissions More Meters Evaluation in Urban	Indoor Equipment Evaluation part 3	Health Links part 4 Aaronia Spectran graphs Spectran version 4 evaluation

A group of German doctors, led by Dr. Cornelia Waldmann Selsam found that 70% of patients did not experience health effects if the microwave field levels they lived in were less than 0.06 V/m, whereas when these levels rose to 0.2 V/m and above, only 5-6% of their patients did not experience health effects. She concluded that in order to protect the general public, microwave levels should be below 0.06 volts per meter (V/m). More details can be found at http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/news/20050722_bamberg.asp

Research studies by Hardell (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009), Mild (2007), and Kundi (2009), among others, have found a link between mobile phone and digital cordless phone use and an increased risk of developing brain tumours and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, especially in younger age groups. Mobile phone use has also been linked to dementia-like changes in the brain (Salford 2003, Eberhardt 2008), and with fertility problems (Fejes 2005, Erogul 2006, Yan 2007, Agarwal 2008).

Many people have wireless enabled internet access for their computer at home. These can emit RF radiation that can travel across property lines to their neighbors' homes. The attendant radiation is similar to that of a nearby high-power mobile phone mast.

-- Excerpt from emfields.org

My story with EHS, continued
When my family and I moved here in 2002 to Republic, WA, seeking a quiet rural area without towers, chemical, or electrical pollution, some of our symptoms disappeared immediately. Our health improved or recovered. Nobody around here could get cell-phone service.

Then in 2006.Feb, we noticed an increase in the noise levels, coinciding with cellular coverage for Curlew, and a new radio tower on Gold Mtn. Mom's tinitus which disappeared in 2002, started coming back. I started searching for ways to measure the EMR levels.

In 2008.Sep, a new cell-tower was erected right in the middle of Republic. When I drove thru town, my heartbeat became arrythmic, (skipping beats, or double beats) for the minute it took to get past the tower and exit town. Not to mention the spike up in headache pain. I no longer visit any stores in Republic.

In 2009, my rural neighborhood started hurting more. I had trouble pinning down the cause. I started seeing people driving while on their cell-phone, even down in the valley. Map of measured coverage. Another visible change was the number of satellite dishes, mostly for internet and television. The dishes concerened me as I knew they transmitted from Earth to satellite at 20-30 GHz, beyond the range of any consumer level meters. Others with EMS report ill effects near the back of these dishes due to the longitudinal/scalar waves coming off the back side, and I was sure I could feel some of them, one in particular. I tried to ignore it, and continued to ride to the mailbox past this house, because the only alternative is to ride along the power lines. This left me between a rock and hard place. When I did linger to talk to the neighbor (designated #3 by distance), whom at the time I considered a friend, I usually came away with a headache, but did not complain. For what good would it do?

Then on 2009.Oct.14, I was required to travel to Colville for a doctor's review. That office was very hot, (both power lines and wireless), and brought on such symptoms that I became very ill, and certainly failed the short term memory tests she was focusing on. I retreated for a few weeks, avoiding electrical devices, including this shielded and quiet computer.
Next just when my recovery was almost back, on 2009.Nov.17, I had to appear in Republic for jury duty. They apparantly did not believe my excuse this year. While waiting for everybody to arrive, I was exposed to someone in the room texting. I felt pain, and my headache grew. I moved to the opposite corner, but it was not far enough away. During the selection process, I quickly degraded to where I could not follow the judge speaking. My own speech became slurred and slow as I had trouble finding words. I became dizzy and came close to blacking out upon standing. I was not choosen, and quickly was driven home. Once again, I was down for a few weeks. My sensitivity was getting worse. I started having tinitus myself, hearing sounds both high pitched and low rumbling. The projects I was working on suffered, as my ability to function productively was smashed.

My need to identify and locate the source affecting us in our safe house became more urgent, the need to have a place I could recover, or at least stop getting worse. So now that I have explained the Why I have done this, here is a documentary of my efforts to do so:

Units conversion table - dBmW - W/m² - V/m

White = Dangerous levels. Some normal people may experience minor effects: stress, headaches, insomnia, mental disfunction (deadly when connected to distracted driving)

Red = Very strong, ElectroSensitive individuals do experience adverse health effects.

Yellow = Warning range. The most sensitive have effects

Green = safe, no effect except for the very sensitive

Dark green = natural background level
(except for satellite reception like gps at -125 dBm)

You may enter data in any of the boxes to the right. All other units of measure will then be calculated from that entry.

dBm (in the top row only) is a special case. Each receiving antenna design has a different effective area, therefore you can not use a direct calculation between power density (mW/m²) and RF power (dBm) received as an RF field strength measurement, without knowing the antenna specs.

For the Cornet ED family, antenna factor is -27.63 dB

Conversion table
dBm Antenna factor Anchor to dB
V/m mV/m
W/m² mW/m² µW/m²
mW/cm² µW/cm² nW/cm²
mA/m

Searching for Electro-Magnetic Smog - Rural Outdoors
In 2009.Dec, I purchased a new meter from EMFields, the ACOUSTIMETER AM-10, seeking to replace the (highly sensitive) ZAP CHECKER ZC180 whose analog needle gets stuck sometimes. (It's 4 years old) They said their current models are better about that problem, but I am not inclined to purchase another from them, while they only have analog needles. I was programmed to be a bean counter, so I like numbers to quantify the situation. Plus, it is important to gather evidence, or have proof not dependant on my word alone.

What a surprise! a hot spot in the (southwest) neighborhood, right where I have been getting headaches when passing by.

Peak from road 0.31 V/m
peak from outside front door 1.51 V/m

Average is low due to the digital and pulsed nature of the beacon. Average covers a sample time of 3 seconds.

I was finally able to say, what was bothering me (probably for the last year) was a beacon, transmitting 10 times per second.
Audio recording: 5 seconds 10Kb [mp3] (includes in the background, the sound of my horse walking.)
The beacon sounds like a jackhammer, and clearly identifies the type of transmitter.

I really like this meter, because from the audio, I can identify the source by the various tranmission protocols of each type and frequency of wireless device, as they all have a unique pattern. This beacon matches the wifi.mp3 recording found at EMFields.
Several recording examples are at EMFields from the Acoustimeter, and also Environmental Diseases.
Also, getting calibrated numbers makes this a true meter, instead of a detector.

It would be better if the circuitry was minaturized, as the first production run is fairly big. 7.5 inches tall (19 cm) and 4 in. (10 cm) wide.
The numeric display is still not as sensitive as the ZAP CHECKER, however both seem to have a similar threshold of sensitivity.
For this specific location and frequency,
At 250ft (75m) the ACOUSTIMETER speaker starts clicking louder,
at 150ft (45m) the ZAP CHECKER red light starts blinking,
at 90ft (28m) the ACOUSTIMETER display shows 0.03 V/m,
at 75ft (23m) the ZAP CHECKER needle starts going up.

Farther up the hillside, with clear line of sight, at 1150ft (350m) the ACOUSTIMETER is still able to detect another beacon of the same type (introduced further down the page). The metal roofing bounces all of this microwave energy emitting upwards back down inside the building, concentrating the exposure inside.

For comparison, driving thru Republic (specifically past the Library, about 2 blocks from the tower) now peaks the ACOUSTIMETER around 0.73 V/m, while the ZAP CHECKER needs the sensitivity turned down to 6 to prevent the needle from exceeding 100 (to prevent overload). Before the tower, the ZAP CHECKER could be left at sensitivity 10 or 9. Also in 2006, when I traveled thru the metro areas of Puget Sound, turning the sensitivity all the way down to 1 still resulted in measurable signals (50 and above) when passing towers. Colville has progressivly gotten stronger also, in 2009 it required the sensitivity turned down to 5.
See the Spectrum Analysis page for those charts covering the last 4 years with the SPECTRAN meter.

On 2010.Feb.25 I hiked to the top of the ridge for (what is becoming) my yearly scan of Franson Peak above Curlew (distance 6 miles). As I climb the 800 ft of elevation, the ZAP CHECKER rises from 2 (at highest sensitivity setting 10) basically the floor threshold, to 10 near the crest, while the ACOUSTIMETER goes no higher than 0.02 V/m and stays silent.
When I reach the crest, ZAP CHECKER jumps up to 80 or more, and I have to turn down the sensitivity. Ow it hurts up here more each year!
I quickly make my scans, and this year, video record them.
Click to enlarge
After my first pan around 360 degrees, I stopped here, facing East.
In the audio recording, a steady whine from the cell-tower(s) 6 miles away, plus a (closer) data transmission with a slow pattern, can be heard coming from the east. It sounds similar to a 2G or 3G cell-phone, possibly checking in with a tower, or checking for messages. Alas, none of the other meters can help pinpoint this signal's source, however the ZAP CHECKER does spike when pointed this direction, about the same as last year. That must be a different signal source, as it is steady or constant. So the ZAP CHECKER shows 80-100 at sensitivity 10, but the ACOUSTIMETER only shows a peak of 0.03, but the audio is loud and very useful. The directional antenna plus the audio makes this the perfect meter/detector for hunting for sources.

Audio recording: Here is a better sample at higher quality, recorded 2010.May.19 while panning from north to southeast on the next ridge to the south. 41 seconds 323Kb [mp3]. The distant whine goes up and down as I pan, aiming left and right, trying to pin down the source of the other signal.

Back to 2010.Feb.25, Audio recording: 5 seconds 10Kb [mp3] while pointing west or southwest toward Republic.
Peak reading 0.03 V/m, not a very high number, but very loud. Here the meter doesn't shine, if sensitive and calibrated numbers are wanted.
On the other hand, being in a rural area, the fact the sounds are loud is a big plus for the meter as a detector.
The steady whine of many overlapping cell-phone transmissions are very noticable, coming from specific directions of cell-towers.

Next is the CORNET ED-85EX I just got:
With the basic 2.4Ghz whip antenna, I get no signal.

Next I hook up the HyperLog-7060 by Aaronia, and pan 360 degrees, finding a signal only from the north, toward Franson Peak and Curlew:
I know this meter is not calibrated for this antenna, so the number is to be regarded as detector mode only. It is included here only because I was able to get a rise from the meter, and because of what direction came up with the stronger reading.
Click to enlarge
This is interesting, aim down, and the signal goes away, (-55dBm is the floor threshold)
Click to enlarge
But aim lower, and the signal comes back stronger.
Click to enlarge
Maybe a reflection off the rocks?, but that would not be consistant with a stronger signal!

Here is a more recent scan of Franson Peak, from one ridge south, with the updated Cornet version 3 hooked up to the HyperLog-7060.
Click to enlarge
Notice the units are both in mW/m² now, and the Max of 0.015 is a bit higher than February, because I am holding the antenna at a different angle. Is this vertical or horizontal polarity?? Wierd angle.
Anyways, this combination of meter and antenna does boost the sensitivity, and turn this into a decent detector. By panning side to side, I was able to verify the primary signal comes from the North, (and also down toward the rocks, again), but aim away from North, and the signal strength goes down to the floor at 0.001

SPECTRAN version 2 readings have been removed, as Aaronia agreed it needed to be sent back for repair. Just received version 4, but that is looking like a new story for another page.

My story with EHS, continued

Since mid or late 2009.December, I have also been getting spikes up in head pain, when near another neighbor in the opposite direction, (#1 to the southeast). Now as my round corral melts, I find I can no longer tolerate being near the fenceline. The pain and brain fog make my training corral no longer possible to be in.
On 2010.Mar.24, I was exposed to this neighbor's wireless router for just a few minutes, taking readings at close range (by my request, and invitation to investigate).
The ACOUSTIMETER went off the scale, reading > 6.0 V/m, and the CORNET measured over 0 dBm.
I can only hope the unambiguous noise and definitely high readings flashing in the red made an impression. Alas, it did not. Her husband can't be without his toys, and does not believe me.
What I had been speculating for 3 months was now confirmed as a definite cause. Unfortunately, I got an immediate migraine that really ruined not just my day, but the next several. I had definite symptoms of a concussion, as each step felt like my brain was being jostled around and bruised in severe pain. It took 5 or 6 days to recover; from just 5 minutes of exposure. This is what Electro Hyper Sensitivity Syndrome means to me. If I don't avoid it, it ruins my health and ability to accomplish anything. Exposures like that really ruin my short term memory, my speech, concentration. I was down for several days.

Is it really too much to ask, to turn off their noise-makers when they are not home, or are in bed? If for example, the equipment in question was a boom box, how long would the neighborhood tolerate it being on 24/7??
"Do to others, what you would want them to do to you" is a well known rule, and certainly applies here.

Over the last year since this WiFi was added next door, I have been getting progressively worse again. Last summer I added shielding to our windows, which helped immensely in being able to tolerate being upstairs in the house. But despite this, it is not enough for me or the others in my family who are also sensitive. I now wake up each morning with a level 2 headache. When I go outside, the pain spikes up to level 3 and later level 4 approaching a mild concussion, if I linger here too long. The only way I can escape the neighbor's toys now is to get 1000 feet away, preferrably up in the National Forest, where my headache goes down, and the bruising clears after a couple hours.

Please see the youtube links on the next page, showing how red blood cells clump together from this type of exposure. Also the study on how DECT phones affect the heart. These studies clearly match my symptoms.

Meter Evaluation

To complete my evaluation and review of these meters, I measure each meter with each other.

CORNET measuring ACOUSTIMETER: no signal, below sensitivity threshold of this meter.

ACOUSTIMETER measuring CORNET: no signal, DEFINITELY A QUIET METER. I can hold the CORNET without any symptoms.
Too bad CORNET is not very sensitive. I really like the informative display and small size, and especially no emissions.

The only two meters with zero emissions are ZAP CHECKER and CORNET.
Almost zero emissions! Upon closer inspection, it actually needs 1/2 inch to get that level, but only from behind the power button, where the center of the signal emits from. (No emissions from the display). Just hold the meter at the bottom to reduce or avoid any exposure.

Click to enlarge

ZAP CHECKER measuring ACOUSTIMETER
One inch is required to get the needle below 5 at highest sensitivity, and two inches for the red light to stop blinking. The ACOUSTIMETER does bother me a little bit. Moreso the longer I hold it. This is explained in the emissions table below.

Click to enlarge

CORNET version 2 measuring SPECTRAN version 2 at zero distance:

Click to enlarge

CORNET version 3 measuring SPECTRAN version 4 ... Eeek! this is Not better!

Click to enlarge
The emissions from the Spectran do go down about 3 dBm with the charger unplugged, but it is still unacceptable.

ACOUSTIMETER measuring SPECTRAN version 2 sitting on case, zero distance:

Click to enlarge
Audio recording: 14 seconds 27Kb [mp3]
Each "program" has it's own sound, due to frequency, timing, and bandwidth differences. Some settings actually are low in emissions, while others are high.

ACOUSTIMETER measuring SPECTRAN version 4 sitting on case, zero distance:

Click to enlarge
This was the highest emissions among the many programs on the one-touch buttons I have set up.
The SPECTRAN is noisy for a high quality high sensitivity meter. The ACOUSTIMETER can pick up the SPECTRAN emissions up to 12 ft. (3.7m) away. Not good for electro-sensitive people.

ZAP CHECKER measuring SPECTRAN version 2. Note the sensitivity is turned down to lowest setting of One at zero distance.

Click to enlarge

As the years pass, I have added more meters below, so the number of pictures showing meters measuring meters starts to become exponential. The ones above give a sampling of the range possible, so look to the table below for each new evaluation.

Features to look for:

What I am looking for in a perfect meter, is:

Low or No emissions - I'm trying to find devices that emit noise, not hold one close to my body! Second, imagine like when you can't hear someone across the room, because there is running water close by.
Frequency Range - The older meters that only go up to 3 Ghz give a false sense of security, as the newer 5-6 Ghz devices are much louder. WiFi and WLAN transmit at unregulated full power.
digital numeric readout of Peak Hold measurement - What is the highest reading since turned on or reset? Remember sweeping an area for measuring exposure limits requires finding the peak signal.
digital numeric readout for Right Now - What is the current measurement? This number should flicker no faster than 2 readings per second to be human readable.
fast LCD display - Some LCD crystals are faster and clearer than others.

LED light bar - Faster than an analog needle, and does not break. LEDs can flicker very fast, therefore supplementing the digital numbers with real-time information. Green-Yellow-Red gradients increase the ability to see at a glance what is being detected.
Audio speaker - allows the type of signal to be identified by sound characteristics, and provides greater sensitivity below the calibrated (numeric) threshold.
Sensitivity - The higher the better, as this increases the distance from which a signal can be detected. This is probably the most important factor in choosing a meter, and is the reason high-quality meters cost so much more.
Readable units - Both dBm and V/m are logarithmic, and thus easier to read at a glance, than 0.030 uW/m². Quick! was that 0.003 or mW or cm²? Also dBm can vary by manufacturer due to antenna calibration, so a meter that can have it's units configurable to some standard is better.
Size - Fits in a pocket, and fits in one hand.

Power source - Battery life is an issue. AA batteries come in rechargable form, 9V does not, and the ability to plug in an external source can be a plus.
Internal or External antenna? - That is a toss up... Internal doesn't break or cause wear at the connector, but external can widen the ability to measure different bands, or change from directional to non-directional.
Price - Oh! that is a lot to ask for!

The first 11 features are evaluated in the column below, in the same order as listed.

Specifications:

Meter	Frequency Range	# of Axis (1=directional)	Sensitivity Threshold	Features	MSRP
Acoustimeter AM-10	200 MHz - 8 GHz	1	0.02 V/m (numeric display) 0.001 mW/m² ultra-sensitive audio speaker	↓ ↑ ⇑ ⇑ • ↑ ⇑ ↑ ↑ ↓ 2 AA 20 hours	£ 243
Cornet ED-15SA	100 MHz - 3 GHz	2	0.026 V/m 0.0018 mW/m²	⇑ • ↑ ⇑ ⇑ ⇑ ⇓ • • ⇑ 9V >20 hours	$ 115
Cornet ED-15SA	Spectrum analysis: 2.4 - 2.5 GHz	2	0.000003 V/m 0.000000000025 mW/m²	⇑ • ↑ ⇑ ⇑ ⇑ ⇓ • • ⇑ 9V >20 hours	$ 115
Cornet ED-7	300 MHz - 3 GHz	2	0.026 V/m 0.0018 mW/m²	↑ ↓ ↓ ↓ • ⇑ • • • ⇑ 9V	$ 39
Cornet ED-85	1 MHz - 8 GHz included whip antenna: 600 MHz - 5.8+ GHz	2	0.026 V/m 0.0018 mW/m²	⇑ ↑ ⇑ ⇑ ⇑ ⇑ ⇓ • ↑ ↑ 9V >20 hours	$ 180
Canary Hotspotter HS-20	WiFi 802.11b/g/n 2.4 GHz - 2.5 GHz	2	ultra-sensitive exceeding Acoustimeter speaker	⇑ ↓ • • • • • ⇑ • ⇑ 2 AAA	$ 49
Spectran HF-6065 version 4	10 MHz - 6 GHz HyperLog antenna: 700 MHz - 6 GHz	2 1	0.00000061 V/m 0.000000000001 mW/m²	⇓ ⇑ ⇑ ⇑ ⇑ ↓ ⇑ ⇑ ↑ ↓ proprietary+ext	€ 1000
TES 593 same as Extech 480846	10 MHz - 8 GHz	3	0.0015 V/m 0.00001 mW/m²	⇑ ⇑ ⇑ ⇑ ↑ ↓ ⇓ ↑ ↑ • 9V lasts 2-5 hours	$ 499
TriField Meter EX100	50 MHz - 3 GHz	3	6.1 V/m 98.7 mW/m²	? ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ⇓ ↓ ↓ ↑ 9V	$ 130
Zap Checker 185	3 MHz - 5 GHz	1	ultra-sensitive (un-calibrated)	⇑ • ↓ ↓ ↓ • ↑ ↑ ↓ ⇑ 2 AA 80 hours	$ 159
Zap Checker 190B Enhanced	1 MHz - 8 GHz	1	ultra-sensitive (un-calibrated)	? ⇑ ↓ ↓ ↓ • ⇑ ⇑ ↓ ⇑ 2 AA	$ 369

The ACOUSTIMETER is best for finding weak signals, and analyzing what is happening in an area, because of its high quality audio speaker. Especially when looking for WiFi / WLAN beacons, the ACOUSTIMETER wins, with it's ability to detect beacon signals at over 1000 ft, and distant GSM towers at several miles. It is so sensitive, it can hear itself thinking. Thus the click click sound of it's own processor. Something that can only be heard in a completely quiet environment of a rural area. To review the positives: It shows current, average, and maximum at the same time, plus a couple color LED bars on a calibrated scale that is appropriate for biological effects. Also the value in being able to hear the signal's distinct pattern, or "sound signature", can not be dismissed lightly. Another little detail that is a positive, is the earphone jack, allowing you to record the sounds, or listen for weak signals in a noisy (auditory) environment.

The CORNET ED-7 features an audio speaker, bringing the benefits of audio detection to a small package with miniturized circuitry. In urban areas, it does perform very close to the Acoustimeter, but in rural and quiet places, it is lacking the sensitivity and sound quality. It does have two big negatives, 1. regarding the magnetic field it generates, and 2. the battery compartment is held in place with two tiny screws. I don't know yet how many hours each alkaline battery will go, but trying to use rechargable 9V batteries is out of the question when it looks and feels like the screws will strip out the plastic in short order.

Here are two audio recordings taken in each location, the first two are noisy urban environments measuring between 0.4 and 0.8 V/m. The third is rural measuring one neighbor's devices, across the fenceline. 0.05 V/m
Compare the difference in these two meters audio quality:

	Acoustimeter AM-10	Cornet ED-7
Colville	34 seconds 270Kb [mp3]	16 seconds 128Kb [mp3]
Spokane	49 seconds 385Kb [mp3]	32 seconds 250Kb [mp3]
neighbor #1	5 seconds 40Kb [mp3]	5 seconds 37Kb [mp3]

CORNET ED-85 is a hard package to beat. It's only flaw is the lack of sensitivity. This meter has the superior display. The version 3.0 firmware adds Peak Hold to this meter. To review the positives: It shows current and maximum at the same time, shows a history of 16 seconds, and a color LED bar of current activity above 180 µW/m², in a small package with no emissions. The draw on the battery is not too bad, at 39.4 mA (with the backlight off, 68.4 mA with backlight on.)

TES-593 is a mixed bag. I have several faults to note that don't show up on my feature chart; 1. it doesn't always register when I press a button. 2. it doesn't remember settings like time and date, thus asking why I should bother inputting them, taking up precious battery time. 3. Several settings require power off and restart holding a button, often unmarked and requiring memorization. 4. it only shows recent maximum when in max mode, and when reviewing a stored value, it overwrites the maximum field, thus making it impractical to review stored values when in the field taking measurements. 5. I've gotten spoiled being able to see max and current at the same time. This does not allow that, and switching modes is time consuming to rotate the 4 choices. 6. battery life is shortest of all meters (drawing 71 mA DC when on, and even drawing 0.09 mA when off). But if you ignore the low battery warning between 1 and 2 hours, it does last another 4 hours. 7. Searching for WiFi beacons is a big disappointment. I must get within 40 feet before I see the readings rise from background. Also, it does not detect any fault with the other meters (except Spectran of course). This suggests to me it is not very sensitive. But in real world testing, on the positive side, it does display readings lower than the other meters I prefer, and shows a little increase when near some devices that are nearly quiet. Thus it must have good sensitivity, although somewhat selective. I find this perplexing, but probably is due to gaps in the frequency range coverage, as all meters have their own sweet spot, dependant on each antenna type and method. Also another positive, it detects electrosmog from a few devices that did not show up as hot on some of the other meters. So it does the job it was designed for, but I see room for improvement (as with them all), both the clumsy functional design and battery life are a big negative.
The natural background level here is 0.0029 V/m. (2.9 mV/m)

Please notice, how the Trifield (this is not the Ramsey Tri Field kit) demonstrates very poor sensitivity, and is therefore basically useless on the Microwave setting. In fact the Trifield does not Start detecting RF until 6 V/m, which is at the Top of the Acoustimeter's scale. The same is true of many cheap and simple 3-LED detectors that are priced under $100.

SPECTRAN is the most sensitive meter I have tested. But it requires some skill to use successfully. Of course, the spectrum analysis and data logging capabilities enter this meter into a class all it's own. However, for sweeping an area for unknown signal frequencies and type, I have not found the Spectran to be useful. Aaronia insists I use the Profiles in their LCS software, which assumes I know what frequencies I want to study. I can not give it a positive review, (setting the emissions issue aside, but instead looking at the meter's actual results) for the contrast in signal strength to background noise I am seeing is very poor now. The measured data points seem muted, especially when compared to the readings from the other meters. See some testing results for Spectran on the spectrum graphs page. I still can't decide if the version 4 I was sent is broken, or if I am doing something wrong.

The CORNET ED-15SA has the spectrum analysis I was looking for 5 years ago, but that capability only covers the WiFi and microwave oven part of the spectrum. Like the other Cornet meters, it is not very sensitive in the broadband mode. Still very useful for identifying beacon activity.

The ZAP CHECKER in some instances, appears to be the best detector, but does not pick up WiFi signals until close-range, similar to most of the other meters reviewed here. When travelling past Gold Mtn. it picks up signals as far away as 1.5 Mi (2Km), but for some reason, the ACOUSTIMETER does not detect this one. This location only has a low-power FM station broadcasting from it, so it is either that or the uplink across the valley, that I can only pick up with this detector.

I have not personally reviewed the ZC190B, thus some of the above features column 1 are marked "?". Also, it has been 3 years since I sold my TriField, thus I have also entered a "?" for it's emissions.

Finding the best low cost, highest sensitivity meter requires tradeoffs. Each meter has it's pros and cons.

Emissions:

device being measured (this column down)	Acoustimeter at zero distance, and distance for audio to disappear	Zap Checker 180 at zero distance, and distance to get 5 at 10	Cornet at zero distance	TES-593 at zero distance	GaussMeter at zero distance, and distance to get <= 0.2mG
Acoustimeter AM-10	n/a 12 inches (30 cm) from AM radio	100 at sensitivity 9 60 at sensitivity 8 2 inches (5 cm)	Below thresholds	Below thresholds	3 mG 3 inches (8 cm)
Canary Hotspotter HS-20	< 0.02 V/m one brief pop of audio detected	70 at sensitivity 10 9 at sensitivity 8 1/4 inch (0.6 cm)	Below thresholds	Below thresholds	0.9 mG only at top half 2 inches (5 cm)
Cornet ED-15SA	< 0.02 V/m no audio detected	60 at sensitivity 9 5 at sensitivity 8 1/4 inch (0.6 cm)	Below thresholds	Below thresholds	0.2 mG
Cornet ED-7	< 0.02 V/m no audio detected	2 at sensitivity 10	Below thresholds	Below thresholds	>10 mG (1 µT) 5 inches (13 cm)
Cornet ED-85	< 0.02 V/m no audio detected	90 at sensitivity 9 8 at sensitivity 8 1/2 inch (1.3 cm)	n/a	Below thresholds	0.17 mG
Spectran HF-6060 ver.2	0.42 V/m = 0.446 mW/m² 12 feet (366 cm)	82 at sensitivity 1	0.076 mW/m² -38.3 dBm
Spectran HF-6065 ver.4	0.56 V/m = 0.832 mW/m² 8 feet (244 cm)	100 at sensitivity 1 up to 7 feet (213 cm)	0.797 mW/m² -28.6 dBm	0.2023 V/m	4.7 mG 6 inches (15 cm)
TES-593	< 0.02 V/m no audio detected	90 at sensitivity 8 57 at sensitivity 7 2 inches (5 cm)	Below thresholds		0.25 mG 0.25 inches (0.5 cm)
Zap Checker 180	< 0.02 V/m no audio detected	n/a	Below thresholds	Below thresholds	0.15 mG

If you want to see measurements of microwave ovens, cell-phones, routers, electric cars, masts (cell-towers), and other intentionally noisy or seriously noisy equipment, please search youtube or other pages online. I can't and won't go near them intentionally. My primary focus is on reducing or eliminating EMF, and finding weak signals in a non-urban environment, specifically what those with EHS need to keep their recovery zone clear.

Here are some youtube links that I liked:
Excellent introduction to questioning safety of wireless. Measuring WiFi in a school with TES-92
Measuring various cell-phones, wifi, towers, shielding fabric and films with the audio detector, MW1 Electrosmog Detector
Cell phones also emit high levels of magnetic and electric fields
Measuring a microwave oven with the COM EM Monitor, a predecessor to the Acoustimeter
Measuring Wi-Fi from a laptop with the COM EM Meter
Measuring Wi-Fi router with the COM EM Meter
Measuring the Wii with the COM EM Meter and the Cornet
Measuring Bluetooth and Motorola celphone with Cornet
Please see more youtube links on the Health Links page.

Returning to my story

Here is an exception to my last paragraph... I am adding a section to this page to show normal use in normal areas. Thus going near noisy environments intentionally, or kind of, forced into it...

This is from driving through Airway Heights near Spokane, on Hwy 2:

Click to enlarge
This shows a steady level of activity around -38 dBm, then a spike up to -5 dBm (182.74 mW/m²) when passing an unmarked WSP patrol car, and in the last 7 seconds, the background level went up to -29 dBm, holding fairly steady until I pressed the Hold button at -30 dBm (0.564 mW/m²). The ability to show the last 16 seconds (32 bars) on a graph is Very useful!

When I felt the spike of pain, I glanced at the meter, and pressed the Hold button. Later, after I was Out of the city, I was then able to take this picture. Therefore the color LED bar is only showing one green light.
This was the first time in several years since I have been near Spokane, and so took the opportunity to take many readings with a few meters. This Cornet picture shows the best representation of how I felt about this travelling. Bleh!

For comparison, here is a similar snapshot of the RF levels in rural Republic, I pressed Hold just after passing the center of town.

Click to enlarge
The far left side of the graph, 16 seconds ago, was about when I passed the tower by the library. Notice the levels are not solid on the graph, reflecting the lesser number of transmitters. On other meters that show Average readings, this would be a lower number than the peak/max number, and can also be described as less traffic density. The height on the graph is an indicator of how close the transmitters are, as well as how much energy (Watts) are being pumped out. The difference between urban and rural town are well shown here.
<sarcasm>The city planners must be proud the RF levels here are almost as high as bigger cities.</sarcasm>
At least the radius of the bubble is still nothing like the metro areas.

Unfortunately I had to travel to Spokane again to take dad to the hospital.
Using the Cornet and whip antenna, today's peak was 11 mW/m², so last week's huge spike was a one time sighting.
I stopped briefly at the Walmart parking lot in Airway Heights:

Click to enlarge
The readings for both the whip antenna and the HyperLog antenna were very similar. I regularly saw 3 mW/m² on the whip antenna, unless I held the antenna in a shadowed location, or aimed the HyperLog away from the direction of known radar sites (NOAA weather and Spokane Airport radar), about 1 mile away.
This photo shows a peak at -22.8 dBm. (3 mW/m²) I pressed Hold several times, so the spacing between the radar spikes is not showing 11 seconds. The steady background level is the same as last week. No surprise.

I pre-planned where to wait out the time for dad's tests, and picked the most rural part of Airway Heights (NW Spokane) I could find on the antenna map (short of going all the way around, north into the Spokane River gorge).
Here, the nearest cell-tower is 3 or 4 miles, and the radar is 4½ or 5½ miles distant. Range land here is being carved up and sold as 10 acre lots, and a new house is being built nearby. It looks like a quiet neighborhood with only a dozen houses in view across the Deep Creek gorge. Looks like a good place for testing.

Click to enlarge
With the whip antenna attached, I got readings above the threshold of -55 dBm. I forgot to take notes, so the peak on whip antenna is forgotten.
Here I have the HyperLog antenna attached, to determine direction of the individual noise sources, and I stopped when I found the source of the loudest spikes. Check the compass by looking at the sun angle, and yes it is coming from a radar sweeping a circle every 11 seconds, probably at KGEG Spokane Airport. Bleh! I say again. Not far enough away for me.
I recorded the sounds from the Acoustimeter: 40 seconds 317Kb [mp3] Various noise sources besides the radar can be clearly heard.

With the Acoustimeter mounted on top of the dashboard, I found I could also hear that radar all the way west to Creston, 50 miles away, where the measured spike was up to 0.33 V/m or 0.290 mw/m². Depending on the elevation of the highway, the signal strength was obviously highest at the higher points of the hills. Closer to Spokane, at Reardon, 12 miles from KGEG airport, the spike crossed the 1.0 V/m line, or 2.653 mW/m². That gives you an idea of the range of radar, and the usefullness of these 2 meters. So yes, you will notice the above picture was not as strong, as I was not on a hilltop in line-of-sight.

Click to enlarge
From the Texaco station on Hwy 2, this picture shows the effect of having numerous towers all around: One to the west at 0.6 miles, two to the north at 2.5 and 3 miles, one to the east at 0.5 miles, and more at one mile intervals continuing east on through Airway Heights to Spokane. Steady red in nearly every direction. The appearance of empty fields is an illusion. It is not peaceful here. Yeow! This place is nuts! It took me 3 days to recover from this (unavoidable) trip.
Here is the recording from the Acoustimeter: 32 seconds 247Kb [mp3]

On 2011.Mar.04 when north of Wilbur, I recorded a new sound I do not recognize, that sounds like a starling. 3 seconds 45Kb [mp3] It repeats every 10 seconds like a radar, but is not coming from Spokane, nor does it sound like the familiar bzzzt from the Spokane radar. The strongest measurement was 0.50 V/m.

New product review. Canary Wireless Hotspotter HS-20.

In the left picture, a WiFI router is near the window of neighbor #1's house in the upper left. The distance is 1150 ft. (350m)
In the right picture, (farther up the hill) the house in the upper right is at a distance of 2360 ft. (720m)
The Canary Hotspotter is excellent for identifying WiFi in the 2.4 GHz band. Very quiet, and Ultra sensitive. As mentioned earlier, the Acoustimeter was capable of detecting the WiFi beacon coming from neighbor #1 at 1150 ft., but from the hilltop on the right, the Acoustimeter can not pick up WiFi at this incredible distance.

With the increasing proliferation of WiFi enabled devices, (satellite dish routers and smart meters) the need to identify what is in your neighborhood is becoming a critical issue, even in rural places.
Over two years ago, there was only one neighbor with WiFi. Now within a 3/4 mile radius, there are six. Depending on placement of the antennas, and the type of material the walls are made of, I can receive 4 bars, 1 bar, 4 bars, 4 bars, 2 bars, and 4 bars of signal from the road. One house has metal siding. This makes the inside literally a microwave oven. Is this safe? Read the links on the next page and prove it to yourself.

If I walk down to the fenceline with neighbor #1 along the (now abandoned) training corral, at 140 ft. (43m), the Canary shows 3 bars of signal strength. In the same place, the Cornet shows -54.8 dBm (0.001 mW/m²). This proves the EMF travels farther than the industry wants us to believe (certainly in a clear line of sight).

At the same places where Canary shows 4 bars, I try again the WiFi-Seeker I first tried back in 2010.February:

But it still shows nothing. This little key-chain-cheepie really is worthless.

Question: How can weak signals be measured that do not show up on broadband meters?
Answer: The device that uses a chip (and narrow band filter) to access specific frequencies.
Example: GPS signals from satellite are very weak. Cell phone signals (in rural areas) from far away towers are very weak.
Lesson: Using the actual chip yields better sensitivity to signals. The Canary Hotspotter is a good example of this. Good GPS units that display signal strength, are as well.
Application: Using an actual cell phone to measure signal strength would make rural valleys measureable, if only the transmitter can be kept off, or disabled. (Yes it can.

The simplist way is to remove the SIM card.)

Click to enlarge, show debug codes

On the left is measuring WiFi from Franson Peak, from the same hilltop as the TES photo below. Distance to Franson Peak is 7 miles. I thought picking up WiFi at 2360 ft was outstanding, but at 7 MILES !?! I shudder at the implications.
On the right is a Samsung SGH-T139 (with No service, and in Debug mode using a Service Code) measuring 850 Mhz cell reception as I map the EMR hot spots and dead zones around Lambert Creek. I have several miles of trails to revisit, so it is not yet finished. But it can be clearly seen, where 6 full bars of reception match up with clear line of sight with Franson Pk to the north, contrasts with 0 bars in deep valleys and south sides of hills. One thing I have learned from this mapping project, is how small the dead zone is in the deepest part of the valley.

New product review: TES-593
My evaluation is above in a paragraph between specs and emissions. But in addition to that, here is a picture on top of one ridgeline here:

Compare 0.0049 V/m up here where 6 bars of Cell tower reception can be found, my headache grows, and the Acoustimeter whines,
With the valley floor at 0.0029 V/m. where there are 0 bars of Cell tower reception, and the Acoustimter is silent.

Going toward town and cell towers is very different. Downtown Republic and Colville are consistant with the Acoustimeter's readings.
0.659 V/m person at gas station on a cell phone, 10 ft. away
0.070 V/m 5 miles from Colville and towers
0.119 V/m 4 miles from Colville
0.164 V/m 3 miles from Colville
0.275 V/m 2 miles from Colville
0.310 V/m 1 mile from Colville
0.846 V/m intolerable parking lot in Colville, WA

New product review: Cornet ED-15SA
The spectrum analysis mode lets you see exactly what activity is happening between 2.4 and 2.5 GHz.
The background level is between -90 and -92 dBm.

Revisiting the southwest neighbor (#3) along the county road. 4 bars on the Canary	Latest WiFi to the northwest, (#2) shows as 1 or 2 bars on the Canary Hotspotter

driving through Republic	Tonasket

southeast neighbor #1 with a buzz like a Dect phone	southeast neighbor #1 with Spread Spectrum WiFi beacon ON does not show up on the Canary, so is not 802.11b/g/n.

southeast neighbor #1 with original WiFi channel 1 back ON again shows as 3 bars on the Canary Hotspotter

Update

Also during 2010, my mother's symptoms of pain and insomnia increased, as her sensitivity also increased. What was this family exposed to? Since genetics can be altered by the environment, we seem to have all been affected somehow...by something in common to the 4 now 3 of us here...
On the morning of 2011.Mar.27, mother did not wake up. She died during the night, and the coroner decided it was a heart attack, but we here know her symptoms exceeded that simple official cause. Rest in peace.

My own health continued to worsen... but on 2011.Aug.02 the feeling outside changed, it no longer hurt. The next morning I impressed neighbor #1 when I went over to thank him for turning off his WiFi. I can now go outside in our own yard again. The connection between exposure and symptoms is undeniable.

2011.Oct.05 This week, on one morning, finally for the first time in several years, I was able to say I woke up without any head pain. The tumor-like ear infection has subsided as well, although my right ear continues to be plugged half of the time. Since that morning, my headache levels continue to be low, having returned to pre-2009 levels and patterns (going up when in areas with cellular reception). What has not recovered, is my brain fog, and memory. I am still tired, and making mistakes everywhere I go.

2011.Nov.06 Too good to last. My tinitus which was receeding, has now jumped back up, and also spread some to the other ear. Also my right ear is back to being blocked. How frustrating. I've been checking around this week, but no Wi-Fi signals can be detected at home. However, there is now something else that makes a buzzing and pulsating sound on the Acoustimeter. Sounds similar to a DECT phone, but with a pause in the data or beacon packets about once per second. Audio recording: 4 seconds 35Kb [mp3]. While it is annoying, it does not rise to the pain level as before.

2011.Nov.26 Went outside today and got a sharp headache. Checked the fenceline with neighbor #1, verified WiFi beacon is back on. Audio recording: 5 seconds 40Kb [mp3] on the Acoustimeter at a distance of 140 ft. (43m)

2011.Nov.27 Did not sleep well last night, with the WiFi on all night, and then noticed the WiFi was turned off before noon. The only good thing about these incidents, is how it makes the difference stand out, like night and day. If I can stay inside, it is more like a cloudy day, where the signal strength is low enough to be annoying but difficult to feel when it is turned on or off. But go outside where the meters can pick it up, and I can feel the status myself without needing to check a meter to know when it is on.

2011.Nov.28 Back on again, although somewhat different. Probably trying to find a frequency that does not bother me. Nice effort, but misguided.

2011.Nov.30 More bad news. The last neighbor to the west (designated #2 by distance) without active electrosmog emissions, has installed and activated a WiFi router with their new satellite dish.

2011.Dec.09 Yet more bad news. Another WiFi has appeared closer to my mailbox, so that now the daily trek to the main road takes me past 5 WiFi beacons. It is just too much, and too painful. With the high level of exercise required to trek the 1 mile distance, and climb 150 ft. of elevation, when my blood pressure climbs normally, it just puts too much pressure on my head, as the headache becomes a migraine. I must move the mailbox so that I don't travel west by foot anymore.

2012.Jan.07 Woke up this morning with a sharp headache. My brother also has a headache (throbbing with dizziness) where there was none yesterday. When I check the fenceline with the southeast neighbor #1, sure enough, it is back on again after being off for 3 weeks. On the positive side, this allowed me to take new recordings with the new Cornet Spectrum Analysis meter.
Audio recordings on the Acoustimeter at a distance of 140 ft. (43m):
18 seconds 147Kb [mp3] Spread spectrum WiFi Beacon plus DECT buzz plus some data transmissions. Peak measured 0.05 V/m
38 seconds 309Kb [mp3] Moving along the fenceline slightly decreases the DECT buzz. This recording is the beacon plus some data transmissions and a mystery whine that could be a different data transmission.
9 seconds 76Kb [mp3] Different location along the fenceline, increases the DECT buzz.
Cheers! it's back off around 4pm.

2012.Jan.23 Spent 6 hours yesterday in bed in the fetal position due to severe headache. Some extra cellular and WLAN activity outside when I checked, but mostly suffering from the solar storm that hit Sunday. Once allergic to the 21st century, any magnetic disturbance becomes a problem. So now it seems natural magnetic field disturbances also affect me.
Then this morning I feel the nearest neighbor has returned to using his original WiFi, it is back ON. Another horrible day to be outside or upstairs. But I did add another meter picture to the growing collection (see above).

Still uncertain if we must move or if we can endure here (translate that as Suffer for years under the Torture). It is sad some people don't believe warnings unless it affects them also.

Today, electrosensitives are the canary. They are being ignored.

If you are looking for a video presentation about EHS, but don't want to wait over an hour into the video before they present solid evidence? I don't pussy foot around wasting time asking If or Maybe.
Now available on DVD
EMR aka Electrosmog -- Current Research and News Documentaries
A collection of 3 hours of hard hitting proof that Radio Frequency Electro Magnetic Radiation (wireless) is bad for your health.
Plus 20 minutes of my own video recordings showing me measuring my rural location, hilltops, and venturing into urban areas.

The ICNIRP guidlenes for cell tower radiation exposure are the worst in the world. Several health effects have been reported much below these ICNIRP guidelines.

The ICNIRP state that these guidelines are only for short term exposure and considers only thermal effects and does not take account non thermal effects which are more harmful and occurs much below thermal effects. According to calculations the ICNIRP guidleines implies that a human body can be safely kept in a microwave oven for 1166 secs = 19 minutes per day!!

In USA, max. SAR limit for cell phones is 1.6W/Kg which is for 6 minutes. It has a safety margin of 3 to 4, so a person should not use cell phone for more than 18 to 24 minutes per day. This information is not commonly given to users.

ehs1.html

Updated 2012.Jan.23