Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

As a former engineer, I was hesitant to buy this meter because of its relatively low price, and I almost purchased the higher priced Trifield made by the same company that has wider ranges of frequencies of the different fields covered. But some wise consultants at a company called LessEMF talked me into this one and a separate RF meter. I bought this one from Amazon because it was about $25 cheaper, and I bought the RF meter from LessEMF since it was not available from Amazon. The service and integrity of both companies are superb, and so are the products. This meter has been everything we needed to try to help my beloved wife with her Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS). You can measure both AC electric and magnetic fields in a wide range of strengths, and you can measure RF radiation from a microwave. But you CANNOT measure RF from other common devices like wireless devices (phones, computer routers, mice and keyboards, baby monitors, etc.). For those, you need a specialty RF meter. My wife's EHS has virtually derailed our lives for the last three months, and I honestly do not know what we would do without this meter at this point. With it, we can detect problem areas in our own home and in the public places she frequents. So far, we have discovered we needed to eliminate all compact fluorescent bulbs even though I love the quality of light they produce. We have replaced them with bulb-shaped halogens that emit very low magnetic and electric fields. We determined that the microwave and oven had to be either unplugged or switched off at the breaker panel to keep the magnetic fields low enough in the kitchen for her to be safe. Simply having them off was not enough. I was able to measure the electric field strength of the full spectrum fluorescent tubes (twelve bulbs in three ceiling fixtures) in my studio where I make my living as a painter and sculptor: the fields were astoundingly strong. I then built shields using hardware cloth covering the entire bottom of the metal fixtures, ensuring these shields were grounded to the light fixture housing, and this reduced the electric fields to zero. I would never have been able to tell if I was successful had I not had a meter to measure the electric fields before and after. I have also used it to see how close to a floor lamp my wife can safely sit and keep the fields immeasurably small. And I have determined where in our Dodge van the magnetic fields are the lowest so she can sit in relative safety. I had not suspected those fields in a vehicle could be so strong...in some places pegging the meter on the high setting. One of the best uses of this small meter is to take with me to places she goes regularly, like the gym. She is a workoutaholic, and such exercise is a real benefit to people suffering with EHS. But without a way to ensure her safety at the gym, workouts have been problematic. Some of the cardio machines emit almost no fields, some produce medium magnetic fields, and one an astoundingly strong magnetic field (the Fit Stride 95xi by Life Fitness). The earlier versions of this elliptical cross trainer are fine (the 9500 HR) for her to use, but she dares not get on the newer version. The magnetic field in the rear is astoundingly strong, especially when you are actually on the machine. Also at the gym, I was able to find out why she suffered a serious EMF hit several days ago. She had leaned against a wall to stretch and then got on the Life Fitness 9500 HR I mentioned above, which is near several TVs. She thought the hit was from the TVs or the elliptical machine, and so did I; but measurements yesterday determined that the TVs and the elliptical trainer were fine and that the problem was a set of three dimmer switches on the back side of the wall where she was leaning to stretch. Again, the magnetic field was pegged on the highest setting of the meter. So far, the dimmer switches have been the most dangerous thing we have yet encountered. I have much mitigation work yet to do in our home to make it safe, and also many stores and other locations to investigate to keep her safe out of the house. This meter will be getting a lot of work, and so far it has been a real--literal--lifesaver. One of my wife's chief EMF symptoms is heart problems, and some people have actually died from such problems when they are left untreated. Part of the knowledge required to treat them is only obtainable with a meter to measure the fields in real time. So if you have any reasons to avoid EMF, I would suggest this meter as a prime purchase. One thing I have learned in measuring various fields is that, even for an engineer (biomedical engineering with a bunch of EE courses), much of this field strength measurement and detection is somewhat counter-intuitive. You need a good meter. Two more things. First, as the description of this product mentions, it is capable of measuring magnetic fields in any plane because it has three separate antennae inside. Thus, it is much simpler to use than one requiring a particular orientation to be effective. Most meters in this price range cannot do that. Second, I honestly believe that given the proliferation of RF energy for everything from wireless networks to cell phones to garage door openers, more and more people are going to develop EHS over the next decade. My suggestion? Start reducing your exposure now by making changes in your own home. This meter will help. But you will also need an RF meter for all the devices mentioned above. My wife just had a serious hit from the WiFi network (both for customers and for the store's computers) at a local Whole Foods Market. She will no longer be able to shop there. But you need an RF meter to measure that field. The one I own is a Cornet Electrosmog Meter, the one with the extended range to reach fields of 6 GHz.