This is an extremely sensitive meter which can accurately measure RF background even in rural areas far from any transmitters. The meter reads true power density directly on the display. Unlike other low-cost field strength meters, this meter's frequency response does not depend on the characteristics of an external antenna; the internal detection system yields a flat response over a very wide range of frequencies.Accuracy in the FM, TV and cell tower frequency range (30 MHz - 2.4 GHz) is +/-25%. Sensitivity is low by 50% (-3 dB) at the frequency limits .5 MHz and 3 GHz. (Sensitivity is 25% at 5 GHz. That is, you must multiply the reading by 4 when measuring microwaves at that high a frequency. At 10 GHz, sensitivity is about 10%.)A High-Pass selector switch allows you to measure either the full bandwidth ("Wide" = 0.5 MHz - 3 GHz) or to apply a high-pass filter ("Narrow" = 6 dB/ octive rolloff with a knee at 100 MHz) that effectively allows only 100 MHz to 3 GHz through. In practice, this high-pass selector function can be used to estimate one additional parameter: the average frequency of the RF (if it is in the range 10 MHz - 500 MHz).The RF Field Strength Meter is directional and it detects only the component of the electric field which has the same polarization as the long axis of the meter. That is, if only a vertically-polarized RF wave is present, but you turn the meter in the horizontal direction, it will essentially read zero. If you subsequently rotate the meter to vertical, it will then read the full power density of the RF wave. Most RF radiation has only vertical electric field, so the full strength can be read by holding the meter vertically. (At the end of this page is more information on how to read radio waves with other polarizations).
This is an extremely sensitive meter which can accurately measure RF background even in rural areas far from any transmitters. The meter reads true power density directly on the display. Unlike other low-cost field strength meters, this meter's frequency response does not depend on the characteristics of an external antenna; the internal detection system yields a flat response over a very wide range of frequencies.Accuracy in the FM, TV and cell tower frequency range (30 MHz - 2.4 GHz) is +/-25%. Sensitivity is low by 50% (-3 dB) at the frequency limits .5 MHz and 3 GHz. (Sensitivity is 25% at 5 GHz. That is, you must multiply the reading by 4 when measuring microwaves at that high a frequency. At 10 GHz, sensitivity is about 10%.)A High-Pass selector switch allows you to measure either the full bandwidth ("Wide" = 0.5 MHz - 3 GHz) or to apply a high-pass filter ("Narrow" = 6 dB/ octive rolloff with a knee at 100 MHz) that effectively allows only 100 MHz to 3 GHz through. In practice, this high-pass selector function can be used to estimate one additional parameter: the average frequency of the RF (if it is in the range 10 MHz - 500 MHz).The RF Field Strength Meter is directional and it detects only the component of the electric field which has the same polarization as the long axis of the meter. That is, if only a vertically-polarized RF wave is present, but you turn the meter in the horizontal direction, it will essentially read zero. If you subsequently rotate the meter to vertical, it will then read the full power density of the RF wave. Most RF radiation has only vertical electric field, so the full strength can be read by holding the meter vertically. (At the end of this page is more information on how to read radio waves with other polarizations).
