Sound Meter & EMF Meter

[Sylar]

Not sure if this is the right forum.

I am looking for 2 meters.
1. SPL Meter (for acoustic measuring).
2. EMF Meter (for measuring wireless energy - pretty much the entire spectrum).

Looking for good reliable suggestions that do not burn the pocket.

I found this for SPL and this for EMF.
Both are pretty expensive.

 

[Speedskater]

I think of EMF as being a low frequency thing. Like from power line frequency up to maybe 100kHz. Are you measuring the field or interfering signals.
Hams often use wide-band battery powered receivers to measure both frequency and signal strength.

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

An EMF meter measures an electromagnetic field. It sounds like you want an RF (radio frequency) meter instead, which is what you linked.

“Good and reliable” for a sound level meter equals accuracy. The meter you linked, a Type II variety item, is only accurate +/- 2 dB, which is not exactly what you would call “accurate.” The cheapest Type I meters (which are accurate +/- 1 dB) are hundreds of dollars. Thus, there’s no such thing as a sound level meter that’s both accurate and cheap.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Sylar]

Thanks for the responses.

A sound meter whose accuracy is around +/- 2 dB is something I can live with for my needs.
1. Is there something that I can get that is cheaper than that with same acuracy?

As for the EMF or rather RF meter, Yes I am attempting to measure and minimize harmful wireless sources of energy. From what I am aware much of which is Radio Frequency. I might go to the extend of eliminating my wireless modem if it is really ugly.
I guess it is not possible to have one meter measure almost the entire spectrum of concern and one that is moderately priced. Most of these meters measure from 200Mhz upwards and upto 8GHz. To measure below that range, i might need to get another meter or two.
Would it suffice to measure the above mentioned frequency range or are there other ranges of frequency that I should also be concerned about.

2. Is the Acoustimeter a good buy? The same is available for 400$ by different seller.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BLP751K/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=
It is one of the few meters I could find that has a wider range of measurement and is reported as being quite accurate. I guess for my needs i don't need off the charts accuracy devices. But again +/- 10% accuracy is more like inaccuracy.

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

2. Is the Acoustimeter a good buy? The same is available for 400$ by different seller.

If you don’t trust the user reviews at that link, there’s probably not much we can do to help you, Sylar. Audioholics is a forum for home theater enthusiasts; you won’t find many here who know anything about RF meters (as evidenced by the fact that your thread has generated no helpful replies). In fact I didn’t know there was such a thing until I saw your thread.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Sylar]

If you don’t trust the user reviews at that link, there’s probably not much we can do to help you, Sylar. Audioholics is a forum for home theater enthusiasts; you won’t find many here who know anything about RF meters (as evidenced by the fact that your thread has generated no helpful replies). In fact I didn’t know there was such a thing until I saw your thread.

The reviews are pretty good. However, I was more looking out for something less expensive and reliable too. The more I read and the more I seem to find out, that particular RF meter is one of the better ones.

While I was looking for a decent Sound Meter, it kinda made sense to get suggestions on the RF meter too. Never know if I could get lucky with some suggestions.

FYI in case its of interest to you.
We are being bombarded with RF waves big time. No escape! It isn't healthy. So I'm thinking of replacing my wireless router with a wired router. The Cordless phone too. Fortunately we have no microwave. And of course if you have a mobile tower close to home you have a big problem (Only solution for this is to move out).
Different people have different opinions on this subject. Some believe it is harmless.

 

[highfigh]

The reviews are pretty good. However, I was more looking out for something less expensive and reliable too. The more I read and the more I seem to find out, that particular RF meter is one of the better ones.

While I was looking for a decent Sound Meter, it kinda made sense to get suggestions on the RF meter too. Never know if I could get lucky with some suggestions.

FYI in case its of interest to you.
We are being bombarded with RF waves big time. No escape! It isn't healthy. So I'm thinking of replacing my wireless router with a wired router. The Cordless phone too. Fortunately we have no microwave. And of course if you have a mobile tower close to home you have a big problem (Only solution for this is to move out).
Different people have different opinions on this subject. Some believe it is harmless.

Why do you need the SPL meter- different issue?

Do you have a security system at home with wireless sensors?

Baby monitor(s)

WiFi- already mentioned

Wireless phone- ditto


If you want to avoid RF, you'll need to move to a place where it's not used.

If you want to see RF in the 2.4GHz range, Inssider is an app used by people in networking, for finding info on the local network. It also comes with a heat mapper, which will show the strength of the fields as you move the laptop around the area. If you want to use a cell phone, WiPry is one of the better ones, but to do it accurately, you would need some hardware.