With the ubiquity of handheld devices and other electronics, there has been a growing concern about electromagnetic frequency (EMF) – or more accurately, radiation frequency (RF). Biological effects can appear as a result of exposure to RF energy. Often referred to as "thermal" effects, RF exposure can quickly create heat within biological tissue and thereby increase your body temperature, causing irrevocable damage. At low exposure levels, studies have been conducted to measure the correlation between radiation frequency and cancer. Although the results are inconclusive, RF is still a hot button topic for many. And given the fact that – regardless of what we believe it to be capable of – we are hit with low level RF exposure all the time, it's in everyone’s best interest to protect against exposure when possible.
Common sources of exposure are the items and structures we interact with daily. Cellular and microwave antennas – the cell towers outside your office and on the roof of your building that are aimed to boost cell coverage in large buildings and stadiums – emit radiation frequency. Industrial machinery, though not accessible to most civilians, exposes you to RF as well. This includes RF heat sealers and vinyl welders, semiconductor process equipment, RF induction heating tools, dielectric dryers and heaters, plasma generation systems, and more. The FCC and FDA have established acceptable ranges of radiation emissions that won't pose a threat to anyone that comes into contact with these machines or structures. The best way to test for these emissions and determine whether or not a site is safe, is with a shaped probe. Narda, a manufacturer of radiation meter equipment, is the global provider in RF and EMF field monitoring, analysis, and safety.
The FCC and FDA have set separate exposure limits for "general" and "occupational" settings. Narda formed relationships with these entities, and as a result, has been able to develop exclusive technology that is set to test these limits automatically, without any additional configuration. Narda offers four different shaped probes to test against four separate government standards: EA-5091 FCC for USA, EB-5091 IEEE for military facilities in USA, ED-5091 ICNIRP in Europe, and EC-5091 SC6 in Canada. The probe can then quickly read out whether or not the site exceeds the percentage of allowable exposure, providing fast and accurate results. Advanced Test Equipment Rentals carries a variety of equipment by Narda, including the NBM-550 Broadband Field Meter. The NBM-550 meter can be used with a variety of probes, which are able to sweep between 100 kHz to 3 GHz and 300 kHz to 50 GHz. It's also equipped to establish safe zones in compliance with human safety standard limit values, and tests for a broad range of applications.
A handheld field meter and probe from a trusted manufacturer will offer peace of mind and certainty that the tested site is safe for human occupation. To test for RF exposure quickly, rent a field meter and probe from Advanced Test Equipment Rentals today and receive next-day shipping. Browse from our selection of radiation meters and personal RF monitors, or contact one of our communications equipment specialists.
Posted April 26, 2017