*****Update March 2018: The Trifield 100XE has now been replaced by the Trifield TF2 EMF meter – read my review here. *****
Today I review the Trifield 100XE EMF Meter.
The million dollar question is, “how can I protect myself from something I can't see?“
To be able to protect yourself you have to measure the threat. Here measuring the threat means evaluating the electromagnetic fields in your environment. Sound tricky? It’s not.
The starting point is to measure with an electromagnetic field meter, more commonly known as an EMF meter.
There are lots of EMF meters on the market, I've tried many of them. Here I review and explain how to use the Trifield EMF Meter. But just before I get into that, if you're asking yourself, “should I be concerned about EMFs?” Let me address this question very briefly.
Should You Be Concerned About EMFs?
It's not about being concerned it's about knowing the facts. The fact is thousands of studies link EMF exposures to the following diseases:
- brain tumors
- cancer
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Lou Gehrig's disease
- breast cancer
- various childhood cancers
- depression
- electrical sensitivity
- heart disease
- infertility
- miscarriage, and suicide
- and more….
If you need more convincing just spend a few moments reading the articles and readers comments on this website – the reason I started this website was because I got sick from these supposedly harmless EMF exposures. Enough said.
Here's my review of the Trifield EMF meter, a superb self empowerment tool.
Why I Purchased the Trifield EMF Meter
- It's so easy to use. All you have to do is turn the knob and read the dial. If the needle on the dial gives a reading on the broken read line on the dial your EMF readings are considered safe. If the needle goes over into a continuous read line you're in the danger zone.
- It’s so simple to use. It's called a ‘Tri-field' meter for a reason. You can stand in one spot and the meter will measure ALL the EMFs coming from every direction to that spot (unlike a ‘uni-directional' or directional meter, which will only measure the EMFs coming from the direction you are pointing the meter towards).
- It's easy to understand analog (needle) display – which has a fast response time compared to some digital emf meters.
- It's excellent gaussmeter function. It can measure magnetic fields from as little as 0.2 mG right up to 100 mG! Few meters in this price bracket measure such a broad frequency range with such a high degree of sensitivity and accuracy.
- It can measure radiation from so many different sources; computer equipment, electrical wiring, electric ovens, TV’s, fluorescent lights…..even EMFs from transformers and power lines near the home.
- I wanted a meter which could give me actual readings – not just an EMF detector.
- Its price.
What To Look For When Buying An EMF Meter
The first thing to understand when you buy an EMF meter is that the electromagnetic spectrum is vast. Buying a meter which can measure everything is both impractical and extremely expensive (not to mention impossible).
But then you're not interested in measuring everything. You're only interested in the EMFs which have the biggest impact on your health. When you buy an EMF meter you need to buy one which can measure the EMFs which from a health point of view give us the most cause for concern. So you need a meter which measures :
- AC magnetic fields
- AC electric fields
- Radio frequency/ microwave fields
Most EMF meters measure just one of these categories of EMF. The Trifield meter measures all three categories of EMF.
Technical Specifications
Gauss Meter Mode
3-axis functionality
Frequency Range: 40 Hz – 100 KHz
Accuracy : +/- 20% of reading
Range: 0.2 – 100 milligauss
Electric Field Meter Mode
3-axis functionality – readings can be affected by the position of your body
Frequency Range: 40 Hz – 100 KHz
Accuracy: +/- 30% of reading
Range: 5 -1000 V/m
RF Meter Mode
1 Axis
Frequency range: 50 MHz – 3 GHz
Range: 0.01 – 1 mW/cm2
Accuracy: ½ x to 2 x of reading
Meter Size: 129 mm x 67 mm x 62 mm
Weight: 8 oz
Battery: 9 V
How To Measure Magnetic Fields
Turn the knob on to the first “Magnetic” setting and then slowly start moving around your home or workplace. Magnetic field readings are given in milligauss. Magnetic fields can be found around devices like TV screens (older models tend to give off higher levels), clock radios, computer monitors/disk drives, electric typewriters, electric ovens and lots of other common appliances in your home, office and car… not to mention transformers and power lines near the home.
How To Measure Electric Fields
Turn the knob again and select “Electric” again work around your rooms slowly. Electric fields are measured in volts/meter. Computer monitors, TV's, fluorescent lights, improperly grounded electrical equipment, and electric blankets (especially if the polarity is reversed) – can give surprisingly high readings even when switched OFF if plugged in!
How To Measure Radio Frequency (RF) Radiation
Turn the knob again to the “Radio/Microwave” setting. This meter is perfect for testing for leaks and faulty doors seals on your microwave oven. My tests show even new microwave ovens often leak. A reading of 0.2 mW/cm2 at a distance of six feet would suggest a leaking door seal. On this setting the Trifield EMF meter can also measure cell and cordless phone radiation.
For more information on how to use this meter including schematics click here to download Trifield model 100XE manual.
What Sort Of Appliances Can I Test Around The Home?
You'll be surprised at the dozens of appliances that give off EMFs around your home. Watch this video to see a demonstration of the Trifield giving EMF readings on 15 household appliances:
How Much Should You Expect To Pay For This Meter?
The Trifield EMF Meter is currently available on the Trifield website for $145. But you really shouldn’t be paying any more than $130 for this meter.
This might seem a lot but if you're just looking for cheap, cheap is what you'll get. EMF meters on sale at $25 – $30 might look tempting but be sure to read the spec carefully before you buy – as with anything else you get what you pay for.
Does It Include Warranty?
Yes the Trifield EMF Meter includes a 1 year warranty.
What Do Others Say About It?
I've had lot's of good feedback about the Trifield as the comments section below shows. One of my reader's Luke wrote to me saying how satisfied he was with his Trifield and explaining how he used it to deal with the magnetic fields in his home.
What Are The Complaints?
I've heard very few complaints about this meter. But don’t expect this meter to be what it’s not. It's not by any means the most accurate meter on the market for measuring EMFs – for instance you can pay over a $1000 for a meter which only measures magnetic fields. And its certainly not the ideal choice if you're wanting to measure cell tower radiation and WiFi radiation – better to buy a dedicated RF meter (see my reviews on the Acoustimeter and Cornet meters). But a meter which offers you the possibility of not just detecting but measuring 3 different categories of EMFs for under $130 is difficult to beat.
There are better meters out there. OK but at what price? The Trifield EMF meter offers an unbeatable package for the money.
Where Can You Buy This Meter?
*****Update March 2018: The Trifield 100XE has now been replaced by the Trifield TF2 EMF meter – read my review here. *****
This post was updated March 2018.
Comments
Liat said,
I live in a place where power is measured according to European dimensions (I understand that Frequency of 50 Hz), I bought the TriField device which has Frequency of 60 Hz according to the U.S.
Measurements for Magnetic radiation around my house shows very high results: 8-2 Milligauss. and the electric results shows 0.6-0.8 Milligauss.
1. Is that OK?
2. Will the Electric and the Magnetic affected by the U.S. frequency or only one, which?
2. Is it possible to convert the measurements to fit the local terms?
Lloyd said,
Hi Liat
To answer your questions:
1. On the back of your Trifield meter it says “above 3 milligauss of AC magnetic field and above 1 kilovolt/m of AC electric field – biological effects may begin to occur”. If you are getting magnetic readings of 8 this does sound high. You need to go around your home with your meter and identify the sources of magnetic radiation. The strength of magnetic radiation is directly proportional to the source of radiation, in other words the nearer you get to the source the higher your readings will be.
2. If you are using a “US version” Trifield meter (which is calibrated to 60Hz) on a European power supply, which operates at 50Hz, you just multiply your readings by 1.17 to get true values (approximately). So for instance a magnetic reading of 8 milligauss on your meter would give a reading of 9.36 milligauss if it was properly calibrated.
Hope this helps.
Dan said,
Would this device be considered as a Geiger counter? We were looking for something that detects radiation.
Lloyd said,
Hi Dan
The Trifield EMF meter is calibrated to detect radiation relative to three types of EMFs, electric, magnetic and RF radiation. Nuclear radiation as given off by radioactive isotopes operates at a much higher frequency on the electromagnetic spectrum…..you can’t use the Trifield meter to detect this form of radiation.
deepika said,
hi
i am deepika,i stay in India i was going through mail and your mentioning about how to measure radiation using EMF meters and where we can get it,so, i stay in India if i want to order it on Amazon.com it would give me the same results in measurin cause you were talking about U.S 50hz and Europe more than 60hz if i buy it
would that meter be working or giving me the same results cause affording to buy it is already a very big issue for me can i take chance please advice
Lloyd said,
Hi Deepika
There’s a link at the end of my article to a website with a list of electricity supply frequencies by country. It shows that India operates at 50Hz. If you were to buy a US version of the Trifield you multiply by 1.17 to get true values.
Dipak Sakle said,
Hi,
I need to know that is their any retailer of trifield meter in india so that we can directly by through them.
Lloyd said,
India uses a 50Hz power supply like the UK (not surprisingly). This company ships to India http://www.radmeters.com/Trifield-100XE-fr.html
James said,
Hi Lloyd,
Thanks for sharing these information.
I just bought a Ghost Meter only to realize it only measures magnetic field from 0 to 5 mGauss in a single direction. My main objective is to measure cell phone radiation and to test whether cell phone EMF shielding works. So now I am interested to order Trifield meter. Can you help me with some of my questions?
1. Is Trifield meter good enough to measure cell phone radiation? (Because I see you in your video using a different device in black)
2. Have you tested any cell phone EMF shielding sticker that works?
3. My country uses 50Hz electricity and I intend to order 60Hz version due to lower price. Do I need to multiply the Electric field (V/m) and RF/Microwave reading by 1.17 too? If I measure for device not using household electricity (laptop on battery, in car, outdoor), do I need to adjust the value too?
Thanks again.
Lloyd said,
Hi James
To answer your questions:
1.For testing cell phone radiation in terms of value for money currently I do not think you can beat the Cornet ED85EX which I review here. The Trifield does measure RF radiation but not nearly as good as a dedicated RF meter like the Cornet.
2. I have tested lots of EMF chips, there is not one I can recommend.
3.No need to multiply the RF readings by 1.17, they will be the same regardless of what country you are in.
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