EMFields Measuring Equipment

Further Information

The cosmic microwave sound is a gentle hiss. The human species has evolved with this constant companion. If you can hear anything more than a gentle background hiss with this microwave detector, you will be hearing man-made microwave pollution (microsmog), that has only been in existence for about 20 years, and that our biology has not adapted to.

Concerned scientists believe that this man-made 'extra' is likely to be biologically hazardous, affecting all our bodily systems, making us more vulnerable to cancers, endocrine and neurological changes, thought & mood disorders, and other illnesses brought on by such radiation.

People vary in their susceptibility. Some sensitive people, those whose bodies tend to have allergic reactions to the environment, will react to very low levels of audible microwaves. The louder the sound, more people are likely to be affected. The symptoms you experience will depend on what part of your body is most sensitive. Different people are likely to experience different health effects.

You will be able to hear the electrosmog surrounding you at 0.05 V/m and possibly even lower. This is the threshold that is being repeatedly demonstrated [see references] as a level above which adverse health effects are being reported in significant numbers of people.

Some people react to levels even lower than this. A simple modification, that you can do, will reduce the threshold level to 0.03 V/m or even lower.

The MW1 monitor allows you to hear the "aggressive pulsing" of microwave signals from mobile phone base stations (including TETRA and 3G), DECT cordless phones, mobile phones, microwave baby monitors, microwave burglar alarms, Bluetooth devices, wireless computer & laptop systems, etc. (50MHz - 3000MHz with decreasing sensitivity to 6000 MHz).

GSM base stations emit a harsh sounding 1733 Hz (three octaves above concert A) high pitched whistle (full of high frequency signals due to the short 30 microsecond gaps between the pulses) from the base control carrier (BCCH), and a mixture of 217 Hz plus harmonics from the traffic channel(s) with very low frequency bursts and interruptions. The MW1 allows you to hear the totality of the signals that your body is being bombarded with, so that you can find any "no microwave-pulsing" areas in your house and garden and test screening materials, etc.

UMTS (3G) base stations emit a 1,500 Hz high-pitched whistle and a mixture of complex modulation (heard as sounds on the MW1) in the 2,000 - 20,000 Hz range. This mish-mash of 'noise' is dependent on people making phone calls and the level can vary from very low to very high, depending on the number of calls being made at that time.

DECT cordless phones and their base units emit a 100Hz pulsing (plus higher frequencies due to the sharp sides of the pulses); the base units do this 24 hours a day even when you are not using the phone! You can tell which houses have DECT phones by walking past them holding the MW1 monitor.

Wireless LANs used to network computers and sometimes to connect to broadband internet emit their radiation in short bursts. These are heard as a scratchy pulsing/clicking noise on the MW1 which varies from a few clicks per second to an almost continuous clattering sound.

You can also hear the 50 and 100 Hz pulsing from microwave ovens and the 17 and 70 Hz pulsing from TETRA base stations, etc, etc.

Despite what some of the mobile phone operators will tell you, the MW1 does not react to power-frequency sources of EMFs. It does not react to fluorescent lights further than at a few inches distance.

We suggest that the MW1 is normally used at full volume, when a gentle background hiss will be heard in the absence of any man-made pulsing microwave radiation from any source. Close to masts, DECT telephones, wireless LANs and other emitters it will probably be be necessary to turn the volume down until the device is turned off or microwave shielding is installed. The aim should be to just hear the gentle hiss when the MW1 is set to full volume.

There is a standard 3.5 mm stereo jack socket for an earpiece or a recording lead should you wish to record the sound the detector is making.

Remember, if you hear any man-made noise, you may be affected. The louder it is, the more likely you will be affected and the worse the symptoms may be. See the links below for some sound file examples:

- Background Hiss (MP3, 79 KB)
- GSM (MP3, 45 KB)
- DECT (MP3, 111 KB)
- TETRA (MP3, 77 KB)
- 3G (MP3, 104 KB)
- WiFi (only one type, others can sound quite different (MP3, 104 KB)

The original A-COMs will still be available for hire from EMFields. The circuitry inside is the same as in the MW1.