Alpha UHS2 Gaussmeter – Measures ELF/VLF Magnetic Fields
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In my opinion, the Alpha UHS2 is the lowest-cost gaussmeter available with these important features: (1) triple-axis antenna, (2) tests both ELF &VLF magnetic fields, and (3) accurate enough to trust your measurements.
(Michael Neuert, EMF Engineer and Health Consultant)
↓ Video Instructions: How to Use the Alpha UHS2 to Measure Magnetic Fields ↓
Accurate Measurement of ELF Magnetic Fields
The UHS2 is the gaussmeter we recommend most for accurate and reliable testing of the magnetic fields emitted by power lines, electrical panels, transformers, electrical wiring, lights, appliances, refrigerators, computers, electronics and most other electrical sources.
Detects ELF and VLF Frequencies
Many gaussmeters detect ELF magnetic fields, but not the higher frequency VLF fields. A wide frequency range is important, so that all the different kinds of magnetic fields can be measured, including the magnetic fields related to dirty electricity and electronics. (See below for more details.)
3-Axis Antenna is Critical
The Alpha UHS2 is a triple-axis meter. This makes it very easy to use, to get accurate readings. Simply turn it on, hold it where you want to test, and read the number on the digital display. With a three-axis meter, you can hold the meter in any orientation, and get an accurate reading of the full field strength. (Most people should avoid single-axis type meters, because they will tend to under-measure the true magnetic field strength.)
Buying a New Home or Renting a New Apartment?
This is the meter we recommend, if you want to test the magnetic fields before you buy or rent a new home. In general, lower cost test meters tend to have more accuracy and reliability issues, and we feel that the decision to purchase a new home should not be based on the numbers from an uncertain instrument. This meter will accurately measure the magnetic fields — from power lines, electrical wiring and plumbing currents — that could affect your new home.
Other Good Gaussmeters
The UHS2 is the lowest-cost meter we recommend for measuring magnetic fields — that is accurate and reliable enough for professional testing purposes, for testing a new home before you buy or rent, and any other testing in which you really need to trust the numbers. There are many other good gaussmeters also available, often at higher costs and sometimes with more features. (Note: “gaussmeter” is the name for an EMF test meter that measures magnetic fields.)
TriField Model TF2
If you are on a budget and need a “good enough” meter for testing the magnetic fields, but at a lower cost, there is an updated version of the TriField available, the Model TF2. Its performance, accuracy and quality is greatly improved over the previous Model 100XE version. Our tests have shown that when used in “standard” magnetic mode, the TF2 measured magnetic fields relatively accurately. So this is the meter we often recommend to people who need a “good enough” (budget) gaussmeter at a lower cost. But we generally caution against using the TriField TF2 to make decisions on the purchase of a new home, or to do testing for others. Please click here for more information about the TriField TF2.
Special Note About Low Cost Meters
Many of the lower-cost gaussmeters are only single-axis meters, causing most users to under-measure the actual strength of the magnetic field. We recommend that you avoid all single-axis gaussmeters, and only buy triple-axis gaussmeters. And from our extensive experience testing meters over the years, we are generally concerned about the accuracy and reliability of many of the cheaper (less than $200 in cost) EMF test meters on the market — especially the multi-purpose types like the Cornet brand, which try to measure all three kinds of EMFs with one instrument.
Key Features and Specifications of the Alpha UHS2
- Name of Meter: Alpha Model UHS2 Milligauss Meter.
- Test Meter Measures: ELF and VLF magnetic fields.
- Frequency Range: Very wide frequency range from 13 Hz up to 75 kHz (75,000 Hz).
- Type of Antenna: Triple-axis (single-axis mode also available).
- Features: Highly accurate. Highly sensitive.
- Type of Fields: AC (alternating, not DC) magnetic fields.
- Type of Display: Digital display.
- Units of Measure: Measures field strength in milligauss (mG).
- Sensitivity: Detects field strength as low as 0.1 mG, and as high as 1,999 mG (in increments of 0.01 mG).
- Easy to Use: Using the triple-axis sensor, you can hold the meter in any orientation or direction and always get an accurate three-dimensional measurement. (This is very important, because most people will under measure the true field strength using a single-access meter.)
- Other Features: Allows independent VLF measurement alone, or ELF plus VLF combined.
- Battery: Uses one standard 9 Volt battery (included).
- Advertised Battery Life: Up to 40 hours of use.
Important Feature #1 – Triple Axis: The Alpha UHS2 is an accurate triple-axis gaussmeter. Most lower-cost meters are only the single-axis type. With a single-axis meter, you must manually rotate the meter around to find the highest field direction. If you do not orient the meter correctly, you will under-measure the field strength. In fact, to get a truly accurate measurement, you must position a single-axis meter in three orthogonal directions and then perform a math calculation to get the total field strength. A triple-axis meter simplifies all this for you. It has three sensor coils built in that automatically take the three measurements and do the math for you. Therefore, most people will get much more accurate readings with a triple-axis meter. In contrast, with a single-axis meter, most users will underestimate the true field strength.
Important Feature #2 – Detects ELF and VLF Magnetic Fields: The Alpha UHS2 detects a wide range of frequencies — including both the ELF and VLF frequency ranges. Most gaussmeters detect only in the ELF frequency range. ELF (extremely low frequency) includes the common 60 Hz frequency fields from power lines, wiring, refrigerators, transformers, lights, appliances — everything that runs on regular electrical power. VLF (very low frequency) includes higher frequencies of around 10,000 Hz and more, that often come from computers, televisions, electronics, switching power supplies, fluorescent lights, compact fluorescent bulbs, LED bulbs, etc.
Buying a new home or renting a new apartment? This is the meter we recommend for testing the magnetic fields from power lines and electrical wiring before you buy or rent a new home.