Icom ID-50A Manual page 9

Figure 5 — The GQ EMF Pro software screen capture, which
shows more information.
Data Logging and Analysis Software
The EMF-390 has onboard flash memory and a real-
time clock for data logging and saving. The data can
be logged every second. The companion software,
GQ EMF Pro v3.67, allows monitoring measurements
on the computer screen and the ability to download
historical data, which is provided as a standard .csv file
for further in-depth analysis and visualization of the
collected data.
Connection of the PC/Mac is via the USB port. It also
has the ability to test specific frequency bands with
front-end filtering and DSP algorithms being used. This
helps the user to focus on the frequencies of interest
and investigate and understand any radiation risks. You
need to download and install the USB driver before
connecting your meter.
If you wish to convert power density levels measured
2 2
in mW/m into mW/cm , the conversion is easily ac-
complished by dividing the displayed value by 10,000.
Therefore, 39.2 mW/m² is equal to 0.00392 mW/cm², for
example.
Applicability in Amateur Radio Testing
The EMF-390 is not well suited for amateur radio en-
thusiasts who are concerned about the potential
health risks associated with prolonged exposure to
RF radiation, as there's no accuracy certificate. In fact,
48 June 2024 QST www.arrl.org
the ARRL Lab used EZNEC antenna-modeling soft-
ware to estimate the field strength near the inverted-
antenna end insulator (see Figure 8) owned by the
author, and found that the measurements of this in-
strument underestimated the EMF readings by ap-
proximately 30 dB! This instrument should not be
used for any RF-safety or RF-compliance measure-
ments. (See the Lab Notes.)
Its portability lends itself to taking readings outside of
the shack. By utilizing its comprehensive measure-
ment capabilities, operators can obtain an indication
of the relative levels of electromagnetic radiation emit-
ted by their equipment and antennas.
The RF Browser and RF Spectrum modes will be of
interest to us from a broad capture to help identify RF or
noise sources.
Furthermore, the ability to record and analyze data over
time enables users to identify trends and potentially
adjust their setup. The inclusion of audible and visual
alarms serves as an additional layer of information,
alerting operators when RF levels are high.
My first test was to see what kind of RF was being emit-
ted in my home. I used the All-in-One mode that shows
the electric field, the relative RF field, and overall EMF.
I was able to obtain a baseline of those emissions. It
found and indicated signals from the 434 MHz ISM
band that I discovered is my temperature sensor for my
weather station (see the lead photo). It also indicated
signals at 2.437 GHz, which is my Wi-Fi router on chan-
V
Figure 6 — The
GQ EMF-390
showing Wi-Fi
channel 1.