Abstract

Overview

This paper investigates various affordable devices capable of measuring 5G RF-EMF radiation levels. The emphasis is on comparing commercially available sensors and those developed by research institutions.

Findings

• Comparison between commercial sensors (Adalm Pluto SDR) and institutional devices (imec-WAVES, Ghent University; S³R, The Hague University of Applied Sciences).
• Both laboratory and field measurements were conducted, testing sensor linearity, sensitivity, and overall performance.
• Measurement variability was found to be 1.78 dB on average, with a maximum deviation of 5.26 dB. Intensity measurements ranged from 0.09 V/m to 2.44 V/m at a 50 m distance from the base station.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates the usability of low-cost sensors in assessing RF-EMF radiation. While providing valuable temporal and spatial electromagnetic field data, the results obtained with these devices should be seen as an underestimation of the actual field due to their limitations in measuring only one vector component of the field.

Future Work

Further investigations are suggested to improve sensor accuracy and coverage, especially in constructing tri-axial and mm-wave sensors to measure all vector components and 5G NR frequencies.