Reviews of Body Voltage Meters and How To Make Your Own.
Body voltage meters are also known as skin voltage meters. They differ from electrostatic volt meters which measure static electric fields. A body voltage meter measures AC electric fields. It is more useful than an AC electric meter.
"AC Electric Meter — Direct measurement of ELF electric fields (not body voltage, thus not as useful)"
www.emfinfo.org/meter-instructions.html
"Body Voltage testing is the most accurate and useful method for measuring the ELF Electric Fields emitted from power lines, wiring, lights, appliances and other electrical sources." www.emfinfo.org/make-bv-meter.html
"....Measure electric fields most reliably using what we call the "Body Voltage" method. This involves the use of a Volt meter and wires that ground you and the meter to the earth. This measures electric fields in milliVolts (mV). The Tri-Field and other hand held-meters also measure electric fields, but in Volts per meter, and I find this to not be as accurate or reliable as the body voltage method. I have placed the Tri-Field meter right over a lamp or extension cord and measured virtually zero, whereas that same cord would produce over 1,000 milliVolts using the body voltage method, considered an unsafe level for nighttime exposure when sleeping by my profession. For my purposes, it is not useful to use a hand-held electric field meter......measure down into the milliVolt range, which is where the harmful effects of electric fields manifest."
www.createhealthyhomes.com/emf_meters.php
Body Voltage Meter Models
Are any of the premade body volt meters reviewed here true RMS? Do they detect AC and DC voltage and AC and DC current? Manufacturers and retailers should provide complete specifications. To test earthing, the meter must measure DC electric fields.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Gangstalking/comments/393kvi/typical_level_and_safety_standards_of_dc/
(1) Body Volt Meter by General Electromagnetics (LessEMF)
EMFhelpcenter neither discloses the manufacturer, resolution, frequency nor warranty of the body volt meter it sells. www.emfhelpcenter.com/ LessEMF sells the identical model EMFhelpcenter does. LessEMF does not disclose the manufacturer and warranty but does disclose the resolution is 1 mV and the frequency bandwidth is 40 - 500 Hz.
Amazon disclosed the manufacturer is General Electromagnetics and that General Electromagnetics is owned by lessemf.com.
I called 518-608-6479 for warranty information. A mere 30 days. I asked whether their body voltage meter measures DC electric and whether it is a true RMS. LessEMF replied it measures AC electric, not DC electric and he was not sure whether true RMS.
(2) BVE Meter
emfcenter.com neither discloses manufacturer, complete specifications nor warranty of BVE meter. $200.
http://emfcenter.com/bvtester.htm
BVE meter measures as low as .01 volt. Triple axis.
http://emfcenter.com/metrsale.htm
Michael Neuart 800-638-3781 or (707) 578-164 PST in afternoons.
(3) Body volt meters Safe Living sells
Safe Living sells two body volt meters. Does not disclose manufacturer, model number, resolution, frequency bandwidth. The meters measure AC and DC voltage. The warranty is one year.
The Home Test Kit is not true RMS. www.slt.co/Products/BodyVoltageKits/HomeTestKit.aspx
The professional meter is a true RMS and a higher quality meter. It comes with a hand probe, ground cable, ground rod and other accessories. It can be used with a PC or laptop via an infrared serial port to log data. $200.
www.slt.co/Products/BodyVoltageKits/ProfessionalTestKit.aspx support@slt.co. Phone: (519) 240-8735 in Ontario, Canada. Monday - Friday: 9:00am - 4:30pm EST.
How to Convert the Right AC/DC Electric Multimeter into a Body Voltage Meter
Michael Neuart instructed:
"How to Choose a Good Multimeter….You will need a multimeter than can measure down to 0.1 Volts AC (100 millivolts AC) or better. You will usually be measuring AC volts in the range of 0.1 to 10.0 Volts AC. A meter that can measure down to 0.01 Volts AC (10 millivolts AC) is preferred.
I recommend that you don’t get the cheapest meter available (usually under $30) because they are often too limited in quality and sensitivity. I also recommend that you get a digital multimeter rather than an analog or “needle” type. (Special note: a suggestion for a low priced “good enough” multimeter that you can probably order on the internet is the Gardner Bender GB GDT-3200.)" www.emfinfo.org/make-bv-meter.html
Gardner Bender GB GDT-3200 measures AC and DC voltage (earthing) but not current:
www.amazon.com/Gardner-Bender-GDT-3200-Function-Multimeter/dp/B000N90JFO
'How to make a poor man's body voltage meter'
www.emfwise.com/body-voltage-meter.php
Oram Miller instructed:
"You can purchase individual components to easily put together your own body voltage kit using components purchased at Radio Shack and a hardware store for a total of around $60. To download the parts list in Word format, click here. If you use a Mac and don't have Word, download a PDF of the parts list by clicking here.
This uses an affordable Radio Shack digital multi-meter, which is not a true RMS meter, however, it is quite accurate for our purposes. We also like the Radio Shack multi-meter because, unlike more expensive Volt meters, the Radio Shack meter allows us to easily measure down into the milliVolt range, which is where the harmful effects of electric fields manifest."
www.createhealthyhomes.com/emf_meters.php
Oram Miller's tutorial includes how to make a ground rod and cord. Radio Shack is bankrupt. Choose a multimemter that can measure down to 1 mV and who's sockets are compatible with a banana plug.
A multimeter that can log when connected to a PC or an Android device would make posting reports and saving evidence easier. TekPower TP9605BT is a real RMS multimeter does and measures AC and DC voltage and current. Optional thermal sensor.
Grounding rod and cord for Body Voltage Meters
See above for Oram Miller tutorial on how to make your own grounding rod and cord. Oram Miller recommended using a 12 inch screw as a grounding rod. This is portable. Using a four foot long grounding rod is not portable and harder to hammer into the ground. If you need to take measurements in various places, use a 12 inch screw. In addition, use the four foot rod to ground to take measurements inside the home and yard and to ground your earthing equipment such as an earthing pad, sheet, etc.
LessEMF sells its body voltage meter with an optional ground rod and cord. However, it cannot measure DC electric (earthing):
"Body Voltage Meter, now available with Ground Stake Use True Earth as Your Reference If you prefer to ground to soil, this version of our popular Body Voltage meter comes with a 4 foot copper-plated steel rod and 50 feet of cord so you can ground directly to Earth for confident readings. This is especially important when: 1- You don’t have a convenient electrical ground to work with 2- You are working outdoors 3- You have voltage or dirty electricity on your ground lines 4- You don’t trust the ground in your building Simply push the ground rod into the soil and run the ground cord to the location where you want to perform your body voltage measurements. Body Voltage Meter with Ground Stake (Cat. #A183-stake)....................$129.90 add to cart Need more cable? This handy 50 ft extension cable has banana male on one end, female on the other. You can daisy chain as many as you like to achieve the desired length. 50’ Banana Extension (Cat. #A291-ext)....................$19.95"
LessEMF also sells a ground rod and cord separately from the body voltage meter:
"Ground Stake Kit. Sturdy, rust resistant, 48 inch long, 11/32" diameter Copper plated steel stake is ready to drive into the soil. Complete with exterior grade, 18 gauge ground cord (with no terminal) and stake-to-cord connector. Ground Stake Kit, 50 ft cable (Cat. #A291-50) .............. $29.95"
The cord is copper. The stake to cord connector screws on with a screw. LessEMF does not sell a speaker wire banana plug but is willing to connect one if customers orders a ground stake kit. Or buy a banana plug elsewhere. Attach the male end of the speaker wire banana plug to the other end of the grounding cord. Connect female end of banana plug to the socket on body volt meter.
Grounding cord 6-foot long, 3-prong gator with clip on by FilterEMF
Safety Standards
https://www.reddit.com/r/Electromagnetics/comments/3ee482/body_ac_electric_voltage_safety_standards/
Tutorials
How to use a body voltage meter is at:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Electromagnetics/comments/3eegb4/how_to_use_a_body_voltage_meter/
Post your reports
Please post a written report on your body voltage meter measurements. Specify make and model of body volt meter, outdoors, indoors, date, appliances that were on, etc. Please take measurements before and after electrical shielding. Describe shielding materials.
Posted Jul 24, 2015, 2:29 AM UTC · edited