Survey Meter vs. Personal Monitors

[Joel Baumbaugh <baumbaug@nosc.mil>]

Group,

	We at SSC-SD (formally NRaD, Formally NOSC, formally...)considered getting
monitors a few months ago.  Narda wasn't routinely making them and we would
have had to special order and wait approx. three months.

	That's the opposite of what Don Mercado seemed to be saying.  He must be
using Holaday or some other manufacturer I'm not familiar with.  I'm not
aware of any other models available besides the Narda ones at least not
readily available from catalogs.  This lack of enthusiasm on Narda's part
is possibly an indication that monitors are not the best way to go.

	The main complaint about monitors is that the units are too small to have
a decent antenna attached, except for maybe at freqs > 3 GHz.  Much of the
shipboard stuff (I "DO" work for the Navy) is at lower freqs, plus the
lower PELs are at those lower freqs.  The meter uses a heat-sensing
mechanism that would surely be thrown off by body heat.  

	Another complaint is the low alarm limit - 1 mW/sq cm.  The limit in the
microwave range is 10 mW/sq cm.  So if you have a worker in the middle of a
job, and all of the sudden he quits because of a 1 mW/sq cm reading,
possibly caused by un-reproduce-able EMI of some sort or a mechanical fault
(read impact)?  The Safety guy would get some bad press, fast.


	The survey meters *are* pretty fragile, the navy has a LOT of units in for
repair...

	Just my 2 cents, hope this helps,


	Joel