Europe : With increasing public concern being expressed over the proliferation of 3G mobile phone masts, RF radiation safety specialist Link Microtek has introduced a UMTS software upgrade for the Narda SRM-3000 selective radiation meter, enabling it to measure the field strength from individual UMTS cells at a shared antenna site.

Combining a hand-held spectrum analyser with a dedicated isotropic probe, the SRM-3000 offers high sensitivity over its entire frequency range of 75MHz to 3GHz, which covers FM radio and TV broadcast frequencies as well as GSM and UMTS/W-CDMA mobile services.
The use of an isotropic probe means that safety measurements can be made quickly and accurately without the need to take readings in three orthogonal directions and calculate the resultant value.

In the new UMTS mode, the meter automatically provides the user with the total field strength value, together with a list of the field strength readings for all the individual UMTS P-CPICH pilot channels at the site.

Shown in tabular format on the 115 x 80mm LCD display, the results can be expressed as a percentage of a permissible limit (e.g. ICNIRP reference levels) or as absolute values in a choice of different units.
For each UMTS base station signal, the SRM-3000 simultaneously displays both the current values and the maximum values that have occurred since the last reset. By applying a user-defined extrapolation factor, the meter then calculates the worst-case values that would occur if all the traffic channels were operating at full load. Results can easily be transferred to a PC via the instrument’s RS-232 interface for long-term storage or further analysis.

Powered by rechargeable batteries or an external AC adapter, the SRM-3000 is supplied complete with configuration software, cables, carrying strap and operating manual.