New Laptop, minimalism, & meter (Home office improvements – 10/2021

Amir Borenstein — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 23:45:43 +0000

A small cause for celebration

When you have success in reducing exposure or handling your EHS better, you must celebrate. So this is a time for some small celebration to mark the latest improvements in my home office.

If you remember from our last chapter ( https://norad4u.blogspot.com/2018/05/handing-elf-issues-in-home-office.html ) I am having trouble working long hours in my home office room. The reasons are ELF/EMI from the equipment inside the room, ELF from the power breaks/supplies, Reflections of RF and EMI from the concrete reinforced walls, power cabinet on the other side of one of this room walls (and ELF protection on the inside wall) and electric power cable that runs to my neighbors’ house bellow the floor of the room which I am using as the home office (also protected). All the above makes it hard for me to work in the room for long hours. Over the 4 years, we live in this house I am making improvements to the room and equipment. At first, I was able to work for 15 minutes before the first symptoms appeared, now after the latest improvements, I can work for about 5 hours a day.

Minimazations!

For years I used external PC displays and tried to put my laptops in faraday cages. But this kind of a station created few problems:

EMF/EMI fromthe HDMI connections – https://youtu.be/s0xXkrwthIQ
EMF/EMI from the USB + HDMI cables
EMF/EMI from the screen and it’s power supplay

I used RF protection over the HDMI connections to the PC and the screen. It helped but I could still feel it.

I also used RF Protection over the cables, which helps a lot.

I have put the laptop in a faraday cage, and the power supplies in an additional faraday cage, it helped but I could still feel it in some cases.

Working office room, with a faraday cage, & a big monitor

But recently I decided to change things a bit, to take the minimalism approach.

First I gave up using a small audio amp (with an external 220V–>12V power converter that emitted both ELF and EMI) and 2 bookshelf speakers and hocked up to a USB power headphone amp 2 smaller speakers. This reduces the EMI and also went that the power supply of the amp would not be needed anymore and could be taken out of the room. The smaller bookshelf I am using now is not as loud or audiophile as the older big bookshelf I used to have, but now there is no need for the amp and it’s the power supply (less ELF and EMI inside the room).

I gave up the big external monitor and started working on the laptop when it is outside of the cage and in front of me. I tried this inside and outside the room, and it seemed to be better for me than working in front of a big screen (with EMF coming off the power supply and EMI/EMF from the HDMI connector).

This new way has 2 configurations, a basic one for when I need to work for less than an hour, and a robust station for longer tasks.

Basic station

When I have to work for less than an hour, I simply use the laptop, connected to the ground and to a wired internet cable. I use it on my dinner table, in the kid’s bedrooms, and outside (which is the best). Since I deployed wired internet through the house (and yard) it is possible to move the laptop and be connected in every room, and also at the yard.

Minimized laptop station on the dinner table

Recently I noticed that my eyes feels bad after a few hours of working on the laptop, so I updated my 8 years old LENOVO THINKPAD E540 I7 laptop to a new LENOVO LEGION 5 laptop with FHD IPS screen which is better for the eyes.

Lenovo Legion 5 minimized station

More robust station

When I need to work for longer hours I add also a wired keyboard and mouse.

The new LENOVO LEGION 5 with a wired keyboard and mouse outside in the years

When I need even a more robust station I cover the laptop’s keyboard with Mu-Metal film and RF blocking fabric in order to block some of the electric field and EMI.

The new LENOVO LEGION with a wired keyboard and mouse and is covered by RF Blocking fabric and Mu-Metal

Working outside when ever possiblele

I noticed that working outside is better. The RF levels in my yard are currently about 0.0001mW/m2. I noticed that it is easier for me to work on the computer there. Probably because there are fewer reflections there. So whenever it is possible and I feel up to it, I take the laptop outside, for few minutes, or a few hours.

Taking the laptop outside

Meters in front of me

In order to track the RF in the room (in case the laptop or other devices decide to start transmitting inside the room) I have a CORNET ED88TPLUS constantly working. I put it on a small shelf in front of me so I can notice any rise in RF levels.

I also added a Radon gas meter, and a CO2, TVOC, and HCHO meters on the same shelve.

Meters behind the laptop and protection on top