If you are choosing between the AF-5000 and the AF-3500, the real question is how deep you need to go on radio-frequency (RF) measurements. Both are handheld RF exposure meters, but they target slightly different users. Below is a practical, buyer-focused comparison.
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For exact numeric specs like frequency range and resolution, check your unit’s manual, models vary by batch and region.
Table of Contents
✅ Quick Verdict
- Choose AF-5000 if you want a more advanced RF meter with better sensitivity options, peak and average tools, and room to grow into detailed surveys for Wi-Fi, cellular, and Bluetooth devices.
- Choose AF-3500 if you want a simple, get-results-fast meter for quick walk-throughs at home or in small offices, with easy readouts and minimal setup.
🧭 Who each model is for
🧪 AF-5000: The RF-focused power user
- Designed for users who need finer control over averaging, peak capture, and display units
- Better fit for A/B testing of router placement, mesh nodes, antenna pointing, or shielding materials
- Preferred by consultants and prosumers who will do repeatable surveys and keep logs
🏠 AF-3500: The everyday survey tool
- Built for quick scans to find RF hotspots from Wi-Fi, phones, smart devices
- Simple interface that is easy to learn, helpful for homeowners, renters, property managers
- Great as a starter meter or a secondary tool for fast spot checks
📊 Side-by-side at a glance
| Feature | LATNEX AF-5000 | LATNEX AF-3500 |
|---|---|---|
| Primary role | Advanced RF survey meter | Simple RF exposure meter |
| Ease of use | Moderate learning curve | Very easy to use |
| Readout styles | Power density and electric field, peak and average views | Power density focused, simplified views |
| Sensitivity options | More granular, better for short bursts | Good for everyday sources |
| Data habits | Encourages logging and repeat testing | Quick checks, room-to-room scans |
| Best use cases | Router and mesh optimization, antenna aiming, shielding validation | Home and office walkthroughs, quick decision making |
| 💳 Pricing | 💲Check Price | 💲Check Price |
🧰 What you can measure with either
- Wi-Fi routers and access points in 2.4 and 5 GHz bands
- Cellular sources near windows facing a cell site or inside with femto, micro, or repeaters
- Bluetooth and smart devices that chirp periodically
- Before and after effects of moving a router, changing channels, or adding shielding
🧑🔧 Practical workflow you can copy
- Baseline outside
Take a reading a few meters from the building so you know neighborhood ambient levels. - Room scan
Walk the perimeter slowly. Pause at likely sources, routers, TV stands, smart hubs, baby monitors, windows facing towers. - Peak and average
Note both. Peaks capture bursts when devices transmit. Averages show typical exposure. - Change one thing
Move the router, rotate the Yagi, reposition a mesh node, or add shielding film. Measure again from the same points. - Log results
Use a simple table with date, location, distance from source, average, peak, and any changes you made.
🧪 Example tests that reveal clear differences
- Router relocation test
Measure in your office, then relocate the router to a hallway and measure again. The AF-5000’s peak capture and averaging help quantify improvements. - Window facing cell site
Take readings at the window and 2 m inside the room. The AF-3500 makes this a fast check for living spaces. - Shielding validation
Apply a small patch of RF film or paint, compare readings on and off the patch. The AF-5000’s detailed readouts make reductions easier to quantify.
💡 Tips for better measurements
- Measure at multiple times of day, busy hours can raise peaks
- Keep a consistent distance when comparing locations
- Avoid holding the meter directly against metal or power cords
- Document router channel or band changes when you retest
- Look for persistent hotspots rather than chasing brief spikes
🏁 Bottom line
- Pick AF-5000 if you want a more capable RF instrument you can grow into, useful for optimization, consulting, and repeatable studies.
- Pick AF-3500 if you want a simple, reliable meter to do quick home or office scans and make fast decisions.
