Budget EMF meter comparison: are the cheap ones actually rubbish?

Right, so I've been doing this for about 18 months now and I'm still using a £35 digital EMF meter from Amazon. My mate Derek keeps going on about his fancy Trifield meter (cost him nearly £200!) but honestly, I'm not convinced it's picking up anything my cheap one isn't.

Has anyone done a proper side-by-side test with budget vs professional equipment? I'm wondering if it's one of those hobbies where you end up spending loads of cash for marginal improvements, like audiophile cables or whatever.

Current setup: Digital EMF meter, basic IR thermometer, a old Dictaphone, and a torch that's seen better days. Thinking about upgrading but not if I'm just throwing money away.

Honestly mate, the cheap ones are fine for baseline readings. The issue comes when you want to rule out environmental interference - phone masts, wiring, that sort of thing. A proper meter will give you more granular data. That said, I've had my Trifield for 5 years and it's replaced the battery about 47 times because I'm forgetful.

Has anyone done a proper side-by-side test with budget vs professional equipment?

I did this at Pendle Hill last summer with three different meters. The Amazon special and a proper K2 meter both spiked at exactly the same moments. The real difference? The K2 was less prone to false positives from my mobile phone being in my pocket. So if you're careful about interference, save your money.

You're asking the right question but you're comparing apples to oranges. Trifield measures three axes simultaneously - it's genuinely better kit. But for ghost hunting? Honestly, spirits don't seem to care about your budget. I've had incredible results with a £40 meter at Borley Rectory.

The real money sink isn't the EMF meter, it's going to end up being thermal imaging or a decent digital recorder. I spent £400 on a Zoom H5 and it's changed everything for EVP work. The £20 Dictaphone you're using... mate, that's where your money's going.