Many alara customers easily see the ways that their alara case formally known as Pong case improves their wireless signal strength or extends their battery life. However when it comes to how their case reduces radiation exposure, we're often asked "how do you measure that?". alara maintains two test labs at its facility in Virginia. We carry out extensive R&D and testing here, from the prototype phase to quality control product checks.

Test Conditions

Testing is performed inside a radiofrequency (RF) shielded enclosure. No RF signals can enter or escape the room. Cell phones and tablets, and their alara cases, are tested at all possible frequency bands the device can operate on worldwide. They are controlled with a Base Station Emulator, a piece of equipment that mimics a real world cell tower, but allows us to control the cell phone frequency and power.

Don’t Try This at Home

In normal operation, a phone’s power will fluctuate during a call, and its communication frequency will also vary. These variables make accurate comparative tests of devices with and without alara almost impossible outside of a lab. Also, the electromagnetic field (EMF) changes dramatically with small changes in distance from the antenna. Any comparative measurements of the field require precise replication of distance from the phone. It is difficult to achieve this precision with a handheld RF meter. Secondly, such meters are intended for measuring the far-field (greater than 2 wavelengths from the source). alara’s influence is primarily on the field closest to the antenna (the near-field). Measurement of the near-field requires detectors designed specifically for this purpose. A standard far-field meter will interfere with the phone’s antenna and the alara technology, but alara’s specialized equipment and that of independent test labs take this into consideration.

Radiation Exposure Testing

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) is a measure of the rate at which human tissue absorbs wireless radiation. Brink Case tests the SAR of mobile devices and their cases on SPEAG iSAR measurement systems calibrated to Swiss Accreditation Services (SAS) Standards (ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation). The SAR is measured in accordance with both FCC (Federal Communication Commission) protocols (averaged over 1gram of tissue) and with ICNIRP (International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection) protocols (averaged over 10grams of tissue). One SAR system has the contour of the human head and is filled with a fluid with the same properties of brain tissue. A second is flat and filled with a fluid that matches body tissue.

Independent Testing

In additional to our extensive internal testing, all alara’s products are also independently tested by a TCB (Telecommunication Certification Body) Laboratory, where SAR is tested to FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection) standards and signal strength is tested to CTIA protocols. alara Research regularly uses CETECOM Inc. and RF Exposure Labs to verify the performance of alara’s products. Governmental bodies worldwide each have their own separate RF limits. CETECOM and RF Exposure perform SAR measurements according to European (CE), U.S. (FCC), Canadian (IC), and Australian (ACA) standards. Such standards are accepted in most countries in the world.

SAR Test Laboratory At Brink Case, we take mobile radiation seriously and stand behind our cases.  Alara technology is custom-designed for each mobile device and works to redirect radiation away from your head and body.  If you have any questions, always feel free to give us a call at: + 1 877-536-1718 or info@brinkcase.com