Electrosensitivity Andy L 19th May, 2020 58 Comments

Unboxing a 5G Protection Device

Rory Cellan-Jones has been exposing the rather bizarre takeover of Glastonbury Town by 5G conspiracy theorists. The council published a report that called for an ending of 5G rollout. Several members of the working group that looked into the safety of 5G complained that the group had been taken over “by anti-5G activists and “spiritual healers”.

This is not surprising to anyone who has ever visited the town of Glastonbury. There is not a shop, pub, business or chip shop that has not been taken over by “spiritual healers” of one sort or another. You cannot walk down the High Street without being smothered in a fog of incense and patchouli. It is far easier to buy a dozen black candles and a pewter dragon than it is a pint of milk.

Science has no sanctuary in Glastonbury. Homeopaths, healers, hedge-witches and hippies all descend on the town to be at one with the Goddess.

Cellan-Jones tweeted today how someone in Glastonbury has been endorsing an ‘Anti 5G USB Stick device”.

Really torn – this 5G bioshield USB key comes recommended by a member of the Glastonbury 5G committee. But should I get one for £283 or 3 for £799? pic.twitter.com/oxWAXc1tsf
— Rory Cellan-Jones (@ruskin147) May 18, 2020

The makers of 5G bioshields claim to use a “PROPRIETARY HOLOGRAPHIC NANO-LAYER TECHNOLOGY” to,

provide protection for your home and family, thanks to the wearable holographic nano-layer catalyser, which can be worn or placed near to a smartphone or any other electrical, radiation or EMF emitting device.

This is of course bullshit.

But it is bullshit that sells at £283.00 and is endorsed by the good denizens of Glastonbury.

Variations of such devices have been around for many years, peddled to protect you from the every increasing dangers of 3G, WiFi, 4G and now 5G. Every few years, a new scare comes along to keep selling such devices.

I bought one a few years ago.

The device I bought was from a chap called Gary Johnson,

a qualified Homoeopath, Subtle Energy engineer and lecturer in health & environmental analysis. Developing the art and science of mental/emotional/physical healing for 28 years.

Gary sells a number of solutions to the problems of mobile radiation. He has updated his range somewhat since I bought my device a few years back but a full house solution will set you back about £200.

Gary has devised a unique Bio-Feedback analysis system that tests an individuals mental, emotional, physical and environmental characteristics, and with the aid of advanced homoeopathic and vibrational remedy programs, has helped many people from all walks of life, nationally and internationally

Now, most of the people of Glastonbury are well intentioned, if not deluded, when they sell their herb bundles and crystal harmonisers. But how can you sell an electronic device to ‘neutralise radiation’ and be ‘well intentioned’?

I opened the box to find out what is inside – the slideshow will take you through my discoveries.

The EMF Protector is a small box (approx 9x6cm) with a nice image of a cell phone mast on one side to remind you what this device is for. And marked "Celltec - 'mini' EMR Protection.
On the side is a rocker switch and a small green LED to let you know when the device is on and 'working'.
Sliding off the battery compartment reveals that we need a standard 9V battery to make this thing work. Being sceptical, those fours screws desperately need removing...
Let's get to work on understanding what this box does...
So, it is not too complex inside. No microchips or printed circuit boards that would make it hard to work out what it was doing. Just a few wires and an odd looking copper device with a coil? What could that be doing?
Whatever the copper device is doing, it is not electrically connected to the battery. Those wires have a gap and so no voltage is applied.
And even more curious, the copper coil is not insulated from the copper tube device. So, it is not clear what function this could have. It looks purely decorative.
The markings on the copper device suggest this is no more than a 2 inch long piece of 15mm domestic copper plumbing pipe with some end caps stuck on each side. It does nothing.
So, what is the electric device doing? This is where it gets technical. With careful analysis I am able to present a full circuit diagram to explain this devices inner workings...
Here it is in all its glory. A switch, a battery and an LED light. In other words, this device is a £50 shit torch.

Now, I live a few miles outside of Glastonbury, and despite what you may think, knowing my 15 years or more debunking quackery, I am fairly tolerant of its eccentricities. There is no deception that what goes on in Glastonbury is not deeply alternative and spiritual. There is no pretence that the dreamcatchers and divine goddess workshops are anything other than mystical in nature. Pseudoscience is not prominent. The economy thrives on everyone selling each other scented candles and skull ashtrays.

Yes, you do hear of pilgrimages of people in the last days of cancer seeking help desperately. I am not beyond thinking that some may find comfort in the yurts of shamen.

But the 5G conspiracies, especially as they are now so tightly coupled to COVID-19 conspracies, and blended together with a strong dollop of anti-vaccine denialism, mean that people will die.

And that is something Glastonbury ought to be shamed of. It is not too late for the town council to act firmly here. Leave the mysticism to the High Priestesses on the High Street. As responsible officers of the town, pseudoscience and deception have no place,

58 comments

AJD OLD CHANNEL ARCHIVE 19th May, 2020 2:59 pm

Was my comment deleted by your “Akismet” “spam” filter before even being sent for review?

AJD OLD CHANNEL ARCHIVE 19th May, 2020 3:05 pm

So I literally cannot post a comment with links to reputable scientific journals and papers showing the clear and widespread damage of electromagnetic/radiofrequency/microwave radiation to biological organisms, especially human-beings.

Great “anti-spam” system you have going;

For your benefit, and hopefully anyone else reading this, please find the following papers;

“Wi-Fi is an important threat to human health – ELSEVIER – Environmental Research”

“Bibliography of reported biological phenomena and clinical manifestations attributed to microwave and radio-frequency radiation – US NAVY Glasier 1972”

“Report on the Peer Review of the Draft NTP Technical Reports on Radio Frequency Radiation Exposure to Rats (900 MHz) in TR-595 and Mice (1900 MHz) in TR-596 – National Toxicology Program 2018”

Andy Lewis 19th May, 2020 3:56 pm

You are getting angry at a spam filter.

Jonboywilson 20th May, 2020 7:15 am

We had all of this 5G nonsence with 4G, and 3G, an 2G, and 1G (not that we called it back then) and literally no one died then either. You would think after 30 years of this and billions of examples “real world” experimentation at least one person would have died of it?
What relevance do any of your cherry picked papers in “reputable” scientific journals have to do with 5G? I can tell you what, they have nothing to do with it. What are your qualifications to comment on them? You don’t have any. Shall we put down the bong, leave the science to those that understand how it works, get off Youtube and go outside instead?

Skippy 20th May, 2020 7:24 am

ADJ – I find your lack of understanding disturbing. – https://skippy.org.uk/does-5g-pose-health-risks/

Do you under stand the physics of what you are talking about?

Lindy 20th May, 2020 10:11 am

AJD: I suspect the spam filter must have detected BS coming through and took care of it.

Muscleguy 26th May, 2020 7:30 pm

The strength of EMF’s falls of at the square of the distance from the source, as you should know. Though the further you are from the phone mast the more power your phone puts out to connect to it. So better ditch your phone if you are so worried.

You can find papers in silly little journals saying all sorts of stuff. But the epidemiologists did a big study on EMFs and cancer, my wife helped run it. It found nothing, nada, and it had on site field measurements so a dose response curve could be drawn if they found anything, which they didn’t.

And you had better live somewhere without lightning or auroras if you want to avoid EMF’s and your internet connection will not be possible in the Faraday caged room you doubtless inhabit. So how was your missive to the spam filter sent?

Richard Rawlins 19th May, 2020 3:23 pm

I woner if David Icke will get the Nobel prize he so richly deserves?
I know that ‘science’ is difficult, but come on Mr AJD, at least try.

Robin Banks 20th May, 2020 11:38 am

It would be about as believable as Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize and bombing seven different countries into the Stone Age. Oh wait a minute.

Frances 19th May, 2020 3:36 pm

Hi, your article implies we’re all a bit stupid. I’m not a 5G conspiracy theorist, I don’t actually know any. I live in Glastonbury, am a full time nurse, a Druid, and a tax payer, with a science degree, so “the economy thrives on everyone selling each other scented candles and skull ashtrays” isn’t true. Neither is “most of the people are well intentioned if not deluded”. As for “leave the mysticism to the High Priestesses on the High Street”, there will probably be some High Priests there as well, so let’s be inclusive.
Please don’t make this situation caused by the few, worse for the rest of us, and please do not make blanket statements about the people of Glastonbury.
Thank you,
Frances

Andy Lewis 19th May, 2020 4:23 pm

I’m not sure I have ever upset a Druid before.

Benedict 22nd May, 2020 5:36 pm

What does “being a druid” mean for you? In which subject is is your science degree?

David 19th May, 2020 3:41 pm

I’ve made a complaint via Citizens advice about the misselling of these devices. I doubt anything will come off it but I’d encourage other to do so too.

Anonymous 20th May, 2020 10:44 am

I’m just doing the same, but they will only act on UK businesses (is they act at all which is unusual). I can’t find out where this outfit is based. They don’t say. I can’t find it on Companies House. Without a street address nothing will happen.

thefordprefect 19th May, 2020 5:03 pm

It will never work there are NO magnets arranged in a Halbach array or even a magnetic inverter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyvfDzRLsiU
Its a pity you did not open the tube there may have been “magnets”!

BUT

I suspect that the cut wires were actually attached to dark matter (the black substance underneath) and that allowed the 5G signal to dispersed into the 7th dimension. ;o)

thefordprefect (@thefordprefect) 19th May, 2020 5:12 pm

Magnets are required to make all things operational – obviously. Best effect is a Halbach array or magnetic inverter wwwdotyoutubedotcom/watch?v=LyvfDzRLsiU

BUT

looking at the disassembly I see 2 black pads to which the battery and coil are connected. These are obviously dark matter and are warping the 5G signals into the 7th dimension :^)

Its a pity you did not investigate the copper tube as this may have retained the magnets and in consequence all the power of the 5G signals intercepted (care needed here)

thefordprefect (@thefordprefect) 19th May, 2020 5:13 pm

apologies for the near double post

ynysprydainLiz 19th May, 2020 5:20 pm

Wow, this really needs to be investigated by trading standards asap. Full disclosure: I am one of the former proprietors of the Cat and Cauldron in town. However, witches though we might be, we have a background in tech (I have a doctorate from Cambridge in the History and Philosophy of Science and a masters in AI and my partner is a former IT consultant). So we may have spent the last few years selling cauldrons, but we’re pro science, to put it mildly, and both of us flatly refuse to sell anything that purports to be a technological solution to an imaginary problem. Well do I recall the issue with the Chocolate Love Temple, who informed a mutual friend that they were protected against the deleterious effects of wifi by placing ‘dilithium crystals’ in the walls of the CLT. When the friend said “I thought those were in Star Trek?” they never spoke again…

I also remember the initial fuss over wifi with some cafe workers insisting that they were suffering from blinding headaches caused by the caff’s new router. This was when the owner had to break the bad news that they hadn’t actually switched it on yet.

My own stance on 5G? I checked it out with an old friend who is a professor of astrophysics at Imperial and if he’s not worried, I’m not worried. He’s not worried.

Steve Tonkin 19th May, 2020 5:33 pm

Hey, Andy, don’t be so hard on the guy! He had the common sense not to connect the coil to the battery and cause a short circuit, and the soldering on the (intended-for-spade-250-connector) terminals on the rocker switch is quite neat, even if he couldn’t be arsed to heat-shrink the heat-shrink (at least, I presume that’s what it is – it should be) on the LED leads.

Has he got any testimonials from the “EM-field sensitives”?

Anonymous 20th May, 2020 12:22 pm

But he has wired a 9V battery up directly to an LED (V3.3 at best?) without any kind of resistor in series (potentially the tube could have done that, but he’s wired it wrong). So presumably that LED is going to blow in relatively short order compared to its expected lifespan…

Steve Tonkin 20th May, 2020 12:58 pm

(Oops – reply got dissociated; see below…)

Anonymous 21st May, 2020 7:36 pm

The LED likely contains a built-in current-limiting resistor. Those are designed to operate directly from 9-12 volts.

Ian Thompson 19th May, 2020 7:14 pm

I think Ben Goldacre’s 2007 review of the Q-Link pendant was one of the first Bad Science articles I ever read (or maybe even the first).

https://www.badscience.net/category/qlink/

Plus ça change.

Hugh Walter 19th May, 2020 8:30 pm

How much? Right! In the best interests of restarting the national economy – so effectively destroyed by Boris and his gang of backstabbers; could I just point out that I can do them for £49.99, which i think you’ll agree is really competitive. Some of them might have ‘Intergral; printed on them . . . except for the ones which have ‘Verbatim’ (actually I think one might have ‘Kingston University’ on it but that depends on how may I sell before Rymans opens again!) down the side, but they are ‘special’ and protect your pets as well!

Anonymous 20th May, 2020 3:14 am

Sadly, the auto advertising I see is for a Rayguard electrosmog filter! But it’s a Swiss design, and they are good at cuckoo clocks so it probably works.

Niall Taylor 20th May, 2020 12:34 pm

I live in Glastonbury and I have to say the town council are an embarrasment. I would love to get in touch with the guys that resigned the committee and shake their hands – good on you for trying! They were obviously only included as ‘token science types’ to give the inevitably denialist/anti-science conclusion of the report credibility. I have occasionally considered starting a Glastonbury pro-science or sceptic group but I don’t know if I have the energy, having spent the last 20 years having the same sort of debate with my fellow veterinary surgeons.

Thanks for publicising this.

Andy Lewis 20th May, 2020 1:01 pm

Ha yes. A Glastonbury Sceptics would be hilarious. I did speak there once when they dod a ‘Day of the Dead’ around town on Cancer Quackery.

Lead balloon.

Robin Banks 20th May, 2020 6:27 pm

I hope you gave them a insight into the quackery the pharmaceutical industry produce during your talk.
https://www.bmj.com/content/359/bmj.j4528

ynysprydain 20th May, 2020 6:30 pm

There was a very small science group for a while – I did a talk on AI. However, we kept it very quiet for obvious reasons.

Fiona H 21st May, 2020 4:13 pm

To Niall,

I wouldn’t bother. I lived In Glastonbury on and off for 8-9 years and the ability to think rationally was not high on the agenda with many people there. Mind you neither was it with myself. I moved there believing that “miracles” really would happen – a notion of which I was disabused after doing a “critical thinking” course. Still good on you you for trying. That said there are really good people there and they were gentle.

To Andy,

Long time – no hear. Thank you for doing really good work at this present time. We need level headed people at the moment and you are one of those. Thank you for also recognising that there are good people in Glastonbury – which there are – and I want everyone to stay alive.

I last saw you years ago when a lady was trying to serve a “notice” on you and you walked out of the meeting – and rightly so in my opinion. I hope you and your family are well. Sorry at being a bit off topic I know – but well these are “unprecedented times”!

Best wishes,

Fiona

Andy Lewis 21st May, 2020 4:25 pm

Good to hear from you Fiona. That Bath sceptics meeting was some time ago! I don’t know if you followed the consequences but that ‘lady’ and her husband followed through with their absurd threats and took me to court. It did not end well for them…

http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2018/03/totally-without-merit.html

Steve Tonkin 20th May, 2020 12:37 pm

Not necessarily, without the spec of his LEDs.. The 9V LEDs I use are specified for a max forward voltage of 14V. 🙂

johnbenneth 20th May, 2020 3:20 pm

Well, how much radiation is enough, how much does it take to be toxic? That’s a reasonable question, isn’t it? Unfortunately, skepticism seems to be a dodge in place of actually confronting real science.
FDA recommended homeopatic Influenzinum, btw, appears to be successful in stopping the pandemic in India and Cuba where it is government supported. Checkout the respective infection rates on Worldometer.info.

Here’s what the US FDA has referenced for decades for the homeopathic vaccine for influenza by Clarke:

Influenzinum.nosode of Influenza. Read it and weep.

Clinical.─Catarrh. Colds. Influenza.

Characteristics.─The nosode of influenza has with many practitioners taken the place of Baptisia as the routine remedy in epidemics. It may be given in the 12th or 30th potency, either in the form of tincture, pilules, or discs; or ten globules may be dissolved in six ounces of water, and of this a dessertspoonful may be given for a dose. It may be repeated every two hours. This will be found sufficient to control a large proportion of the cases. The general directions I give to my patients are these: When “colds” appear in a family let all those who are unaffected take Arsen. 3 thrice daily, and let the patients take Influ. 30 every hour or two. This generally prevents the spread of the trouble and clears up the “colds,” whether they are of the influenza type or not. Influenza has the property of developing old troubles, and thus it takes an infinite variety of forms in different persons, so that Influ. need not be expected to cure all cases unaided, or, indeed, to be appropriate to every case.
Relations.─I find Influ. compatible with Act. r., Ars., Bell., Bry., Hep., Merc., and many others.

Richard Rawlins 21st May, 2020 7:52 am

Fascinating!
Can you point us to where your work has been published?
Have you done any work using placebo controls (homeopathic pillules not exposed to any mother tincture or potentised)?

If not, how do you know your use of homeopathic prepararations has not been a waste of money?

sheldonian97 21st May, 2020 9:09 am

This device might be termed “Dixonian”. Perhaps we can popularise the use of this term.

AndyEMT 10th June, 2020 6:53 pm

Searched Influenzium on FDA.gov. Only thing that came up was three warning letters to suppliers, who were making various claims for it.

sheldonian97 21st May, 2020 9:12 am

Hopefully he will soon be sharing a cell with this guy – https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-22380368

Anonymous 21st May, 2020 5:14 pm

I’m sorry but its codswallop which is OK but the fact they are ripping people off and exploiting people because of their fear and lack of technical knowledge means its just not on.
I’ve been in the radio industry both professionally and in my spare time for 40 years. There is no evidence that is accepted by people who DO know what they’re talking about that demonstrates 5G frequencies are dangerous to health, at the emitted powers and distances from antennas we are talking about anyway.
I’m afraid it just shows a total lack of understanding.
Bit like remote Reiki healing, total money making rip off.
Tin hat on.. (Which I’ve been told also protects me from mind control by aliens..) 😉

Anonymous 21st May, 2020 5:17 pm

PS. There is a resistor in there for the LED, its just been covered by the black shrink wrap insulating material. Probably 330 Ohm at a guess..

Lee Studley 21st May, 2020 5:57 pm

I have a new different and improved design for only $300 usd. free shipping…

glempsto 22nd May, 2020 10:01 am

The USB sticks are available from Alibaba for $2.80 (+ engraving the George and Dragon clip art), if anyone wants to jump on the 10,000% markup bandwagon (alibaba.com/product-detail/Promotional-gifts-crystal-USB-flash-drive_62409634097.html)

Anonymous 22nd May, 2020 9:47 pm

Oooh 5G woowoo, these things exist in all walks of life, 5G, WiFi, Car Tuning, generic harmonising gadget wankery, all bull all does nothing but turn an LED on and charge a fortune for, I often think i’m missing a trick, wouldn’t take a lot to create a PCB with a few dummy components on even an unprogrammed cheap Microcontroller and sell for £££’s!

Keith povall 23rd May, 2020 6:53 pm

But copper has such healing power, I’m not in the slightest bit surprised there’s a bit in this wonderful device. So it’s hollow, but as they say, I don;t care if my lettuce has got DDT on it as long as it’s crisp.

Steve Tonkin 28th May, 2020 12:10 pm

Gary Johnson is missing a trick! Far too much work for far too little reward. Another “external” member of the Glastonbury Town Council 5G Advisory Committee is advocating the use of something that gives a far better return for far less outlay and far less work.

Rory Cellan-Jones examines this one: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-52810220

Skippy 10th June, 2020 10:45 pm

I sat down and worked through the rest of the report – https://skippy.org.uk/oh-glastonbury/

Niall Taylor 11th June, 2020 9:31 am

Excellent summary of the whole farcical affair – many thanks, Skippy.

loljfc 16th July, 2020 7:09 pm

Its quite astonishing to see crybabies in the comments going on about EMF dangers without addressing the object in this article in the first place. Perhaps they bought this LED ?

Paddy McCarthy 18th July, 2020 11:44 pm

Ah, Glastonbury. Ask them to believe in the copper bracelet/healing crystals/gemstones/homeopathy etc that they no doubt already possess and are “just as strong”, if not stronger in their protections than this device.

AnnonMoses 31st March, 2022 6:49 pm

It only works if you attach a chocolate digestive to one and and a can of special brew to the others.

Related posts:

Related Posts