INTRODUCTION

   Good air quality is something most people all over the world take for granted om a daily basis and well they shouldn't, especially people who live in big cities. I too thought air quality wasn't a serious enough issue up until the moment i started testing air quality monitors and found out that most numbers recorded by all of them were way above the levels of what many international health agencies had deemed as harmful to people. Needless to say, in order to double check those numbers i went out and got several air purifiers which for the most part all but verified those results. Aside all the usual suspects in regards to air pollution (PM2.5/PM10/CO/VOC/SO2) there are other gasses equally harmful and Radon (Rn) is clearly among them. Just like a few others Radon is also a colourless, odourless, and tasteless gas which means that in order to detect it you need a device like the INK-RD2 smart monitor by INKBIRD.

   INKBIRD is a smart IoT technology company and its business was established in 2010. As a high-tech company, INKBIRD has been devoting itself to offering its worldwide users excellent smart home living products, since the date it was established. Inspired by the history of quill-pen and the spirit of The Wright brothers’ making the world's first motor-operated airplane successfully happened, the founders of INKBIRD named the brand with the word INK which is used for writing with the quill-pen and the word BIRD which is the prototype and the inspiration of human being’s flying tools to encourage the development and continuity of the company as well as to motivate their solid steps of chasing innovation and freedom.

   Radon gas is released when natural radioactive metals like uranium decay and since uranium especially is found in nearly all types of soil it's easy for it to move up through the ground and into your home through gaps between pipes, cracks and other holes in the foundation. This means that regardless of how old/new your home is Radon may become a problem if it builds up, something which happens especially during the winter due to what is known as the vacuum effect (warm inside, cold outside). Thanks to its advanced pulsed ion chamber sensor the INK-RD2 Monitor can effectively measure Radon with a sensitivity of just 30 CPH per 1pCil every 10 minutes and display those results via an LED placed on top (green/yellow/red) and a speaker placed at the rear (used if Radon content has severely exceeded safety levels). Needless to say, you can monitor everything the INK-RD2 records, export those recordings and also adjust some of its functions remotely via the INKIBIRD Android/iOS app (2.4GHz WiFi connectivity).

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

INKBIRD uses a small black and white box to ship the INK-RD2 inside the front of which is as expected taken by a large product picture.

The product specifications and contact information for INKBIRD are placed on the right side.

At the rear INKBIRD mentions the remote function of their INKBIRD app.

Packaging is sufficient with the monitor wrapped inside a synthetic bag and kept in place by the box itself.

In terms of bundle not much to see here since the INK-RD2 is accompanied just by its power adapter and the user manual.

THE INK-RD2

The 380g heavy cylindrical body of the INK-RD2 is made mostly out of plastic and measures 80mm in diameter and 140mm in height.

At the top of the INK-RD2 we find the LED indicator and the reset/pairing button.

Moving at the rear we find a few vents which could be used both for the pulsed sensor inside and the internal speaker.

Some certifications along with the electrical requirements of the INK-RD2 are placed at the base right next to the power port.

While in operation the monitor will display the current Radon levels either with green, yellow or red color.

INKBIRD APP

The setup procedure takes just a couple of minutes as seen above.

After you turn on and pair your device to your local network via the INKBIRD app it will show in the main menu (since i do still have the IAM-T1 that too is shown here - out of battery however).

By pressing on the INK-RD2 you'll enter the main tab where it indicates the current Radon levels and a graph underneath with all the recent levels (last 5 hours or so).

Further down you'll find the saved records (none here) and the settings tab.

Pressing on the graph allows you to change between day, month and year.

Inside the settings tab you can change the metric type, enable/disable the LEDs and the speaker and enable the alarm for when Radon levels exceed safe ones.

CONCLUSION

   Unlike CO and other gasses Radon is mostly dependent on the type of soil of each location and well, at least where I’m located it’s not really an issue. It’s worth pointing out that Radon levels never surpassed 29 Bq/m3 during the 1+ month I ended up using the INK-RD2 (for many countries the current safety level is set below <150 Bq/m3). This however is not the case with other areas so I do suggest looking up online whether or not you live in a place that has such a recorded issue (Alaska, Germany, Norway, Switzerland and France for example are places where Radon is an issue for many people). What may drive away some potential buyers is that the INK-RD2 can only be used to measure Radon and well even though i too would prefer a device capable of measuring every single harmful gas out there that’s easier said than done and that aside dedicated devices usually work a lot better than all-in-one models.

   So, just how much will the INK-RD2 Radon Smart Monitor set you back? Well, currently the INK-RD2 retails for USD169.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 208.39Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de). Now i can’t really commend on price cause for some people it will seem fine (it’s related to health after all) and to some it will not, what I can comment on is performance and the INKBIRD INK-RD2 does a very good job with Radon detection thus the Golden Award is clearly in order.

PROS

- Overall Quality
- Accurate Radon Detection (Pulsed Ion Chamber Sensor)
- INKBIRD App (Remote Access)
- LED Display
- Speaker (Alarm)

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Only Detects Radon (For Some)