This section includes reviews of several models of rife-type equipment, including the GB-4000, F-SCAN, F100 series, and APBA, as well as the Rife Handbook.

When people first become interested in rife technology, they think the machine is what's important. Though there are major differences in how easy various machines are to use, the most important part of rifing is not the machine but the frequencies. If you have the right frequencies, you can play them through a kazoo and get results. If you don't, the best machine available won't help. As I point out in my review of The Rife Handbook, finding the correct frequencies can take a lot of time, and the published frequencies are only a starting point. Therefore, although rife machines can be effective, they can require more effort than is initially apparent.

Decision Tree

Deciding whether to buy a machine and what machine to get can involve a steep learning curve and important decisions based on what seems to be inadequate information. The expense of the machines and the fact that most people will probably not have a chance to try one, let alone several, before buying can make the process seem opaque and impenetrable. However, a decision tree eventually manifests out of the initial amorphousness:

1. Do you even need a machine? Are there other ways to address the problem that are less expensive and may be just as effective?

If you're going to buy a machine:

2. Are you willing to spend the time necessary to look for frequencies and sit through rife sessions, especially if you don't see immediate results?

3. Do you know how to minimize Herxheimer reactions?

4. How much can you spend? You can find used pad and plasma machines at drloyd.com and rifeforum.com. (For money transfer, I've used escrow.com, the only U.S. escrow service recommended by eBay, Consumer Reports, Bankrate.com, and the BBB, and found it reliable.)

5. Do you want a pad or a plasma machine? Plasma may be more useful in some cases, but the machines tend to be more expensive. Also, they typically output frequencies only up to 10,000 Hz or so (more for some machines), whereas the pathogen frequencies may be much higher (in the megahertz). However, they also have a magnetic component that may be as effective as the electrical one, or more so. But as I point out above, the important thing is not the machine but finding the correct frequencies. What's important about the machine is obtaining one that's convenient to use. Not all are.

6. Do you want a machine with an "RF carrier"? People new to rifing encounter this and think it's important. The subject is controversial, and many are successful using machines without a carrier. On pad machines the carrier is not broadcast, like a radio signal; it's a high-frequency output that other frequencies can modulate. The GB-4000 has a 3.1 (formerly 2.4) MHz carrier, but the frequency can't be changed. On the F100 series and the F-SCAN Touch, you can set a carrier of any desired frequency (up to the limit of the channel). Some plasma machines that use a spark gap or other "noisy" component do broadcast unintentional RF.

Remember that even if a machine or other treatment kills pathogens, it may not eliminate the problem until you resolve the underlying conditions (nutritional deficiencies, toxic overload, and/or stress) that allow them to flourish — and once you resolve these conditions, the body's immune system can do a better job of eliminating the pathogens on its own.