I keep seeing people post iodine pill ads... remember folks, iodine pills only save you in a radio-iodine environment. If a truck with radioactive Co60, for example, crashes... the pills won't help.

@mauer594

8 жыл бұрын

+antiprotons where do you get these samples?

@Chuzzlepuff

8 жыл бұрын

+antiprotons provided you had a decent geiger counter and a long duration to test a food source...say 2 days of calculated cpm, would their be any ability to see a difference in two food sources from slow decaying isotopes? or is the level of background radiation from other fast decaying stuff just too high to tell?

@Anti-proton

8 жыл бұрын

Chuzzlepuff Puffchuzzle If you had food exposed to a rapidly decaying radio nuclide, like I131, then you could calculate the change in reading vs. days and interpolate that into a graph. From that, you could calculate the decay constant and make a guess at the offending radio nuclide. If memory serves, you could do something like this: Take 2 readings, A,B at times T,Q -1* ln(2) /[ ln(A)-ln(B)/T-Q ] Should kick out the ~halflife. But, this method is MEGA fraught with assumption and lots of possible error. Only works on a simple A to B decay, not more complex A to B to C... to Z stuff. You would solve a more complex bateman for that.

@Emeengor

8 жыл бұрын

maybe it would have made any sense if you used that damn board you have behind you and draw some graphs and calculations ...

@AndrewAttard78

7 жыл бұрын

antiprotons Hey, in layman's terms... If nukes start falling from the sky and I'm in a bunker, should I take iodine tablets?

I was like: "Oh cool this guy has a bunch of geiger counters, he has a smooth voice, he's nice! Everything seems so calm!" *holy shit it starts ticking*

Thank you for one of the best demos on YT. There is an awful lot of rubbish online. I did my first radiation training over 50 years ago, and I have 7 geiger counters plus 7 ionisation based devices. I have built several of these and am working on a couple more. Sadly its impossible to get proper sources here in Europe. I have to make do with things like radium dials, americium from smoke detectors and natural ores.

@sixthgear5874

Ай бұрын

Not too different in the states, at least it’s possible to buy depleted uranium, but it’s fairly cost and supply prohibitive

The gloves do little for beta or photon radiation, but they most certainly prevent dust from getting into my hands. This reduces/prevents trans-dermal uptake and makes it easier to clean myself after touching such samples. Internal exposure is the real killer.

Thank you so very much for this video. I may not be fully relieved, but I do understand, a lot better than I did before watching it. Bless, Sheila

I really enjoyed this video. Your voice is calming and the information is presented in an easy to understand way, thanks for the information!

What an outstandingly well-informed video regarding nuclear radiation monitoring of the environment, post-Fukushima. I applaud your valuable information for the general public interested in these vital issues. Thank you so much!

No need for gloves with that specific piece of uranium. Note that in other videos I hold much more active pieces and do wear gloves, even though they are still probably not needed. In cases where they really are, I would wear latex, than my thick rubber gloves (long) and tape them... then another latex over top.

Very good video. Very informative. I like how you've added the speakers to the old counter too. Subscribed. Oh yes, I have a PDRM-82, and that has a radiation source inside for the self check calibration.

I'm years late to this party, but I had a hearty laugh at the last few frames of the vid. I am a computer scientist myself and I always find myself working in fields that have absolutely nothing to do with computer science proper. Thing about computer science is... it can be applied to nearly anything. Real hearty chuckle ... "another one just like me, well out of his element". Keep on being awesome man. Good attention to detail.

Dude, you make the coolest videos! I love your channel.

I don't really know why or how I got here but I really enjoyed your video. Interesting and you have a cool delivery. I want to buy a Geiger counter now.

Hey thanks for this helpful video! Might you have any suggestions for testing seaweed with a geiger to see if there is significant manmade isotope contamination? Can you suggest benchmarks for what is to be expected for natural activity v.s. reading showing presence of manmade isotopes? Am using an Inspector Alert.

@arclight2011 Thanks! My point is to dispel some of the basic myths. I won't be arguing over the exact fallout from Fukushima, or other things which are being debated... just that a Geiger counter can or can't do some things. Personally, I normally just use my gamma spectrometer anyway lol

Hi, and thank you for the very informative comparison video. I have ordered an Air Counter S meter as a starting point, in order to measure γ radiation; I hope it is accurate enough and sensitive enough to use it on "light" applications like detecting Thorium and Lanthanum on camera lenses. I was wondering if the CRM-100 is good enough to trust, compared to the much more sensitive Inspector EXP, by assuming that every measure needs to be increased by 3-10 times to get the real reading?

antiprotons: "what about plutonium" * *extract a plutonium bar from under the table* *

Amazing breakdown of radiation detection technology. Thanks for making it clear.

Yes. A Geiger counter is an electrical circuit. A current is applied to the tube, but this current cannot flow unless the tube is hit by a radioactive particle. The pulse of power this causes drains the battery a tiny bit and makes the click we hear. More click sounds, more power used.

Worth the wait, thx mang!

Thanks! This vid helped me understand the big picture re Fukusheima so much more.

you're an engaging teacher. keep making videos!

Thank you for replying, I am sure you are right, I need to read some more on this as it is all above my current knowledge base but you have caught my interest. I felt queasy watching you handle those example tablets. Is Barium a radio active substance? Some say it is some say it isn't.

Great video! I’m not sure if this is true or not but I have read something interesting that pertains to your final myth about Geiger counters being radioactive. One problem that they had with the old Geiger counters was the fact that steel that went into making them (other metals as well) contained fission products from atmospheric nuclear testing. Apparently, in order to make Geiger counters that were free of radiation other than background, any steel used had to be scrap from before the Manhattan project 1944. According to this article, one of the biggest and most accessible supplies of pre 1944 steel is from Scapa Flow in Great Britain. The source is the German Imperial High Seas Fleet that was being held as per the armistice agreement at the end of ww 1. The German sailors on board, not wanting the British to take over their ships, scuttled the whole fleet at Scapa Flow. Some were refloated, but many were left on the bottom. Over the years, some of the ships have had steel cut from them and used in the manufacture of Geiger counters since it would not have fission product contamination and thus wouldn’t bias the counter. Here is a interesting article that talks about this and other metals harvested for the same reason. www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2020/12/the-bizarre-market-for-old-battleship-steel/

Tom...thanks for the quick response...I'll start doing some research, if I end up building one, I'll send you some photos and I'm sure a few questions. Keep posting, your time is appreciated.

Great video, I became interested in this subject after Fukushima. I am a ham radio operator and one of the things I have always tracked is solar activity because of the way it influences radio communications, there are many sources on the internet for keeping tabs on what the sun is up to. Are there sources on the internet for tracking the type radiation your video presented? What is the most common type radiation most of us are apt to come in contact with?

Extremely interesting. Good job.

Very, very well done. KUDOS! Thanks for posting.

I came across with a weird discovery when playing with my sbt-11A. When i put my hand very close to the mica screen, the measurements went off the charts. Same happened when I put my leatherman multitool and some pliers close to the screen. I also tried same with a roll of electrical tape and nothing happened. When repeating same with uranium glass, everything worked as expected. Any ideas what could cause this? Is there possibly something wrong with my tube? There is no chance that i or my tools could be that radioactive.

Hi, interesting video. I had a question about buying a geiger counter/radiation tester. What would be the cheapest (but still reliable and accurate) tester available? I have an old 50's Radium clock I wanted to test out, as well as some other materials. Thanks!

NOTE: I can go into any of this in more detail if needed. Also, rain water is covered at 11:20 :)

Reading the last one, my thought was "if you contaminate it with radioactive material, then it will be...otherwise, why would it be?"

calm and informative. thank you =)

Did you already do a video on the myths and or theory of radiation half live so one can put in laymen terms what’s dangerous radiation and whats not really radioactive ??

i am looking for a chaep geiger counter. can you recommend anything i should/shouldn't look for when it comes to features, etc? THANKS.

When I circuit check my meter it goes left instead of all the way right. Any ideas?

When you say, "Mr. Inspector", are you referring to a normal SE International Inspector? Both Inspector models use the exact same probe, the LND Inc. 7317. As for the second part, these samples I am showing in this video are mostly sealed. The disk samples are swipe tested, by me, every few uses, and the uranium sample is about a low as you can get in activity. I wash my hands and clean my equipment too. I test my equipment with an NaI(Tl) 1.5" detector now and then, just to be sure. :)

So in regards to exposure, you need to know which iso. you are being exposed to, before you can determine the safe dosage in a given time?

Hi! Great video! In your opinion what would be the best way to get an accurate test of ocean water for radiation/ what would be a good Geiger counter to buy to test ocean water? Thanks!!!

@Anti-proton

9 жыл бұрын

Rafe Schaper Honestly, none of them are good as they can only point to radioactivity being present, but not what causes it. You really need a gamma spectrometer for anything meaningful from ocean water. I am testing some arctic water this weekend and will perform a gamma spectrum of it. I'll post what I find.

Yes! Actually, firefighters have an issue to deal with due to smoke detectors. Some detectors use light or laser to detect smoke, but many use Americium 241 (made from decay from plutonium) to detect smoke. Look on the back of a smoke detector and it will tell you it contains this. Each smoke detector has as much radioactive materiel as the nuclear check sources I use in my experiments. When they burn, it burns. Avoid that smoke.

Very informative, concise + to the point. The reading times/delays for the texts screens could be longer. Thanks for the info.

I have seen these geiger counters that can actually measure the energy and in doing so tell you which isotopes you are dealing with. Any idea how these devices are called and how accurate they are in detecting the right isotope. It seems that it's a pretty stretch for a hand-held device to be so precise, but I am not an expert. So interested in your knowledge on this.

@dennisc.4828

6 жыл бұрын

No, not from a geiger counter; from gamma ray spectroscopy. Rather more expensive.

I just measured my garden soil, it is 2 times backgroud levels. Is that normal?

Yet another question, regarding aging of the units. The CDV units come in pairs sometimes, with an ion chamber unit and a geiger tube unit. Do either of theise sensors deteriorate with age? I know the electronics, especially some of the caps will, but I'm curious about the sensor itself. Thanks!

The black unit is an SE International Inspector EXP+. GeigerCounters com has them for $750. That's a really nice unit too. The samples come from SpectrumTechniques com They cost about $50 a piece (unless you want them assayed to 95% accuracy, which I do with all of mine, for an additional $100 each).

Could geigercounter be activated for testing, using just laser? It is also source of radiation, but visible spectrum.

I have some golf ball size souvenere rocks from the bottom of the Grand Canyon, Do you think there could be any harmful levels of radiation from these rocks?

Tom great video!...As you stated (in my words) a element that gives off a high CPM may not be as dangerous as a element that gives off far less CPM's. This is due to the higher CPM element is detected easier by the wand than the lower CPM element. My ? is, would doing a test on a element over a period of time (weeks, mo.) and tracking the range of CPM's (decay) give you a indication as to if it's an alpha beta gamma emitting element? Thanks for your time.

What would you use to measure radiation levels in food?

so if I understood correctly, units as µSv, Röntgens, rem or rads cannot just be converted? I've read a book (Alert, the story of Chernobyl by Piers Paul Read), claiming that 1 rad of gamma is equal to 1 rem, and a manual of a military counter claimed that the meter could be read as röntgens as well as rads.

You can legally buy some trinitite that contains small amounts of plutonium. I have a few and I just recently bought a CD V-700 geiger counter because I wondered how much radiation does my trinitite have, I will see that on Wednesday

Any cheaper but good unit you can recommend that measures all 3 and X-ray? Thanks

@Anti-proton

10 жыл бұрын

The Inspector USB is still my favorite pancake unit. You can go cheaper, but you sacrifice sensitivity, and quickly.

Is the Terra-P Geiger counter a good radiation detector?

Is the core of a nuclear reactor radioactive after the fuel rods are removed? Can steel become radioactive?

I'm really not sure how any significant creation of MgCl would occur, even given neutron bombardment (in a core). I've made 26-Mg in my lab before via alpha bombardment, and it's a pain! I cannot imagine that anything more than an trace amount could be created in such a way. Additionally, it would be one of dozens of other such radio-compounds. Where did you read about this?

Hey, I love your vids, but one question would a PRM-8000 be good? Im just looking for a nice good working Geiger counter that can detect the main radiation such as ... Gamma, Xray, Beta, Alpha and that it will also find uranium!

@Anti-proton

10 жыл бұрын

The 8000 is fine, but the 9000 is many times more sensitive. If you buy the 9000, you would really find it more useful.

Hello im basically a newbie on this but im very corious about it, can you please explain make a video or something about the diference between rad, rem, roentgen, sievert. I just watch a video watch?v=r8-ziyw_yl8 and at 1:08 they have some very high numbers, but i dont have the knowledge to interpret that. How much a human being can take and how long? Sorry for my english and thank you in advance

What level of Cs137 is acceptable on a DPM bases. I am getting 230 to 270 DPM in my home 4/1/14 @ 6pM in Texas.

@Anti-proton

10 жыл бұрын

Exactly how did you come about these numbers? (detector, methods?) Cs137 exposure is never a good thing but is usually qualified by detailed information of how the exposure occurs (internal vs. external, etc).

What would you say emits more radiation or if any, a cellphone or a router? I have seen people saying that a cellphone actually emits more radiation. but I don't buy... what do you think?

This slightly unrelated but what is that "ding" sound at 10:20? I occasionally hear that noise randomly in everyday life but I never know what it is...

@Anti-proton

9 жыл бұрын

What is me getting an email. I normally silence my phone, but sometimes I forget.

great presentation! a must watch! thank you for posting! from uk or yuk as i like to call it :)

where did you buy your uranium from? Did you buy it from amazon also do you need a license or anything special to buy the uranium you have?

I've heard that silver attracts radiation if this is true do you know if any jewelry such as your ring be unsafe to be wearing near a source of radiation?

@ShinobuHarvester Thanks! Took my about 2 hours to upload... thanks youtube lol

i've taken three classes on nuclear engineering and radiation still confuses me lol it's not trivial stuff.

Thanx, very informative

Cant believe I found a video on Geiger Counters on KZread that hasn’t been infected by comments referring to a certain show on HBO.

@SurvivingTheApocalypse

4 жыл бұрын

Australian Eugenics Expert still seeing only one.

@somecodurr

Жыл бұрын

@@SurvivingTheApocalypse No GOT comments so far.

Sadyl, a single cubic meter of soil from Saga City Japan most likely contains much more Cs137 than my samples. If they became unsealed and somehow dispersed, my risk might be similar to someone performing soil-invasive yard work in Saga City. Of course, such a comment requires loads of qualification, but based on reports I have read, this is correct. BTW: That is not to downplay the sample, but to point out how nasty some if Saga's soil is.

Thanks! You are the second person to think my voice is pleasant. I find it annoying in person, but that's me lol

Good question. Radiation can cause cancer, but at these low levels (under 37 kBq for most samples), the risk is very little. Consider holding one to be like drinking a beer. A single beer *could* give you liver cancer... but probably not. If it helps, your smoke alarm typically has a 33 kBq Am241 source in it and 1 bag o KCl water softner is equal to perhaps a dozen of these sources :) So... basically, don't sleep with them, eat them, etc.

ok so what is the best cheapest geiger counter that will do the job should we buy?

Where did you buy your Geiger counters from? How much were they? I want one too

Where do you get your elements, and is it possible to get different isotopes of the same element there? The places where I look only have a single isotope of the element.

@Anti-proton

8 жыл бұрын

+Julie Fox It is possible... but unlikely. There are a dozen or so common radio nuclides, but the thousands of others are basically custom made. I have made a few isotopes in my lab: P-30/29, Si-29, Mg26, Al27. All using alpha bombardment of stable Na23 and Al27. lol I get my samples from Spec. Tech. Great folks!!! spectrumtechniques.com/radioisotopes2.htm

@johnfox2809

8 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

i have a qquestion, not everyone can afford and "Inspector EXP" what other more affordable brand can you recommend that may do the same.

@Anti-proton

9 жыл бұрын

The benefit of the Inspector and similar units are the large "pancake" style detectors. There are many cheaper units which are really good quality, but they won't be as sensitive. If you are good with electronics, you could make a detector with the sensitivity of the Inspector. You would need an LND7317 pancake tube and some skills. One way to get Inspector-like sensitivity for cheaper would be to get an old CDV700 from eBay for under $100. Buy a pancake replacement probe from Geigercounters.com for $279. So, for about $380 you have the inspector sensitivity using a CDV. You would need to know basic electronics repair or someone who can repair the CDV if it goes bad. Atomic.Dave sells good quality units and the CRM-100 is quite nice too. Atomic Dave DIY kits are supposed to be easy to make (I have never done it). They have a pretty sensitive tube, as well. Probably the cheapest would be an old CDV700 from eBay, broken. You would then repair it. That would likely be under $100 bucks.

@antiprotons whats that lead container you keep the samples in?

@Anti-proton

9 жыл бұрын

It's called a "lead pig" and it can be bought from Spectrum Techniques spectrumtechniques.com/lead_shields.htm#LSDISK50

@sladersoda

9 жыл бұрын

wow thanks for taking the time to help. great videos too!

Thanks antiprotons, best info I have found yet .Want to check the tuna, sardines , I love to eat . Been eating by the ton for the last 5 years. Just became aware of continued situation with Fukishima. Ohhhhh Wish I could monitor food but it is , pretty complex ! Antiprotons what are those badges worn by the people who work around radiation /x- ray techs called ? Thanks again.

Ok think I m with you. So what are people detecting ? Maybe radon washout but everywhere? What about detecting Strontium ? What sort of reading might that give?

How do you know which day of the week your uranium piece is radioactive?

Not a bad price, if they work. Also, I am glad you pointed out that the CDV700 was the real Geiger counter. Too many people get those ion chamber units, like the CDV715, confused for Geiger counter. =) I hope it all works for you!

@stevebreedlove9760

Жыл бұрын

Doesnt an ion chamber of the 715 measure gamma like a GM? I thought the fundamental difference is the ranges of detection? This is all so esoteric and any assistance is appreciated.

If the dust was contaminated, the unit could be too. Clean it carefully and you can decontaminate it. Think of it like a chemical contamination... but with a radioactive chemical.

Yeah i realized all of your stuff is pretty good graded, name-brand equipment, I was just joking because you can (or at least you could, i don't know anymore) buy stuff like thorium nitrate on Ebay. Oh and great video too, you clarified a bunch things that beginners like myself have trouble figuring out on our own, so thanks.

What battery does your CDV-700 take? I have a CDV-710 model 3 takes NEDA 215s, yet they are expensive.

@Anti-proton

8 жыл бұрын

+Xi Jinping The 700 was made by many companies with sub models, but most of them use either two or four, D cells. Cheap and easy to get

@dennisc.4828

6 жыл бұрын

My CDV-700 takes four D-cells.

Cont... Now, if you knew that an element emitted an alpha particle which carried 0.1 joules per decay, you could convert them: Sv / second = CPM * 0.1 joules/kg / 60 seconds * 20 But, if a gamma ray carrying 1 joule hit you during this time, it would change the outcome quite a lot! Of course, most beta's and gamma's are in the 1.6 x 10^-22 joules, but who's counting. see what I mean? (for gamma): 1 RAD = 1 REM 1 Sv = 1 Gy 1 CPM = 1/60 CPS Some can be converted :( It's complicated.

What unit are you using? Your "roentgen" (R) sounds like "rankine" (°R)

Cool video antiprotons, im in Australia,im a boilermaker, so I don't know anything about chemistry or phisics,what does this mean,how can u get an accurate measurement if the decay is so low but these low [ejections] are still dangerous.What I mean to say is can I measure if there is dangerous radiation in my environment as an ordinary person by investing in equipment or is this not practical.

@iamgoddard Yes, for sure! The ability to determine isotope from a fully known source with a Geiger counter does not exist. When I test a smoke alarm, I already know what I am looking for and the GM just confirms it. From scratch, how could you possibly know? Decay schemes and decay rates are not accurate either since they nest off of each other. You can, for example, confirm a radon washout sample if it decays in a few hours from rain water, but again... you already had an idea.

But... If you get a CDV700, you could buy a 2" pancake tube (same as the inspector) for under $300. have you considered buying a Ludlum model 3 + 44-9 pancake tube? Same basic idea as the CDV700 but with modern parts.

I know many people who have no degree in physics who use Geiger counters all of the time (My degree isn't in physics either). You can buy a reasonibly priced Geiger counter and have lots of fun with it. Determining danger is tricky, but some study and a good book should do it. Most of this stuff really ins't too difficult. Before spending money on anything, ensure that you really find it interesting enough to get into. Also, Geiger counters are not very good for low level food contamination.

The CDV700 probe is energy compensated (makes units like mR/hr more accurate for low energy photons). The pancake is not... but the pancake can detect alpha particles, which the CDV700 probe cannot. Also, the pancake is MEGA sensitive. In my lab, my pancake gets 38 CPM vs. my CDV's 15-20 CPM. Also, I wouldn't use energy units, like Roentgens, Seiverts, etc, from a Geiger counter anyway. CPM and C/S are the only valid units.

Radiation is sort of light light. A light bulb emits light in all directions. Radioactive objects emit radiation in all directions, and things like silver do not attract them. It is possible to attract some radioactive emissions (beta or alpha) towards a very high power magnet, but they do not make the magnet radioactive. The issue isn't the radiation, but the source of the radiation. The short answer is, no. Wear silver all you like. Silver has no effect on radiation. :)

Yes I do. Mu and Drizzt, my two cats. They are also my lab assistance.

I bought much of my uranium from United Nuclear, but I also find it in nature. Uranium exists all over the world in much of the soil and can be found, if you have the right equipment to look for it. Tomorrow, I will be at a uranium-rich area looking for some.

I went from Blue Stahli to this. I'm scared about the shift that may come next...

Where did you get your speaker for the CDV-700?

@robertcook2605

5 жыл бұрын

eBay has several. about 25 dollars.

Both plutonium and uranium, even if chemically purified, with slowly move towards isotopic equilibrium. Both are cluster decay (mostly alpha) with a long chain including potent beta emitters: Pb214 and Bi214 for U238 and Pb211 for U235. The specific activities of Pu239 and U238 are 2.2949985 GBq/g and 12.436289 kBq/g, respectively. I probably should have used a more pure DU sample instead of a natural uranium sample, given the Pb and Bi activities being high.

I once heard the ionization detectors described as, "it ticks, you're dead". lol Of couse that is not true, but the range is given in R/hr (1,000 mR/hr). So, this is useful if you are specifically targeted, but other wise not so much. Of couse, the CDV715 doesn't jam. The old CDV700 could jam or even get tube glow. New detectors have anti-jamming. My inspector EXP+ goes to 300,000 CPM and holds at max scale above that (my Polimaster is 1 μR/h - 1000 R/h) lol

Very informative video cool stuff

Plutonium, if it is isotopically pure, and in relatively small activities would be mostly blind to something like a CD V-700 Geiger counter or other beta/gamma only tubes. You would need a pancake detector for most pure Pu isotopes. Those can detect it. Most Pu emits mostly pure alpha. It can take days for a spectrum to show up on even a HPGe detector, because its low-energy gammas are less than ~ 0.01% intensity for Pu-239 alone when it decays. Am-241 is also an alpha emitter. However, it emits a low-energy gamma at 59.9 keV, but with ~ 35% intensity when it decays. Pu-241 buildup in Pu samples will decay to Am-241, so finding that 59.9 keV gamma could indicate impure Pu. Most Pu isotopes, when pure can be hard to detect. The gamma intensity and energies for Pu is very low. Pu-241 and Pu-244 would be easier to detect, because they decay to more gamma intense decay products (Pu-241 -> Am-241 + beta minus) or (Pu-244 -> U-240 + alpha -> Np-240 + beta minus).

Cell phone and microwaves (about the same thing) are a totally different form of radiation. Geiger counters, like the inspector, detect "ionizing" radiation. You would need a different meter for that.

these instruments are used in industry for separate tasks... one is used for detecting the reactivity from a source, the other measures the radiation emitted from the source.

@Anti-proton

10 жыл бұрын

Both of the detectors used are survey meters. The CDV700 is really outdated and should not be used in a professional environment (a Ludlum upgrade kit might do the trick, however). The Inspector has a contamination survey capability (the pancake tube). I've seen first responders using the Inspector and CDV700. Neither is really any good for measuring nuclide emissions for anything other than the nuclide they were calibrated for. Anything else would be inaccurate (of course lol). If it were me doing the first response, I'd want an Inspector USB, a Ludlum 12-4 neutron detector, and a 14C with 44-9 + 44-2. If I had a spare pocket, I would carry a Polimaster 1401k :P

Very informative ! I should have paid attention in school !

@dennisc.4828

6 жыл бұрын

You've got lots of company, from reading these comments.