Explaining the new Better Geiger S2L detector and comparing to the Model S2

[@Liminaut0]

Wow! Ten times more sensitive! That's awesome! :D Definitely buying this upgrade soon! :D

[@ReactorLaboratories]

Wow! Cool new detector! I think my next purchases are going to be the S2 and the S2L! Sweet! :D

[@allRadioactive]

Thats a really cool upgrade and for extra 50 bucks I think it’s definitely worth it! I’m sure many hobbyists will really enjoy the larger crystal and its higher sensitivity.

[@winexprt]

Good breakdown explaining the core differences between the two, and the use cases each one is better suited for. I think the S2 is the one for me just to have in case of an 'event'. And it can also be fun to test stuff with the S2 I'm sure as well.

[@SkepticalMind]

I would have been curious to see a comparison between the two in regards to the actual dose rate (not the max dose). How do they compare in that regard?

[@BetterGeiger]

@@SkepticalMind dose rate should be independent of the sensor used, if something is correctly giving something like uSv/hr or mrem/hr then the device should take into account if it's more or less sensitive and then show a dose reaching which factors that in. Similarly the S2 and S2L will give similar values in the same situation. There is always slight uncertainty so it might not be perfectly equal but it will be close within the measurement tolerance of each device. They would have very different CPM though which is just raw count rate. I hope that explanation makes sense.

[@juntsmoka]

Which one of these would be better for exploring, (abandoned places, etc) and hunting around for sources, testing rocks, antiques etc or do you think i should i go for something like a traditional GC than can pick up beta and perhaps alpha as well?

[@maxxres]

I'd say if you're looking for sources you'd have much more luck with something like a gq 600, or the s2l. I recommend the 600 because the pancake probe has a larger surface area than a typical gc, so it can detect more particles. BUT, that wont really tell you how dangerous something is, just that there's radiation hitting it. The s2l will tell you that however, as it energy compensates for different energies gammas. But a radiacode is a lot smaller and should work about the same, plus you can identify the isotope which is nice.

[@juntsmoka]

@maxxres Thank you very much for the tips. Since that comment i've learned some more and have been looking at a GC with a LND-712 tube. I wanted something that could detect alpha, beta and gamma. I think that would be useful for me as i'm new to all of this and most of my usage would be hobby-oriented, and likely lower dose.. I would LOVE to get a pancake tube GC, but i think its out of my budget right now for sure. I would like to scratch the itch and see if im interested further, so to speak.

[@markmiles5064]

Two Questions: 1.Would the S2L be a good choice for checking whether old Clock dials have Radium paint? 2. Would the S2L be a good choice for determining whether old ceramics contains Uranium? Thanks.

[@BetterGeiger]

Yes radium paint will make the S2L scream, and even the S2 will react strongly to radium, as it emits primarily gamma picked up easily by both. For ceramics if you mean Fiestaware that was mentioned in the video, both are viable but the S2L will react much faster because it emits only a small quantity of gammas. If you mean uranium glass then neither will pick up the gammas because so few are emitted, and in general radiation detectors are not very effective at rapidly identifying them due to the low amount emitted typically... though some Uranium glass is much hotter, it is highly variable, the more highly emitting ones would be picked up by S2L well. For Uranium glass a cheap UV light is the most effective tool for identification and searching, very fast and easy and cheap.

[@markmiles5064]

@@BetterGeiger Thanks for that.

[@Liminaut0]

I just thought of something! Could you add a "finder" mode to the S2L that has a graph that shows the radiation levels over a certain period of time? Also, in the "finder" mode would it be possible to make it squeal instead of click, but only in that mode, or you'd be able to change from a click to a squeal in the setting or something similar? If you're wondering what I mean by squeal, I'm referring to something similar to the gamma dog scintillator, where it makes a buzzing or squealing noise based off of how much radiation it's detecting, where lower amount of radiation is a lower pitched squeal, and higher radiation being a higher pitched squeal! :D Just wondering if that's something that's possible to add if you're willing, I'd think it's cool, because the only other devices that are able to do this are super expensive high range scintillators that I don't really have access to! :)

[@BetterGeiger]

Thanks for the comment. I have thought about a rate history curve or something like that as you describe. The reason I am hesitant is that I consider it limited value if one cannot record for a longer period of time and go back and search through it, maybe even combine it with position data and stuff like that... and those more complicated things are not something I can implement in this design without major changes. Having said that, some people might like that even in a simpler form, so maybe it is something I should try to implement anyway, I'll consider that. Regarding a tonal response similar to the gamma dog, that is something I have considered as well but it would require some hardware changes in being able to produce different tones. The reason I can sell the S2L for this fairly low price is that I used mostly the same hardware as the regular S2 and changed the sensor and made firmware changes, so the development cost and effort was modest, and if I start to do hardware changes it will get more complicated. If there is high interest in the S2L I will consider those kinds of improvements based on user feedback.

[@Liminaut0]

@@BetterGeiger I see! The graph function is something that would be pretty cool, but to be honest, it's not THAT important, it's mostly just a feature that's good for some very specific functions. As far as the tonal response goes (So that's what it's called lol :D)I just thought it would be a cool feature to have! I personally think that having it would make it easier to find certain things, but I do also understand that it's probably not that easy to implement! Thanks for the consideration and your response! :D

[@scenicroadwaysyt]

Awesome! The L seems like it could be even more sensitive than my Radiacode. Does it have an even larger Crystal? The s2L seems like a great alternative to a Raysid as well.

[@BetterGeiger]

Yes the crystal is 3x larger than radiacode, but a bit smaller than raysid. The S2L price is lower than those others but it also lacks some features that those other two have (gamma spec, etc), so I think it just depends on use case which fits a person's needs.

[@Liminaut0]

@@BetterGeiger Honestly, for me personally, the fact that it's more sensitive than the radiacode and cheaper makes me want to recommend this over the radiacode for people in the future, at least for detectors for searching for things! As you said, there are some things the radiacode can do that this can't, and things this can do that the radiacode can't do. So I think what I'm going to do is buy this to go with the radiacode 102 that I have already! Making the perfect setup for prospecting and searching for radioactive things! :D

[@scenicroadwaysyt]

@@Liminaut0 I agree! I have a Radiacode 102 and I just preordered the S2L. I’ve been wanting something with a larger crystal for a while now and this fits the bill perfectly.

[@Liminaut0]

@@scenicroadwaysyt Yeah! :D

[@Dozymetria]

The new Scintillation detector is very sensitive

[@jackieow]

Do you have anything that reads out in Roentgens instead of Sieverts? Or a button to select which one you want to use? What is the minimum your instruments detect?

[@BetterGeiger]

It reads in uSv/hr and mrem/hr, just press the top middle "display" button to switch between several different readout modes. From uSv to mrem is just a factor of 10 different. Roentgen and REM are practically interchangeable in most situations, so if you view in mrem/hr you can consider it similar to milliRoentgen per hour. Roentgen is basically exposure and REM is exposure factoring in the effects on the human body and for X-ray/gamma it is close to 1:1. Generally dosimeters read out in Sievert or REM, and the S2 and S2L do as well. There is no lower limit on what it can measure, as the devices give a reading all the way down to natural background radiation levels. If the levels are only changing very slightly, though, then a longer measurement can be used to get a more accurate reading. For example you can let it run for 10 minutes to get an average value, then move the detector to a different location an do another 10 minute average. In that way the number given is not sensitive to random fluctuations, and the detector has a mode to easily do such a long averaged measurement.

[@jackieow]

@@BetterGeiger Sounds good and worth getting. Since the upper limit is 10 Roentgens, that is good for most situations. However if you are downstream from a big city or military base and your exposure is over 10 R, it would be good to have another extra version that goes to 1,000 Roentgens. That is needed if you are in a high fallout zone and have to prospect FAST for the best escape route. If everything is saturated over 10 R, you can't prospect for a good escape route without a numerical readout that is live action telling you whether you are getting to a better or worse location. Just because somebody drops an atom bomb doesn't mean you have a nearby hole or basement to jump into, and survival can depend on prospecting FAST for the best escape route. I already bought a 1,000 R device for myself and another for my son from a competitor, so once your customer base builds up you might be able to get your own market share in instruments that read coarser but higher. It is very good your items read down to background level, as that verifies the sensors and circuits are actually functional without having to tote around a piece of uranium ore or whatever.

[@HifiCentret]

That's really nice! I could be tempted to get the new S2L. I have the S1 so the S2 isn't that temptating to me. Sure it has higher range compared to the old S1 but I got a vintage cold war era geiger counter should that be needed (we hope not) 3 cm^3. Wonder how the sensivity is compared to the most famous competition? (something that starts with R). If there was a bluetooth option and pair with mobile phone or computer for spectrum what would really be the top!

[@BetterGeiger]

Compared to the option you are alluding to ;) it is 3x more sensitive, lower cost, but also yes a lot few bells and whistles compared to a couple other higher-cost scintillators on the market. So ultimately I think it will be a good fit for some people depending on their interests, but it's not yet a pocket-EDC style with bluetooth logging etc. Some day, perhaps. :)

[@HifiCentret]

@@BetterGeiger Thanks for feedback. I don't think it needs to be really advanced. Just a simple bluetooth interface for an app on the phone or computer allowing to capture sensor data and do a spectrum and an option to turn it on or off - nothing more than that - the rest is up to the app to implement. I think that the functions already in there for a simpler device is pretty decent. If you need spectrum on device get one of the competitors. For occasional casual stuff it's fine to fire up a phone. Hey it could even be as simple as exporting a simple data file to import into a spreadsheet for a start - really doesn't need to be super fancy with a colorful interface to make a huge difference. One thing I like about Better Geiger - AA batteries. LiIon have limited lifespan and while sure they can be replaced it's not for everybody and risks are that they fail when you need them most. Witrh AA just have a few Energizer L91 in your stash and they'll work flawlessly even 25 years from now. Should you want LiIon you can get LiIon AA rechargeables which charges via USB. Personally though I prefer NiMH - lives longer and safer but sure a little less efficient charging which might matter a little in an emergency situation. One thing though I'd wish was different - the display. Would much prefer an LCD. These cheap OLED just gets burnin too fast and is more power hungry than an LCD with backlight off. On the positibe side they're probably easy to replace should they get too much burnin. On the S1 it's very easy and very easy to find standard modules. In fact I already changed mine to a yellow as it's easier on the eye than the more common white and blue. Had orange been available I'd choose that any day.

[@OneSierra]

Forgive my ignorance but why is the S2 measuring hundreds in the s2l is measuring thousands shouldn't they both be the same number while both on the plate. Also when they were both on the plate, at one point the S2 was dropping and the s2l was Rising. I've just started researching Geiger counters I have much to learn. Also will these need to be stored in a faraday bag?

[@BetterGeiger]

@@OneSierra that was showing counts per minute, so the raw amount of radiation each sensor was picking up at that moment. The higher sensitivity means much higher for the S2L. The device converts that to dose rate taking into account the sensitivity. Dose rate was not shown but that would agree between the two. Not required to store them in Faraday bags