Which Geiger Counter Could Save Your Life From Radiation Exposure?

[@BetterGeiger]

Hi all, I'm the Better Geiger designer. Thanks Drew for putting together a nice summary of many options on the market right now, and for continuing to put the world of radiation on the radar of ordinary people. One thing I want to add is that while you are right that the mrad is able to handle really extreme levels of radiation far above all of the rest in this video, the Better Geiger S2 has a much higher range than the others - it measures up to 100 mSv/hr vs 1 mSv/hr for the rest, so for emergencies it will be much much less likely to max out. I want to hammer home for viewers that picking up alpha/beta is a bit double-edged, it's great for catching small quantities of radiation coming from a surface, but it can cause problems if you are measuring dose because devices get confused by thinking all alpha/beta are gamma, causing massive overestimation of dose rate. Most people serious about radiation will end up with several devices which have different strengths and limitations. Anyway thanks again, folks can always reach out to me if they have technical questions related to the Better Geiger S2!

[@TheCaveman71]

The GMC-600+ has a max dose rate of 10 mSv/h, but its sibling, the GMC-500+ with its dual tube design maxes out at 20 mSv/h.

[@BetterGeiger]

Sorry that was a typo, I meant to write "most of the rest", some are not exactly 1 mSv/hr but closer to 1 mSv/hr than 100 mSv/hr max range. Spec sheet for the GMC-600 is 4 mSv/hr.

[@royb.1441]

For me, the BetterGeiger's much higher range is a huge selling point. Not many out there have a higher range than even 1 mili sievert. A person really needs at least two measuring devices, one thats low range and sensitive and another that is high range......The most dangerous thing about the cheap, low range counters is they don't typically contain overload protection circuits and so in high radiation fields WILL show a false reading. That could be extremely dangerous or fatal.....think about if your meter said 1mSv (which is hot, don't hang around long)but in reality you are in a whole ass 1 sievert rad field and should be booking it in the oposite direction, like NOW. Scary to think about your meter getting you killed like that.

[@nefariumxxx]

The yellow brick Canberra he showed can handle up to 500 Roentgens/hr (gamma). I guess that would be around 5 Sieverts. I've got one but only pull it out when I want to watch background gamma or measure something like gamma coming from radium or thorium sources. It can also display the lower levels down in the microRoentgen/hr range.

[@NUCLEAR.DESERT.RESEARCH]

I ❤ BETTER GEIGER ☢️

[@SolarSeeker45]

You can play around with the settings on the GQ models to make them respond a little faster. Turning up the tube voltage also makes them a bit more sensitive.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Thanks for the tip.

[@mikeselectricstuff]

I have the older version of the GQ - was using it faultfind an X-ray unit, and found that above a certain level it just stops detecting anything - similar to what you saw. I suspect that maybe the high voltage power supply can't supply enough current to keep the tube ionising at such a high count rate.

[@OH8EFI]

I bet your suspicion is correct. The tube might be saturating and the hv psu cannot keep up

[@brianhilligoss]

Gq meters are counters not detectors. They do take 1 minute to give you cpm. There is a fast mode in the 600 that gives near instant response.

[@lloyddennison6561]

Yes quite right. I own a 600+ and you can set the response rate to 5 seconds it will read the level very quick but not be as accurate. Use “dynamic” setting to achieve a good balance between speed and accuracy.

[@pnkflyd66]

Does anyone know if it is true that you have to email GQ with your serial number of the unit in order to get firmware?

[@giomas3728]

​@@pnkflyd66check their forum

[@markw.4679]

The GQ-GMC giger counters can be adjusted in The menu to give a quicker reading. At least my GM-GMC 500 can. I dont think the 320 can.

[@SearinoxNavras]

@@markw.4679 Confirming. The GQ GMC-600 lets me do fast estimate. I have to note this feature was added in a later firmware than my purchase however. Unfortunately no firmware updates bring this feature to the GMC-320+. In addition, the 320+ rolls over after 65535 CPM back to 0. I've seen others that don't, but even though I spoke to the company, they informed me my device has the latest firmware. So I don't know what happened there, maybe mine has an older hw revision.

[@Neodymium5312]

It's extremely easy to modify the gc-01 with a resistor from the light output to the speaker input and I also added a much larger battery and it lasts for over 2 weeks now without recharge on the highest backlight setting, the tubes are also easy to upgrade and cutting small holes in the case with a Dremel tool makes the detector much more sensitive. For a cheap detector it works extremely well with cheap and easy modifications

[@digimacska17]

I just use the RadPro firmware and modified 2 of my units to have a russian pancake tube one is a SBT-10 and another one what is even detachable is a SI8B, it is actually a "Good" design and easy to modify and it is cheap.

[@JimmyShawsTidbits1]

Great video!!! I love my GQ 600+. Ever since I started watching your videos I couldn't help but pick up a geiger counter and get into searching for radioactive antiques. It gives me something to do while my wife is looking at antique dolls. LOL!!! Thank you so much for your awesome content.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

No problem. Its always so awesome to hear people picking this up and learning more about the world around them. Its one of the huge reasons I started this channel.

[@pmate95]

I love my RC103, because of its size and versatility. I had it in my pocket when I was in a military museum, and it alerted me when it detected something. I think the radium paint on the aircraft instruments. Also, the map function is very useful. I'm happy that it doesn't overload fast. My only concern is that if something happens, it could have an EMP pulse, which could make these microprocessors bad. So that's why it would be wise to spare more analog counters, like CDV.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I think it really depends on how close you are to the blast for it to have an effect on something like the Radiacode.

[@dafterpunk6008]

Really awesome video! Going to keep an eye out for the Radiocode myself, tiny and mighty!

[@SwitchingPower]

My guess is that the clicker stops working with a hot source is that the speaker drive circuit is to slow to react to the fast pulses and stays stuck activated so there is no signal to the speaker anymore

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I have to say those GQ detectors always have some weird deals going on with them when you start to push them hard. In the test video before this one I believe it was the GMC-320, rolled over its count rate to a much lower number.

[@Toasted_Bread_Bug]

Hey drew I own a 600+ and if you didn't know if you open the menu by pressing the on/button and go to user options and find fast estimate time you can select how long it takes to get the final cpm msv or Mr also the reason the audio cut out on the speaker is cause the speaker apparently can't keep up also you can switch between modes like graphs and more using the button at the bottom.

[@ForbiddTV]

You didn't mention that if there was some sort of nuclear weapon detonation that you are trying to use to detect radiation after the fact, that most of these being microchip based would not likely survive any electromagnetic pulse (EMP). A lot of factors would come into play here, but assuming you wanted one for such a scenario you would want to keep it stored in a faraday cage when not in use. Also if nuclear war radiation detection was your goal, you would probably want an ionization chamber type survey meter over a geiger counter. The higher levels after a nuclear blast would overload most geiger counters and many would not read anything giving you a false sense of a danger that might be present.

[@dymytryruban4324]

In order to have required EMP, you need a high altitude detonation.

[@yaykruser]

the cvd would survive an emp with its metal case,right?

[@Yaivenov]

User icon checks out.

[@ForbiddTV]

@@dymytryruban4324 Or one localized in the area you are in.

[@ForbiddTV]

@@yaykruser The 1960's Civil Defense models would likely survive an EMP, but doesn't really have anything to do with the metal case. There's no micro circuitry like modern units.

[@Ryder276]

My 600+ does the same thing (28:20) with a uraninite sample but only at 160,000 cpm. --i thought it was just mine. -Been waiting on this Video, thanks!

[@RadioactiveDrew]

No problem. Glad you got something out of it. It’s always interesting testing out these different detectors.

[@brianstrandberg9346]

Loved the video but I think you could improve on the wrap-up. Not sure which one to get. May be interesting to break it up into different risk groups - are you worried about doomsday or worried why the earthenware pot you bought on vacation glows in the dark (LOL). Since this is a comparison video may want to do a table of strengths/weaknesses of each one. Not trying to nag-just trying to help. Love the channel.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I get that. But I'm not really into telling people what to get. I would rather show people how these different detectors respond to different sources so people can make up their own mind. This didn't seem like nagging BTW. I want to make this channel better. So feedback helps.

[@yaykruser]

get a ludlum or eberline that lets you set the voltage so you can change the probes.

[@wyliesdiesels4169]

@@yaykruser yeah i was surprised he didnt have a ludlum....

[@mathieunellestein7543]

I am using the GQ GMC-500+ which has 2 GM tubes and is thus faster than the 300 series. I find it good value for money and does what it needs to do for me.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

That's one of the most important things...is finding something that works for you.

[@f36443]

The FNIRSI GC-01 is a little gem. You can flash it with RadPro firmware which adds beeps, calibration, data logging, tube selection. You name it!

[@jefftoll604]

That's pretty cool. Thanks.

[@pyromen321]

They switched out the tube with a tiny one that barely works! Do not buy them anymore! I had one for a long time and bought a second one for my dad and it seemed like it was barely working. Turns out, they cut costs and now have a tube half the size of the old one.

[@robertmeyer4744]

@@pyromen321 You can buy the J321 tube . I just opened mine to see what tube was in it. They do sell upgraded GC-01 with J 321 tube .So many listings . Be careful when buying .

[@f36443]

@@pyromen321 Pretty sure you can just replace it with a J305 and select the tube in Radpro

[@grzegorzwroblewski105]

@@pyromen321 I guess it depends on the batch, I have an M4011 in mine. And those little tubes (if you were unlucky) can be replaced with j321 quite simply

[@GhostSenshi]

I picked up that cheap GC-01 off Temu for $20 and then swapped out the poor choice of gm tube they put in there with a J321, which drastically improved it with getting alpha detection and sensitivity. The device was actually designed for a J321, but for some reason they put the junk one in there in the latest production run. Some of the old units do come with a J321 though and those should work fine. I also picked up the radiacode 102 :)

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Well the GC-01 I got was from that company. So if they wanted to test better they should have sent me a unit with that better tube...wish they would have.

[@GhostSenshi]

@ Do you know which one is in there? The junk tube is attached with wires and has a metal cylinder inside it which ends up blocking the alpha, but the j321 or M4011 is held in via clips and only has the wire inside.

[@stillthakoolest]

Arent the stock tubes in most of those cheap GQ models the cheap chinese glass tubes that are supposedly sensitive to sunlight?

[@pyromen321]

Same thing happened to me! I bought a second one to give to my dad, and thought the new one arrived broken. Nope, they just have a garbage little tube in it now and are selling it for the same price.

[@pyromen321]

@@stillthakoolestthey’re not bad tubes, but they run them above their designed voltage to the point where they’re sensitive to near-UV. With the fnirsi one, a 405nm light makes it go crazy!

[@GeeBee135]

Nice survey of available monitors, Drew. Thanks for sharing.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

No problem. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@Captain_Char]

theres a few places that still service the cdv-700s and will give you a calibration still, prep guard being one company I sent mine away to for a rebuild, most GMC-300 series units can be outfitted with Soviet tubes and calibrated for them as well

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Thanks, I'll look into that company.

[@allRadioactive]

Really great video on showing how different meters react to changing radiation levels and why professional meters cost what they cost and why they are worth their price (in my opinion). The GMC meters are definitely nice Geigers for the money but the only thing holding them back is their averaging algorithm. If GQ get it to be more responsive then I think they would be really hard to beat for the price (for amateur use ) Personally I use RAYSID and Ludlum Model 3 with 44-9 as my main meters which are both very sensitive devices. Thanks again for this great video, can’t wait for more 😃

[@RadioactiveDrew]

No problem. I was going to have my Ludlum Model 12 in the video as well but it was already getting long with all the other detectors I was using.

[@jmac1466]

Thank you! We talked about what he saw during and following the test/tests. They went close to the detonation site and tested fish. He was great guy to share these memories. Lived to be 83.

[@Yaivenov]

My CD V-718 is EMP and TEMPEST hardened (it's a copy of the AN/VDR-2). I'm pretty sure it will save me so long as I keep it fed with 9-volts. XD ETA: the limits of the detector are 0.1uR/h to 50mR/h on the low tube, and 50mR/h to 10kR/h on the high tube (yes, ten kilo-Roentgen). It's a dual GM tube probe. It is also self-diagnosing and self-calibrating. I recommend the unit to anyone if you can find one. Only difference between the civil defense and the army-navy version is the AN measures in Grays instead of Roentgen and is green instead of yellow.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I'll have to keep an eye out for one of those detectors. Greys are a good unit for dose, almost aligns with Sieverts.

[@Yaivenov]

@RadioactiveDrew I hope you find one. Just to tip you off, the AN/VDR-2 has a big brother the AN/PDR-77. It has all the amazing capability of the VDR-2 but also has additional scalar feature and multiple exchangeable probes. Good luck!

[@gfo8755]

The Fnirsi geiger can add a clicker by soldering two wires and putting a sounder inside the case. I did mine for under a dollar in parts and about 10 minutes work.

[@connystonehart1572]

there is a better Firmware out there which enables clicks

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I got that unit from the company, you would think they would have had that firmware on it.

[@ivoryjohnson4662]

Thank you for creating this content

[@RadioactiveDrew]

No problem...glad you enjoyed it.

[@isettech]

Just an FYI, based on the way a GM tube operates, each count is a pulse of electrical discharge in the tube. The tube operates at high voltage. Cheap units use a dropping resistor for detecting counts. In high intensity radiation, the power supply for the sound and tube voltage may sag, resulting in fewer than the actual count, and loss of sound as the low voltage supply sags under load. It may be worth removing the cover on some of the GM based tube detectors and watch the voltage powering the HV inverter for signs of voltage instability.

[@RadioactiveRunning]

I have the Canberra ADM-300 which I really like in terms of its response and range. It’s pretty much like a if-you-see-overload-on-this-call-the-undertaker-version of the MRAD. I love these videos like these where I can see how a bunch of different detectors stack up against each other, there simply are not enough out there!

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I know...seems like people enjoy seeing how different detectors respond.

[@jw8292]

The CDV 700's used to come in a kit that also included a high range/gamma only detector, as well as a handful of direct read dosimeters, the charger, and all the batteries. Back before my state quit reprocessing/calibrating the kits, they were pulling out the high range detectors and sending you two 700's in the box. Their rationale was that you shouldn't have any use for a 715, short of WWIII, and if you managed to peg a 700, something bad is happening, back out and get more qualified help.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I bought the 777 kit. Had the 717 and the 715 I believe, along with the pen dosimeters.

[@forerunner75]

Very interesting and well detailled ! I am looking for a good and reliable GC, so your video was spot on :-D Have a great year 🎉

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Thanks. Happy New Year to you as well.

[@SearinoxNavras]

I believe the wiring on the GQs shares power with the tube for the clicker. When the tube draws enough current, it starts starving the clicker of power.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

That's what others have said.

[@xxxxxxxxxx6903]

The Better Geiger is American designed & made. It's a scintillation type device, not a GM tube. Thus it's not tuned to detect Alpha particles. But were it shines is Beta & Gamma, it has a magnitude of higher range than q GM tube based unit. It also doesn't saturate and unintentionally hold. Once out of a overload condition (which would be dangerous levels) it returns to normal operation!

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I haven't run into a situation yet where I saturated one of the detectors so bad that it didn't come back down right away. The GM tube on the Mini-Radiac can go up to 2 Sv/hr dose rate before going into overload. So that says something about GM tubes.

[@xxxxxxxxxx6903]

Hi Drew, while I personally haven't saturated a GM tube device myself, I've read of many in the field stating they have (esp the high dollar pancake sensor types). I've also read stories of high level exposures pegging GM tube based units quite easily. Well in excess of saturation, and the meter just kinda hangs at max scale for a bit before normalizing. Perhaps the actual units had become somewhat "activated"? 👀 Yeah that meter you mentioned has a pretty high range for a GM tube design. I mainly bought the "Better Geiger" unit for actual emergencies. I'm not a spicy-rock hound. Many areas (in an emergency ) could/will concentrate radio-isotopes at "immediate danger levels". Which in my mind, a scintillation based device that averages readings based on a computed human absorption dose basis seemed like a good choice? A GM tube could be screaming away with Alpha and

[@ausnorman8050]

Filmed on 17/12/24* 2nd detector the GQ GMC-600+ had the date on screen! 3 weeks for video turn around! nice :D

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Takes a little while editing and doing voice over. But yeah, wasn't that bad of a turn around.

[@marktadlock5428]

I have the Ludlum radiation detector and I have one of the old Geiger counter that has an internal pancake gas detector tube with a 25 foot extension cable so it could be placed outside to monitor radiation while still inside your building or bunker.

[@dymytryruban4324]

In general, the wider is range, the less sensitive a dosimeter is. I own a GQ GMC-600+. It is good for amateur stuff but the casing is cheap and electronics is vulnerable to electromagnetic interference. Its detector is US-made and of good quality. My second dosimeter is DMC-3000 which is tougher has a wide range. In addition, it is resistant to electromagnetic interference.

[@pokom9463]

Very interesting comparison. Thanks! The GQ GMC 500 has two GM tubes, one for higher radiation levels.. I'm curious how that one would have fared.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I'll have to look into that one.

[@markw.4679]

I have one and like it. It can have trouble switching back and forth between the higher and lower tubes if the level of radiation count falls between them. But this rarely happens. You can also go into the menu to give a faster reading. I maxed mine out when thrifting.

[@davegsm82]

The FNIRSI GC-01 has an issue with the software where it frags the display once the accumulated data reaches 100 hours. It still works beneath the garbled display but you can't see anything. You can reset it through the menu by a series of button presses but you're doing it blind. For those who need the button press sequence; 1 - Press and hold the Right arrow for a second (enters the menu). 2 - Press Down button. 3 - Press Right button. 4 - Press Down button Twice. 5 - Press OK (middle button). Alternatively there's different software you can run on the device called RadPro. It doesn't 'look' as nice as the stock firmware but doesn't frag out after 100 hours and you can always put the original firmware back on to the device if you don't like it.

[@davegsm82]

I forgot to add, with the Radpro you can turn on clicker for each count event, which is missing from the stock firmware. You also have the option to recalibrate the conversion factor which means you can change tube types for larger or more sensitive ones.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Dang, that like a cheat code on the Nintendo. Thanks for sharing it here.

[@davegsm82]

@@RadioactiveDrew no worries, I actually printed a Dymo label and stuck it to the back of my counter before I changed firmware. It's still on there for reference if I ever go back. Not that the FNIRSI sees much use as I have probably over 100 other UK, USA and Soviet detectors kicking around now 😂

[@lukebowers536]

thanks for the awesome vid, my GMC600+ does the cutting the tone thing on my really hot sources, my fave has to be the radiacode tho becuese i can instantly identify an isotope using its attendant lab software. Ime going to get the 103-G soon with the new scintillation crystal type

[@chasewilkinson1977]

Drew's a lot calmer handling that radium source than I would be lol

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I've handled this source quite a bit. I still treat it very carefully but it doesn't make me as worried as stuff like this use to. I've been around people that were smoking hot, way hotter than this source. Of course the radium source gives off a lot of alpha and beta, which makes it a little more unique.

[@eoghan7650]

The CDV-700 was originally considered a low dose detector to be included in fallout shelters in order to check food and discrete areas of contamination. There were other models like the CDV-715 for high dose levels but you (hopefully) would only see those after a nuclear detonation. So those models are pretty useless for casual use.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

That makes sense.

[@whatsup3d]

Where the sound fades out I suspect the speaker driver is trying to "click" faster than the speaker can handle, I just got a R103 and I'm super happy with it. The mapping is fascinating, I didn't expect the variance is background locally in places twice what I see at home (Sierra foothills, gold country, CA)

[@RadioactiveDrew]

The mapping function is one of my favorite things to use. I use it all the time when I leave the house.

[@bossman_1]

Agreed. The loss of the click is likely just the natural filtering of the circuitry. I.e. the click rate is so high that the speaker is saturated. As a designer, I would consider this a bug. I would set an upper threshold on the audio to avoid the discontinuity. And I also agree, the mapping on the 103 is fascinating... used it many times.

[@zaprodk]

28:45 It's maybe a software issue. It extends all clicks to be a certain length to be able to be heard. When the clicks are soo close apart there is no dips inbetween them, and then no more clicking. The software should account for this and then just make "maximum" white noise at that point.

[@Toasted_Bread_Bug]

Just to let you know it's not an issue the speaker can't keep up with the amount of clicks so it just shuts off.

[@TobiasThede]

Uranium fever, has gonna knocked me down.happy new year, drew. I want hunting for thorium mantles, on fleamarket visits, so i got a gmc 320 plus from Amazon. Should work good enough,that Amazon geiger counter.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

For thorium lantern mantels yes, should work fine. Happy New Year to you as well.

[@danielpetersen6622]

Thanks for the tip, Drew. I shall keep plugging away but your tip about direct connecting with a USB-C cable. BTW - I have a CDV-700 which I cherish.I use it at schools because it looks impressive. The CDV-715 Survey meter takes over where the 700 pegs but you had better have hazmat gear on. In the USAF long ago we called the 715 a "d**d-man boxes". I am hoping to go on a grand field trip this summer from SW WA-state through the Western US. Thanks again

[@han1075]

Great video, Drew. You should check out a Thermo-Fisher SPRD-GN that does spectroscopy and can differentiate between NORM and artificial sources. It detects mainly gamma and neutron radiation. Kind of like a Radiacode 103G on steroids. Not cheap, but a really good detector.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

That does sound like a fun detector to try out.

[@GeorgeMaspindzelashvili]

@@han1075 that RadEye series in general are fantastic fast and reliable devices. My fav for rad emergency.

[@StormChild]

5:09: the FNIRSI GC-01 has a beeper, and if you install the Rad Pro firmware from GitHub, it acts like a normal GC. As an additional bonus: the 100 hours bug is also eliminated. ;))

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Thanks for the tip. Others have bought up that firmware. I'll have to check it out.

[@jethrox827]

That yellow one with the gold probe, I'm thinking you with a white lab coat on, Atomic Commission on the back and some sharpened pencils in the pocket, walking along muscle beach, pointing the probe at people and making the speaker go off and shouting " you've been exposed" 🤣🤣🤣

[@neonnoir9692]

If you're on a budget and want a decent one, I got the Bosean FS 5000 for $40. Uses a good GM tube. Got mine on Aliexpress. There are clones that look like it, but Bosean makes good stuff. They went to a cheaper tube at one point, but people got so mad that they went back to the J321 (and will say so in the listing).

[@TomKappeln]

Any geiger counter that works is better than no geiger counter. 👍

[@cloudalien443]

I have one on the way as my GC01 won't boot despite everything I tried. Will probably reuse the tube elsewhere. Have a Radiacode 103 as well that my wife got me for Christmas.

[@SigEpBlue]

Assuming we're talking about a post-nuclear exchange scenario, I'm sticking with my CD V-715 survey meter. It measures up to 500 roentgen/hour gamma dose rate.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I understand that reasoning but the whole idea is for a detector to let you know when you are getting close to a stronger than normal radiation field before it becomes a problem.

[@ForbiddTV]

CD-V700 fun and games. CD-V715 life and death

[@rogerpenske2411]

I need one of those get ups for next Halloween!

[@wk2268]

Just picked up the Radiocode 103g. Pretty cool device.....

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I really enjoy using mine. I always have my 103 or 103G on me collecting data, usually mapping areas.

[@antibrevity]

The clickers probably aren't intentionally turning off with hot sources, but are more likely turning "on" constantly as their oscillation circuits saturate; there's effectively too many particles to click. Might be something that they could improve, but they tune the clicking to be most sensitive to lower levels where the devices will be most useful.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I would rather it be screaming at me if there's a very active area or source I'm getting close to.

[@ryana3298]

The pyrotronics f3 smoke detector is probably the thing I want the most for my collection. Or the ww2 luminous personnel marker. Those are my top must haves. Hopefully 1 day I’ll be able to own one of those things.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I got lucky with the F3 I have. I had three at one point in time but sold off the other 2. I also have a couple of those radium personal markers. I'm planning on doing a video about them soon.

[@ryana3298]

@ Can’t wait for that video to come out! You know a good place to look for those personnel markers?

[@Dazdigo]

I would also recommend the Bosean FS-5000 if you want a $50 geiger with a clicker.

[@curtwuollet2912]

The analog cdv 700 with it's near instant reading is better than all the digital units for sweeping an area. They knew what they were doing. It suits it's purpose. And if your gm isn't reading better grab your cdv 715.

[@EdwardTriesToScience]

the ludlum model 3's that are being cranked out are pretty much industry standard and also use analog panel meters for a similar reason, not to mention the less software reliance you have, the better the redundancy as digital electronics does not play well with much ionizing radiation

[@curtwuollet2912]

@EdwardTriesToScience I think it's a matter of purpose. Many of the current class are perhaps better for lab or hobby use with the sources we are likely to see in peace time with alpha and beta sensitivity. The CD units, especially the survey meters, were for when alpha and light beta would be the least of your problems. If your survey meter is reading in RADS per hour, it's time to go underground.

[@TomKappeln]

A very helpfull video, as always ❤ Hugs to Montana, happy new one !🎉

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Thanks.

[@TomKappeln]

@RadioactiveDrew : Do you know that Germany has hundreds of geiger counters in the whole country that anybody can watch online ? They started this project after Tschernobyl. Can't post a link here, but the page is called "ODL INFO" ODL means "Orts Dosis Leistung" ( Dose on different places) Look it out, it's very good.

[@oldminer5387]

Thank you Drew, interesting tests.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

No problem. I always like doing these tests.

[@nastyguy3841]

​@@RadioactiveDrew Hey drew, bit off-topic, you ever planning to do video on Nevada test site?

[@PeterMarchl]

You should have included the deepace KC761B! It has a scintillator for gamma and hard beta and xrays, a pin diode for alpha and beta spectroscopy and very soon a neutron detector. All in a stand alone device...

[@erkinshadow99]

I have a few different CDV 700 models. I also have a calibrated 715 and 717.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I bought the 777 kit from someone off of eBay. The CDV-700 had a dead probe or bad cable. Never got the 717 or 715 to show any type of activity. But I didn't try it against some of the higher sources I have.

[@ForbiddTV]

@@RadioactiveDrew The biggest failure on the CD-V700 is the dial indicator going bad. The CD-V 715 and CD-V717 are both for high enough levels that you probably aren't going to be able to get to indicate anything which are strictly for high level gamma and X-ray. The model CD-V720 is also for beta, but unreliable.

[@erkinshadow99]

@@RadioactiveDrew I had my 715 and 717 calibrated at RI4U. I read that the meters don't like moisture. I added a moisture absorbent to all my meters.

[@bluespinningdotinspace]

The mini radiac legit sound like a home fire alarm I wonder if that was done on purpose?

[@christopherleubner6633]

If you can find it, get a set of good dosimeter pens and if you can find one a piezoelectric charging tool. Most geiger couters dont have the higher range measurement capability for post nuclear war use. Big issue with CDV 700 geiger counters is that they have assymetric drain of batteries and can short out newer alkaline batteries with the clip. Get some AA to D cell adapters for them. Also you can make your own speaker for one, a pizo disk and a 10k resistor work good for that.❤

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I got the 777 kit which came with those pens. I have been letting them sit on some radium compasses to see if they move at all. They have barely moved. Guess I need to stick them in an X-ray beam.

[@RathOX]

i still want an automess (6150AD)

[@tfrowlett8752]

I have a Victoreen 492 that I found at an antique store, it only reacts to very high radiation levels. It barely picks up my strongest radium source which is 150 microsieverts/h, and it maxes out when put in front of my X-ray tube.

[@dfl19034]

I have a Radiacode 103 but I am uncertain as to where to place my alarm values. A video on alarm values would be of great interest. Thanks for this review, it is very helpful

[@ke9g]

Depends upon your use case. If hunting radioactive antiques I set it just about background to let me know if I pass near something interesting. But in a nuclear contamination scenario you would care more about your dose rate. I believe 1 sievert of total dose gives you a 5.5% chance of developing cancer. A chest x-ray gives you about 0.0001 sievert of dose. It is important to know that you can't calculate an accurate dose unless you know the type of radiation and its energy. Your 103 has a spectrometer which does a good job of calculating an accurate dose rate. But it is very sensitive. I had it in the room with me when I got a chest CT and during the very short CT scan the 103 went off-scale.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I believe I setup most of my alarms for 1 uSv/hr for the first alarm and 10 uSv/hr for the second.

[@cforeman97]

I have mine set up based on percentages of MY background. My RC-102 detects background in my environment as around 100-200 CPM so my first count rate alarm is at 300 followed by 30,000. My dose rates background are around 4-8 uR (0.004mR) so my first dose rate alarm is 50uR followed by 1mR. I use my level 1 alarms as a “heads up” to nearby sources and my level 2 alarms as a more safety alert. Dose rates in public almost never set off my level 2 alarms. However I’ve had a few times it got set off by a passing individual undergoing radiation treatments.

[@unmanaged]

This is good to know as my cat is getting i-131 treatment and we have to do this disposal and confiment protocol and I am curious about the levels and someone let me use their Radicode... Any tips on that... It's for thiroid treatment in cats... And I think the dose 4 millicuries at minimum...

[@cforeman97]

@@unmanaged best wishes for you and your furry friend. I have not done up-close studies with radiation therapy before. However I do know for sure that isotope WILL set off the RC-10x series quite well. I’ve encountered humans receiving a similar therapy and the max recorded dose rate was under 1mR/h but I never got too close to them (it’s kinda rude to frisk strangers in public lol) I’d definitely be curious to see your findings!

[@mia76]

Tolles Video, vielen Dank!

[@RadioactiveDrew]

No problem, glad you enjoyed it.

[@ke9g]

How robust are these different detectors against drops onto the ground? The Radiacode manual warns the crystal can break if dropped. Are GM tubes any more or less resistant to shocks?

[@RadioactiveDrew]

That Mini-Radiac that's used by emergency services is very tough. But they will all fail if you are too rough with them.

[@gfo8755]

I also find the numerical scale easier to read than the graph. Try changing the readout. I don't have a radiacode but the fnrisi is my go to small geiger.

[@wyliesdiesels4169]

the radeye is the most sensitive. makes sense because it costs the most

[@danielpetersen6622]

An excellent review. Question? The Radiacode 10x series - Have you run into a "Bluetooth pairing request" when trying to connect with a tablet or phone (Android)"? If so, have you found how to shut it off?

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I haven't had requests pop-up. But sometimes I have it disconnect from the device and then reconnect for no reason. Usually the way to make sure it doesn't do this is to have the Radiacode and the phone or tablet plugged in with a USB-C cable. There is an option to have this be a connection method in the devices tab in the menu on the app...at least for Android.

[@alexxbadea]

Hey , nice video . Was wondering i also have a radiacode. In front of a radiology medical lead shielded room , that was professionally measured with calibrated devices and said to be safe , radiacode just goes crazy and gives spikes as much as 3 msv/h. Any idea why this could be ? I saw you mentioning the energy compensation and the small sensor? Thanks

[@RadioactiveDrew]

As long as the Radiacode is up to date with its firmware it should be doing energy compensation. Did you see this professional measurement done of the area in question? I only ask because sometimes people have been known to cut corners with shielding. Also what kind of source was giving off the radiation? If it was x-rays or some type of LINAC device that could have a beam that isn't being stopped. The other thing that would show high dose rates would be Tc-99m. That is a very active isotope that can cause scintillation type detectors to freak out.

[@bruehlt]

I actually bought a couple of the Ultraradiacs specifically for a bad day. That's just one use case. I would also like something that detects alpha and beta as well for the purposes of detecting contaminated food and water after the fact. I wish the Radacode did those - for the price it's a damn nice meter. That Radeye looks awesome but $2700 is a hard pill to swallow!!

[@RadioactiveDrew]

The Radeye B20 models use to be $800 cheaper when I bought my first one back in 2017. Still I do think its worth the money...at least for me because I'm using it for so many different environments.

[@PlasmaHH]

There is an open source firmware for teh gc-01 which is much better than the stock one (though of course it can't really change the sensitivity of the tube it gives you much better options and more solid maths to get reliable results within the limits of the tube). Also note that there are various versions around, depending on what tube they had in stock. It adds clicking/beeping sounds (the stock firmware already has an alarm which due to bad math isn't really good)

[@ottomuller4948]

What do you think of: -GQ GMC-300E-Plus -GAMMA-SCOUT Alert

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Not a big fan of the Gamma Scout. I know they have changed some stuff around about the battery being easier to change out. But I’ve seen that older model freak out on hot sources. Maybe they fixed it. I haven’t messed with the GMC-300E Plus yet.

[@AnthonyChopra]

i got a gq from amazon tho mine has USB/B input not sure how to use it with a pc. i did get it due to seeing someone on youtube tours gide having it at chernobyl. i dont mind if its slow but it did cost me 100pounds. but im happy too keep an eye out for a real good detector thansk for sharing what detectors u use

[@terrysobkowich2084]

I don't think the sound is shutting off with the spicier sources, I think the speaker simply can't respond fast enough and it just holds in one position frozen , it's only capable of so many oscillations per min.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I don't know if its that because you can hear it fade away.

[@ForbiddTV]

It should be noted that almost all of these are too sensitive for deadly levels of radiation. Nothing you measured is dangerous if handled properly.

[@pyromen321]

You should pop your GC-01 open and see if they sent you the old version. You’ll know if it’s the new version because it has the smallest tube I’ve ever seen. I’m assuming you have the old version because you weren’t horribly disappointed with it.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Yeah I'll have to open it up and see what I got.

[@brianmunyon5669]

Would that energetic smoke detector sample be quite the visual show in a cloud chamber?

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I would only imagine it would be based off of the activity. Still need to test it in a cloud chamber.

[@KrispieKomrad]

would it be possible to test some european scanners like the ones you get when you go to Chernobyl like the Pripyat and Terra-P scanners?

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Maybe...I need to reach out to some of these companies and see if they can send me out a unit to test.

[@davidgates1122]

Are you sure your 1962 civil defense Geiger counter will go into overload at fatal levels of radiation? I have a different model than you have, also made in 1962 that I sent off and had calibrated. It will detect lethal doses but will barely detect non-lethal doses at its most sensitive setting. I view it as useful to figure out when it is safe to come out of your shelter and immediately evacuate.

[@meg412]

Make a top 3 most useful/best dosimeter of this video please! In my opinion Radiacode 103 is the best and he is Affordable price for me... If I had enough money I would buy an Radeye 😔

[@sethrice9939]

I wonder if it’s not turning the speaker off, but seizing the speaker, if you got to its it’s interfering frequency. So it either can’t move vast enough, and appears stationary, but the driver coil is charged. Or it’s sound impeding its self somehow.

[@mwethereld]

Besides a Radia103 I also have a Gamma Scout that does Alpha Beta and Gamma and can link to PC.

[@zzyzxroad92309]

Have you had a chance to try an AlphaHound yet?

[@RadioactiveDrew]

The guy that makes them sent me one. I'll be making a video about it soon.

[@meg412]

What do you think about Terra-p?

[@cloudalien443]

The Mirion basically tells you that you're done?

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Yep.

[@jmac1466]

I was going through some of my father in laws things. He passed away a couple of years ago. He witnessed the castle bravo test and I found his journal. The dates of the test just say secret. Would the journal still be hot?

[@RadioactiveDrew]

No, just being at the test site when the test happened wouldn't make something radioactive. If he was exploring the site right after the test and dropped that journal on the ground at the test site it could have maybe picked up some slight contamination. But if that happened the journal would have been confiscated because of the contamination. They might have been a little more lax about it back in the day but now they are pretty serious about contamination.

[@marktumminello6504]

I am still perplexed - when I had gamma heart stress test I could set off all my Geiger counters from 6 feet away - closer they maxed - so in the event of fallout how would you know what is safe if just a stress test pegs the counters My only solution is a higher range counter or putting other sensitive counters in a shielded case and have some form of math to determine truly dangerous levels

[@RadioactiveDrew]

The isotopes they use for those stress tests have short half-lives which is why they are so active. With fallout you would also encounter short half-life isotopes along with longer lived isotopes. So having a detector that could do low level contamination detection would be helpful in the longer run. Having something that only sees high range activities isn't going to tell you much about food, water, clothing, air or living space. When anyone of my lower range detectors goes into overload I know I need to leave that area.

[@IANF126]

god that radium smoke detector is so spicy.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Its my favorite source to have in a video. I also really like it because its pretty well sealed, unlike a radium painted watch or aircraft gauge.

[@jim-t4q]

My GMQ GC-500+ has 2 tubes, one is L4011 printed on it and the other has 36/85 printed on it. Have you tested one of these as to how reliably it reads when the first tube is oversaturated?

[@raymondmartin6737]

I have a Gamma Master II wrist watch that can measure radiation and display the figures. 😮

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I’ve heard of these before. I wonder how accurate they are.

[@hmedwards3]

Have you ever tested a NukAlert?

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I've heard of it but I haven't played with one yet.

[@qritique]

yes, it is garbage. watch?v=fhN12g8V97c

[@mysticforest7687]

So what I think happened with the 600+ is that the Geiger tube got saturated and was drawing so much direct current from the battery that it basically stole the power from the clicker

[@RadioactiveDrew]

That's a good theory...maybe.

[@mysticforest7687]

@ because I know GM and pancake style tubes can become saturated depending on the design

[@pnkflyd66]

If your geiger counter goes quiet, drop and run😊

[@splitprissm9339]

Or the pulse shaper/amplifier driving the clicker is saturated with what is essentially an RF signal.

[@EvanBoyar]

It looks like you may have meant 800% or 8x speed instead of 800x speed. Is that correct?

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Yes, you're right. The speed adjustment in Resolve is in percentages.

[@rflats771]

The thing this video proves is that you can spend megabucks on various counters and STILL NOT get the picture you need

[@rogerpenske2411]

It appears that way

[@Serpiph]

It is unusual to see RC-103 and S-2 in Geiger counter test video. 😅 What is your decision among all these devices?

[@BetterGeiger]

You didn't ask me but here are what I think are the key points :) BG: much higher max range (100 mSv/hr), lower cost ($149), very capable for general use and emergency prep RC103: higher sensitivity, higher cost ($315), maxes out at only 1 mS/hr which is pretty low, has more features for advanced users like spectroscopy and mapping, good option if you have the budget and your priority is learning about more advanced radiation topics and physics and less interested in emergency prep. I don't think there is one right answer for all people, they need to decide their budget and priorities and choose accordingly. In a perfect world everyone can buy three: a Better Geiger S2, a radiacode, and an alpha/beta detector (for example AlphaHound AB+)

[@dymytryruban4324]

How does Better Geiger fare in electromagnetic interference such as next to a base of 40 W (2600 lumens) compact fluorescent light? I noticed that DMC-3000 has no problem but RC-103 becomes thrown off and displays weird stuff just like GQ GMC-600+.

[@whatilearnttoday5295]

"The only way to do that is with a Geiger counter" KFM, Kearny Fallout Meter (KFM). A Homemade Yet Accurate and Dependable Fallout Meter.

[@billcampbell9611]

I’ve got an Anton CDV-700 (restored) as well as the GMC-300S. These are low-level detectors, ideally suited for something like prospecting for uranium ore. In case of an emergency like Chernobyl, they could be useful for detecting whether I should go in this direction or some other. Let’s say if it’s 100 mRem/hr where I am, does it get better or worse if I go north or south? But I would need an alpha particle detector to determine if water or food is truly safe to ingest. I also have a non-functional CDV-715 as well as functional CDV-742 pocket dosimeters (and their CDV-750 charger). But that leads to a greater question: suppose I have just gotten 50 Rem exposure and I’m getting 2 Rem/hr. What then…because that means it’s WW3 and I’m going to soon be dead.

[@CaptainPicard1701D]

6:33 RadiaCode 103 is $315, not $289.

[@RadioactiveDrew]

I know, they stopped their holiday price right as I was about to release the video.

[@CaptainPicard1701D]

@RadioactiveDrew I was about to buy one using your referral link...hopefully they cut us a break on price again soon. Great content, take care my friend!

[@dymytryruban4324]

Uranium fever has done and got me down Uranium fever is spreadin' all around With a Geiger counter in my hand I'm a-goin' out to stake me some government land Uranium fever has done and got me down...

[@JinKee]

28:00 not great not terrible

[@kitanowitsch]

In case of nuclear war and/or accident I'd preferred scintillation detector.

[@joeystellmacher8041]

And did you know japan outlawed the sale of any gieger counters not made in japan after march 11th 2011??? Because at the time, any made anywhere downwind would of pegged out the second you switched it on, no matter what setting you put it on

[@RadioactiveDrew]

Do you have a place I should look to verify that story because it seems very untrue.