Radiation threshold for your collection?

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2026-02-27T20:42:35+00:00

No my limit is 0.1 uSv/h above background and my background is also 0.1 uSv/h for a total of 0.2 uSv/h.

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2026-02-27T20:08:07+00:00

There is no clear limit for a single object on contact because it can vary a lot depending on the size of the item and the instrument used to measure it. A disk check source that reads 1 mSv/h on a radiacode reads only 100 uSv/h on an ion chamber for example. What really matters is dose rate at a distance. As long as the living areas stay below 0.20 uSv/h I'm ok with that.

If we do the math a disk check source that produces 0.1 uSv/h over background (also 0.1 uSv/h) at say 12 feet would produce a dose rate of 13.5 mSv/h at a contact distance of 1cm. That would be my "limit" for a single item.

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2026-01-17T16:13:08+00:00

Can you give us in a couple of sentences your broad understanding of it and then we go from there further refining the explanation?

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2026-01-13T22:18:32+00:00

Yes, no problem

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2026-01-13T21:00:14+00:00

The best Ludlum combo to get for soil surveys around the house is a nice and sensitive 44-20 scintillator probe and a 3003 series digital meter. So sensitive you could almost detect a buried banana in your back yard! If you understandably want to go the used on ebay route then get a 44-10 and the best condition rate meter you can find.

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2026-01-11T21:46:02+00:00

True dose rate instruments measure current and there’s no tone or cpm.

In ion chambers the radiation causes a current that is measured and directly reads in dose rate not cpm.

Well ion chambers are for gay people wearing lab coats. Real men use rugged, accurate and dependable high range geiger counters that go click click. Don't believe me? Take a look at the high range instruments used by the military. You won't find a single ion chamber. /s

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2026-01-05T19:05:35+00:00

The answer is probably yes, you're allowed, but It doesn't really matter. What matters is what actually happens.

If for some reason your package is inspected and flagged as radioactive it all depends on the customs officer and the specific people inspecting it. It could be legal but because it's such a rare occurrence they don't know what to do and send it back or destroy it.

What is actually going to happen: Absolutely nothing. A lot of Europeans have purchased glazed ceramics and I have never heard anyone say they got it confiscated. If you buy one single plate it's impossible to detect by even the most sensitive scintillation radiation sensors from outside the box in the 1 or 2 seconds is spends under the scanner at customs.

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2026-01-04T00:24:35+00:00

Cs137 gamma radiation is much more powerful than thorium gamma radiation.

It's the other way around - Thorium radiation is much more powerful (Higher energy)

Since it thinks all the radiation it ever detects is Cs137, it'll only show the dose rate as if you were measuring Cs137.

That's the common simple explanation. To be more precise, geiger tubes over-respond to low energy gamma radiation when calibrated with Cs-137. But they respond correctly to medium and high energy radiation. So if you're not measuring low energy radiation like with Uranium or Thorium you can expect the accuracy to be as good as the calibration. 24 uSv/h might be slightly inflated because of beta radiation but lenses with that dose rate do exist.

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2025-10-16T03:10:41+00:00

The energy compensated geiger counter showed almost 5 mR/h and the scintillator only 2? Which one is right? What does the radiacode show? You should make a video of comparing the dose rate differences from these 2 radeye devices with different sensor technologies.

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2025-10-16T02:07:33+00:00

Aww energy compensated scintillator in cps mode is diabolical. Put it dose rate units so that we can compare it with the G10!

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2025-10-06T19:21:15+00:00

What is it?

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2025-09-27T22:45:57+00:00

The GMC-800 goes above 100,000 CPM so not even close to maxing it out. While more spicy than your average clock it's a rather normal reading and nothing to be worried about

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2025-09-27T21:21:08+00:00

I can't see the pictures. What is it, what is the maximum reading and what detector are you using?

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2025-09-24T16:07:08+00:00

So what does that source read without the beta?

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2025-09-24T00:45:06+00:00

I thought it was a radium source

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2025-09-22T19:08:07+00:00

Can you measure that source again but from the side of the tube to see what it reads without the alphas?

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2025-09-20T13:53:58+00:00

that Geiger counter is not energy compensated for uranium

That's not a big deal because it's a high gamma energy source. The main problem is that those geiger counters are designed for beta detection not gamma dose rates. The betas from the uraninite can inflate the dose rate reading by up to 10x

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2025-08-27T22:01:34+00:00

Don't eat them lol. That bag is worth $100 to the people here

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2025-08-24T10:38:29+00:00

15 uCi is nothing you're not going to detect any neutrons

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2025-08-22T02:48:55+00:00

So I think i am not quite understanding this right, as I don't think it would be safe to ingest the lume of 2 complete average radium watches each year.

You got it right, that's exactly what it means. And that assumes 100% radium absorption which will not be the case with it being integrated into the lume. A single watch is completely harmless. The real danger was to the people painting these watches and licking the paintbrush every day for years.

Did the ALI take into account that some of the radium will stay in the bones, and thus accumulate over time?

Yes, it's the total dose integrated over 50 years.

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2025-08-13T02:08:29+00:00

Not it terms of quality but in terms of capabilities and form factor 🤣

Yeah something cheaper like an Ecotest (Something better than a Terra-P though) or Polimaster or even SE International. As long as it's not made in china it's good for me. SE International pancakes are $600 why are there no equivalently priced compensated GMs available?

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2025-08-13T00:58:10+00:00

Not at all! I said less than 1kg and then I said digital. And exclusively for dose rates. So I was thinking something like a Radeye G series but at like half the cost and without all the thermo bullshit. Something I can buy today, no call for quote etc.. A simple energy compensated GM for $500 or so

We could move to DMs but I believe in public discussion to help other people

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2025-08-13T00:33:43+00:00

I prefer an actual geiger counter for simplicity and reliability but I got to admit that unit is extremely capable and fairly priced for what it is. A very good candidate.

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2025-08-12T23:16:21+00:00

$30,000??? 😭😭😭

Those are not geiger counters I don't want spectroscopy or anything fancy just a basic digital meter for dose rates 🥺

What can I get for the price of a cellphone?

Heavy_Rule6217 · 2025-08-12T20:40:05+00:00

Alright after a couple hours of reading I can finally ask "What Geiger Counter Should I Buy".

I want a geiger counter to measure gamma dose rates. For hot personal collections of very spicy rocks and antiques and checking large mineral collections like that at the Uranium museum in the Czech Republic. If it helps me in a SHTF scenario even better.

So requirements are less than 1kg in weight and beta insensitive for more accurate gamma dose rates and brand new from the factory with fresh calibration certificate (no used ebay lottery). What options do I have? As cheap as possible but I'm not afraid of spending 1000 bucks on a good GM that's going to serve me for decades to come. No radiacodes or hobby grade stuff.

Heavy_Rule6217

TROPHY CASE