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Testing the S-2 "Better Geiger" Radiation Detector

Tom 60 lượt xem 6 days ago
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Robert from Better Geiger sent me one of his S-2 radiation detectors and asked if I could test it using high-activity sources (about 100 mCi of Cs-137). He wanted to see if I could push the detector to its maximum reading. I was impressed with its performance! For less than $200, this detector is capable of measuring very high radiation levels.

You can jump to the 4:00 minute mark in the video to see where I start the test, but at about 2.5 inches from the source, the detector peaked at around 89,000 µSv/hr, or about 8.9 R/hour, which is exactly as expected. This is approaching the maximum range of the detector. I was in a bit of a hurry during the test, as I was standing near the source while filming and didn’t want to receive excessive dose just for testing. Ideally, I should have moved up a bit more and paused at 2 inches rather than simply pushing the detector forward toward the sources.

At very high radiation levels, scintillation detectors can become saturated, meaning the signal may not increase proportionally with radiation intensity, potentially leading to a seemingly lower reading than expected. If you notice the reading drop slightly before the display shows 'over range,' that's normal. The good news is that it doesn't drop to zero like some inexpensive Geiger detectors do when saturated or over-ranged.

The key takeaway is that for such an inexpensive detector, the S-2 performed remarkably well and met expectations near its maximum range, which is listed at 10 R/hour. The dose rates shown in this test are quite high, and you would not want to remain in an area with radiation levels this extreme. Overall, the S-2 performed well and is definitely worth the money.

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