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 Geiger Counter Recommendations 
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Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2014 12:07 pm
Posts: 3
I was hoping for some advice on what geiger counter to purchase.
I live in S Cal and would like to monitor background and test food items, especially seafood.
I have in mind the Mazur900o,Inspector Alert or Inspector USB.
The info I read says the Mazur and Inspector USB are accurate to 10%
and the Inspector Alert is accurate to 15%.
I've been told the Inspector alert is easiest to use but I wonder how
important that extra 5% accuracy is with the other two.
Also need one that is fairly simple,to operate,I'm not a very techy person.
Can someone advise me please.
Thanks


Tue Jan 21, 2014 12:16 pm
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Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2013 7:40 pm
Posts: 2885
Location: Illinois
I own the InspectorEXP and Mazur 9000.

All the units you mention are very expensive for the average consumers.

I would stay away from the Mazur units. While I like the features on my Mazur 9000 and it does seem to test like my InspectorEXP, the Mazur unit is very bulky and I hate having to unscrew the rear cover to change the battery. Then the battery is in a spot that the user could easily damage the unit during a battery change.

Understand that the pancake tube in these units are not very durable. When I bought mine the pancake GM tube only carried a 90 day warranty while the rest of the unit carried a year warranty. This tells me that they know what part is the weakest link in the units durability. Please be sure to check out the warranty on the GM tube.

The best units I have found for realtime 24/7 outside monitoring have been the GQ Electronic GMC model geiger counters. Mine is the GMC-200 on an air purifier, used with a Raspberry Pi mini computer from NETC with their custom software.

Read about my station/unit here:
https://www.netc.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=203

For rain samples and limited food testing, I believe any pancake GM geiger counter is a must have. Try the Inspector USB, I hear good things about it, but I suggest you also get a GMC unit and install outside on an air purifier. I promise you that if done correctly, you will likely not be disappointed.

_________________
MY OUTSIDE RADIATION MONITORING STATION:
South Beloit, Illinois - GMC200 Outside on HEPA air purifier, ground level, facing West.
http://netc.com/chart/view.php?n=1%3AEB5A139C


Tue Jan 21, 2014 1:29 pm
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Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2013 7:40 pm
Posts: 2885
Location: Illinois
Remember that geiger counters can only be used for limit food testing because a geiger counter can not tell you the difference between potassium which is what or body needs and say Cs137 which is like Fukushima fallout.

When testing food, 10 minute (or longer) timed tests are a recommended. Water shields radiation, dry food is better to test.

_________________
MY OUTSIDE RADIATION MONITORING STATION:
South Beloit, Illinois - GMC200 Outside on HEPA air purifier, ground level, facing West.
http://netc.com/chart/view.php?n=1%3AEB5A139C


Tue Jan 21, 2014 1:49 pm
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Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2014 12:07 pm
Posts: 3
Wow I didn't know that a geiger counter picked up potassium the same as it picks up C137?
So how do you test any food that has potassium,which would be most foods?
So does this mean that the videos on you tube of food being tested are all pretty much useless? So how does one find out if food is contaminated?
The other question I have is about the unit you recommended.I was under the impression I needed a unit that tests for alpha ,beta and gamma?
Also would that unit ,test food at all?
thanks for your help.


Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:25 pm
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Location: Illinois
gypsearose wrote:
Wow I didn't know that a geiger counter picked up potassium the same as it picks up C137?
So how do you test any food that has potassium,which would be most foods?
So does this mean that the videos on you tube of food being tested are all pretty much useless? So how does one find out if food is contaminated?
The other question I have is about the unit you recommended.I was under the impression I needed a unit that tests for alpha ,beta and gamma?
Also would that unit ,test food at all?
thanks for your help.


Geiger counters for food testing is very limited but not useless, using a scintillation counter would be better.
This topic of radiation can be an endless one and just when you think you have it down, you learn something new so be patient. If you can afford it, buy a pancake geiger counter because they are great to have. I own 3 different pancake units, the InspectorEXP, Mazur 9000 & the Black Cat Systems GM-45.

Please watch this video, you will learn more from it than I can type right now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mScUzQS46Us

_________________
MY OUTSIDE RADIATION MONITORING STATION:
South Beloit, Illinois - GMC200 Outside on HEPA air purifier, ground level, facing West.
http://netc.com/chart/view.php?n=1%3AEB5A139C


Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:59 am
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Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2014 12:07 pm
Posts: 3
Thank you very much.Will watch the video.


Wed Jan 22, 2014 1:05 am
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