August issue - radioactive cats

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Ronaldlees
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August issue - radioactive cats

Post by Ronaldlees »

I liked the radioactive cat article.

I have an old geiger counter (about 40 years old). It still clicks in the headset it came with, about one click every other second. I assumed that was background radiation. But - when I close the cover over the end of the Geiger Mueller tube, it still clicks. Trying to figure out easy way to test without obtaining dangerous material (LOL).
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CeaSaR
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Re: August issue - radioactive cats

Post by CeaSaR »

Not sure what modern Smoke Detectors use, but they used to use Americum within their little shielded boxes. I believe that you could get your detector near enough to the vent opening to get a slightly elevated reading.

Any one else know if this is true?

CeaSaR
Hey, what do I know?
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Ronaldlees
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Re: August issue - radioactive cats

Post by Ronaldlees »

CeaSaR wrote:Not sure what modern Smoke Detectors use, but they used to use Americum within their little shielded boxes. I believe that you could get your detector near enough to the vent opening to get a slightly elevated reading.

Any one else know if this is true?

CeaSaR
Thanks for the idea. I tried that with an older smoke detector that I no longer have - a few years ago. It seems that I couldn't decide whether or not the counter/clicker picked up its tempo when the probe was near. I thought so, but it was hard to say for sure, and it could have been my imagination.

My newer smoke detectors don't seem to change the tempo of the counter at all. Also the meter doesn't budge, although it does go to full scale when the bat-test switch is flipped.
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Lenp
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Re: August issue - radioactive cats

Post by Lenp »

Just wait a while longer.
With the world's furror and its radically boiling insanities, you may be able to do in situ testing soon :shock:
Len

“To invent, you need a good imagination and a big pile of junk.” (T. Edison)
"I must be on the way to success since I already have the junk". (Me)
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dacflyer
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Re: August issue - radioactive cats

Post by dacflyer »

old watches or clocks with the real glow material , i forget the name of the material,
( Radium ( Ra -226) or Promethium (Pm-147)) but i do remember it is radio active..
try that..

also.. Granite naturally contains uranium and thorium
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Ronaldlees
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Re: August issue - radioactive cats

Post by Ronaldlees »

Lenp wrote:Just wait a while longer.
With the world's furror and its radically boiling insanities, you may be able to do in situ testing soon :shock:
LOL. I knew when I bought that thing 35 years ago that I'd eventually need it. Glad I hung onto it!

dacflyer wrote: old watches or clocks with the real glow material , i forget the name of the material,
( Radium ( Ra -226) or Promethium (Pm-147)) but i do remember it is radio active..
try that..

also.. Granite naturally contains uranium and thorium
I guess I now have an excuse to prowl around the local flea market again. The XYL won't need to coax me.
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