Radiation Monitors

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Has anyone successful built either the design in the February or the March issue showing a geiger counter type device built with a neon lamp? If so please contact me!

[Ron H]

There is a good thread on this article in the newsgroup Sci.Electronics.Design. The thread is titled "Neon Bulb Radiation Detector?". Open your newsreader and follow the path described.<p>Ron<p>[ March 04, 2003: Message edited by: RonH ]<p>[ March 04, 2003: Message edited by: RonH ]</p>

[[email protected]]

Thanks Ron,<p>The Sci.Electronics.Design articles are very much inline with my experiments that indicate that while the concept may be true don't try to make it work. <p>I would hope that both the Henry Chan article and circuit and the earlier article by Peter Lay with the high voltage source in the January issue be noted in a future issue of Nuts and Volts.

[gadgeteer]

I am SO glad I bought the kit from Chaney (now Electronic Goldmine). It is no longer available. It has the sensitive detector tube, capable of sensing low-level alpha and beta radiation. (It actually detects spurious emissions from tritium lights...) I used a Radio Shack battery enclosure---think it was the THIRD TRY before I convinced them "NOOO, I want the one with the BATTERY COMPARTMENT!" <p>I cut a circular hole, and cut a circular disc of 1/8 inch stainless steel screen; laid it over the hold (from the inside), heated it with a soldering iron, and once it got hot enough it melted into the plastic very nicely. That tube is extremely fragile with its very thin mica window. Anyone know where replacement tubes can be had, much appreciated.<p>The only bad thing about the kit, is it developed 600 volts, onto its 50 volt ceramic disc capacitors! Until I was motivated to replace them with 1000 volt caps, I referred to it as my "VACUUM-TUBE-GEIGER-COUNTER". 'Cause it wouldn't start functioning until 30-60 seconds after turn-on! With the new caps it works instantly.<p>Lady at the flea market said the "box of replacement watch-hands" were RADIUM. And the glass light-string pulls (glow-in-the-dark), I suddenly wondered if they were "hot". Both items turned out to be quite active. (YES I bought them. and carry them around in my SHIRT POCKET. NOT.)<p>[ March 07, 2003: Message edited by: gadgeteer ]</p>