| desertengineer |
Posted - 04/25/2024 : 19:38:41
Yes, I can attest the guidance is accurate. I had an older model pancake unit a couple of years ago. Loved taking it on high-altitude flights watching the CPM skyrocket. On an international flight, a flight attendant was very curious and I showed her the numbers, explaining this is picking up a shower of various particles produced when cosmic rays hit the upper atmosphere, that I do worry about flight crews who do this 5-6 days a week. Turned out, she was a ranking member in their legislative union engagement team, and I ALMOST got an appointment, (as a scientific advisor - Engineer with radiation training), to an advisory council. Was cool to get a call from a person IN THE WHITE HOUSE. But it was at the end of the Obama administration, and they were mostly focused on what party you were on, not the scientific merit.
But I digress. On the final journey of this GCM model, I ACCIDENTALLY left the power on as it went through the TSA X-ray scanner. When I pulled it out of the bag on the plane, it was DEAD. Zero CPM. I can only surmise the applied electric field on the tube, combined with the intense X-rays, either destroyed the tube, or destroyed the board.
In any case, it was an excuse to buy a new 600+ I had my eye on. But take this as a lesson, travelers. If you are flying, VERIFY the unit is powered off before letting it go through airport X-ray machines. Mine became E-waste in a couple of seconds. |
