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 2.GQ Geiger Muller Counter
 Surprise radiation detected
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Sonicmixmaster

USA
75 Posts

Posted - 08/23/2018 :  15:20:22  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
So after working out many quirks with my 600+ model I felt confident to test it out "in the field" at work starting this week on Wednesday. My work week starts Wednesday and ends Sunday so I have been taking the detector with me to work each night and monitoring readings while having the detector in my work pants side pocket. Although I do not want to say where I work at this time I did visit my friends for lunch after work today and was very surprised when my detector went nuts!!!

Take a look at the image below.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4p4l0ih4qifzjyx/20180823_151308.jpg?dl=0

It turns out that the tiles in my friends bathroom are radioactive. I was getting beeps standing in the bathroom by the sink washing my hands before I eat. The bathroom is covered with radioactive tiles on all walls but ceiling and floor did not show any high readings. The detector went off when it was about 2 feet from the ceramic/radioactive tile wall. What do you guys think?

Edited by - Sonicmixmaster on 10/02/2019 17:53:25
Reply #1

ullix

Germany
1107 Posts

Posted - 08/23/2018 :  22:57:14  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
1599CPM is quite a nice clip! What name, brand and origin are the tiles, and where can I buy them for my tests? ;-)

This seems to be a lot and I have a hard time believing that such stuff is sold. I would verify that the counter is giving reasonable values when tested against some more familiar source. I recommend using KCl. Get at least a pound of it, and bring it as close to the Geiger tube as possible. Should give you near 150'CPM. Explained in Potty Training here: https://sourceforge.net/projects/geigerlog/files/GeigerLog-Potty%20Training%20for%20Your%20Geiger%20Counter-v1.0.pdf/download

Some further tests: Put some beta absorbers between tiles and counter to see if this is mostly beta or mostly gamma radiation. Beta absorbers like e.g. >3mm glass or aluminum, >2mm steel or copper, >100 sheets of copy paper

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Reply #2

Sonicmixmaster

USA
75 Posts

Posted - 08/24/2018 :  06:55:43  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
The tiles been in the house for 40-50 years as I was told by my friends. Will test the materials you said in the future and post back. Thanks.
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Reply #3

Searinox

Romania
48 Posts

Posted - 10/03/2019 :  01:00:12  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
That's quite the uranium/thorium content there!
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Reply #4

Damien68

France
777 Posts

Posted - 10/03/2019 :  22:45:58  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
now, before going to piss at friends, it's better to be equipping with his dosimeter. :)
are your tiles for sale? :-)

Mastery is acquired by studying, with it everything becomes simple

Edited by - Damien68 on 10/06/2019 03:00:10
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Reply #5

PKIDelirium

USA
14 Posts

Posted - 10/06/2019 :  12:47:33  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Am I seeing a reddish tint on the tiles, or is that the photo? Might be some uranium oxide in there, like old Fiestaware.
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Reply #6

Sonicmixmaster

USA
75 Posts

Posted - 10/09/2019 :  16:42:16  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
The color you see is true color. I am not sure if it has the uranium oxide. In the near future I will go to another friend of mine and test their granite counter top and see what I get.
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Reply #7

PKIDelirium

USA
14 Posts

Posted - 10/10/2019 :  11:06:26  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I'm betting that the reddish hue is from uranium oxide. Obviously not as high a reading as you'd get from old red pottery and ceramics that used it, but enough register.
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