walt willis
Senior Member
- Messages
- 1,823
A Geiger counter and a radiation detector will both meter fallout radiation from a nuclear weapon detonation, but there are some differences I found on "Survivor" web site. JWR has a new book that should be ready by October first 2013.
First, you have to understand what you need and want. There are both Geiger counters and survey meters and they are VERY different in what they do. Survey meters measure levels of radiation that will peg out a Geiger counter. I guess the best way I can explain their uses is in a scenario:
Tensions are rising and you decide that now would be a good time to make final preperations for a nuke attack. You check the stocks in your shelter and break out your survey meter. In most models, there is a detachable probe that you leave ourside your shelter and keep the meter in your shelter. Uh-oh, the mushroom shaped ballon has now gone up and fallout is heading your way. This is when your survey meter outside the shelter begins to register and generally at levels that are not condusive to your good health. Go outside right now and you are going into a microwave. Not good.
Now after a couple weeks, radiation levels begin to decay to the levels that is alright to leave the shelter for short periods of time. This is where your dosimeters come into play. These devices that you carry with you moniter the radiation dose you receive along with the dosimeter. Now the safe dosage varies by several factors to include age, prior radiation exposure, etc. so some people can be out a bit longer than others. Now you check your dosimeter and realize that it's time to get back inside the shelter.
As you come to your shelter door, you go through your decontimation procedures. You are pretty sure you removed all contamination off but do you KNOW for sure you're going to drag radioactive contamination back into the shelter with you.
Your dosimeter measures cumulatively and won't tell you if you are still contaminated and your survey meter that was designed to measure gross and current levels of radiation is far too insensitive to measure smaller amounts.
This is where your Geiger counter comes into play. Your Geiger counter that would be overloaded from initial fallout is sensitive enough to detect small particles that you may still be contaminated with. You DID wash behind your ears, didn't you? Ok, maybe you missed that spot so you hit the spots you missed and now you can re-enter your shelter without dragging in contaminates with you. If you use a Geiger counter you will need to use timer to keep track of your exposure time related to the diferent levels of radiation that will vary over the time exposed. Clear as mud?
1rem = .01 sievert = 10 millisievert
What the levels mean:
Background radiation-------0.01 to 0.05 mR/hr
Very low level radiation-----0.1 mR/hr
Daily human safety limit----1 mR/hr
Small danger--------------10mR/hr (=0.01 R/hr)
Moderate danger----------100 mR/hr (=0.1 R/hr)
High danger---------------1000 mR/hr (=1 R/hr)
Read more at Is there any need to buy a geiger counter? - Survivalist Forum
First, you have to understand what you need and want. There are both Geiger counters and survey meters and they are VERY different in what they do. Survey meters measure levels of radiation that will peg out a Geiger counter. I guess the best way I can explain their uses is in a scenario:
Tensions are rising and you decide that now would be a good time to make final preperations for a nuke attack. You check the stocks in your shelter and break out your survey meter. In most models, there is a detachable probe that you leave ourside your shelter and keep the meter in your shelter. Uh-oh, the mushroom shaped ballon has now gone up and fallout is heading your way. This is when your survey meter outside the shelter begins to register and generally at levels that are not condusive to your good health. Go outside right now and you are going into a microwave. Not good.
Now after a couple weeks, radiation levels begin to decay to the levels that is alright to leave the shelter for short periods of time. This is where your dosimeters come into play. These devices that you carry with you moniter the radiation dose you receive along with the dosimeter. Now the safe dosage varies by several factors to include age, prior radiation exposure, etc. so some people can be out a bit longer than others. Now you check your dosimeter and realize that it's time to get back inside the shelter.
As you come to your shelter door, you go through your decontimation procedures. You are pretty sure you removed all contamination off but do you KNOW for sure you're going to drag radioactive contamination back into the shelter with you.
Your dosimeter measures cumulatively and won't tell you if you are still contaminated and your survey meter that was designed to measure gross and current levels of radiation is far too insensitive to measure smaller amounts.
This is where your Geiger counter comes into play. Your Geiger counter that would be overloaded from initial fallout is sensitive enough to detect small particles that you may still be contaminated with. You DID wash behind your ears, didn't you? Ok, maybe you missed that spot so you hit the spots you missed and now you can re-enter your shelter without dragging in contaminates with you. If you use a Geiger counter you will need to use timer to keep track of your exposure time related to the diferent levels of radiation that will vary over the time exposed. Clear as mud?
1rem = .01 sievert = 10 millisievert
What the levels mean:
Background radiation-------0.01 to 0.05 mR/hr
Very low level radiation-----0.1 mR/hr
Daily human safety limit----1 mR/hr
Small danger--------------10mR/hr (=0.01 R/hr)
Moderate danger----------100 mR/hr (=0.1 R/hr)
High danger---------------1000 mR/hr (=1 R/hr)
Read more at Is there any need to buy a geiger counter? - Survivalist Forum