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K91_TEKOplus_CI8B Geiger Counter by Atomic.dave
[email protected]
This is a one of a kind custom hand-made Geiger Counter built by
Atomic.Dave. It is based on a kit designed by JohnGiametti
(username: Brohogan) I have been building his DIY Geiger counters
for over three years having built and soldaround 90 of them. Much
of the information for this kit is available at the developers
website. This is more of a kit for some-one who knows a little bit
about electronics but doesnt have the time or patience to build it,
or would rather someone else doall the dirty work. Having been
built by me, of course there may be some imperfections, although as
minimal as possible. ThisRussian tube/probe is one of the most
sensitive that I have ever used before. I have preset the high
voltage to about 380v.Dont be afraid by the amount of background
radiation this will pick up, just consider the size of the the mica
window and howmuch it will pick up. As all mica windows, please be
careful when handling it, and realize that it can pop easily if
poked with ahard object. It is however much less delicate than a
LND7317 as it will not require a air pressurized container for
shipping.
OPERATIONFive Triple Pole switches- ALL OFF IN CENTER POSITION.
(FOLLOW PHOTO BELOW FOR BUTTON LOCATON)
A. MODEmomentary switch does 4 things. 1- Alarm control. 2-
Scaler mode start/stop. 3- Alarm 30 second mute. 4- Menu reset.
1.When you first power on the unit, you will see:
Atomic.Dave K091 TEKO CI-8B V10.3
This customized first welcome window can easily be changed if
you want, by doing alittle programming in Arduino. Refer to the DIY
site for directions at the SOFTWARE section.But the default is now
set to my name, Kit 91, and the second line is the Geiger
CounterName and Tube, and the version of software that the AT328
chip is running V10.3C.
Then a second window will come up with the first line showing
the current set uSvto CPM conversion rate.
440 CPM=1 uSv/h 100 CPM=1 uSv/hRunning at 5.24V Running at
5.24V
The second line refers to the current voltage that your system
is running at. This isa 5 volt system. The 4000mAh 3.7v lipo
battery is boosted to 5v with a pololu booster.Everytime you start
up your GC (geiger counter) it will show you this so you will
alwaysknow your current voltage.
The third window will show this:Alarm Set ?Now at 500 CPM
At this point, you can push the MODE button to incrementally
change the Alarmthreshold number. Once you stop holding down the
button and wait, it will be set to thecurrent number shown on the
screen and will stay there until you change it either
againrestarting and waiting for this part, or by using the included
remote control to change it.You can also choose from units of
measurement such as CPM or uSv/h for the Alarm with the remote. 2.
It also acts like a stopwatch starter for the scaler mode. It has
two preset times of 1 minute and 10 minute averaging. Youcan change
this with the remote, or the sketch when connected to pc. Although
it is much easier with the remote obviously.3.When your alarm goes
off you can tap this button to mute the alarm for 30 seconds. 4.
After programming your unit with the wireless remote, if you want
to reset it to default settings. Hold down this button whilethe
unit starts up.B. LIGHT this controls the LCD backlight and the
blinking Green LED. Left for only the LED on, middle for both off,
and rightfor both LED and Backlight on.C. POWER switch controls the
power and charging of the unit. Right powers the unit with the
internal battery, Middle turns itoff, and Left is for charging the
unit. (in addition to this, you will need to switch the USB power
switch on the lower right sideto the down CHRG position) When the
unit is charging, the RED LED just above the mini USB port at the
bottom of the unitwill remain constant RED while charging, and when
charging is complete, it will turn BLUE. If you wish to power the
unitwith the USB in, and bypass the batteries for extended periods.
Keep Power switch in OFF position, and flip the USB powerswitch on
the lower right side to the PWR position. (when not using USB power
or charging, keep this USB switch in themiddle position)D. SOUND
switch controls the Event speaker. Right for tone mode, Middle for
mute, Left for Standard Click Mode. More onTone Mode later. If you
dont hear a sound when you go to TONE, it is muted, and you need to
unmute with the remote.E. GREEN NULL momentary this works only when
in Tone mode for the event speaker. When you are scanning in
Tonemode, you can push this to reset the sensing to zero. More on
this later.F. USB switch is used to control the power coming into
the mini usb port. UP to bypass the battery and use only USBpower.
Middle to turn it off, and down to charge the unit. Remeber to
switch the POWER switch to CHG when charging,and OFF when using USB
power.G. ALM switch controls the Alarm LED and Piezo. Up for both
on, Middle for both off, and Down for LED only on. Thismakes for a
silent visual alarm.LEDSAfter turning on the unit, right away, you
will hear the clicking of the speaker as your GM tube picks up
radiation events.There are two LEDs below the GM tube. The Left one
is GREEN which is for radiation events and coincides with the
click-ing speaker which can be muted with the mute switch. The
Right one is RED for the Alarm which will only light up when aset
alarm threshold is reached. It can be turned on or off. The speaker
for the alarm and events is located above and leftand right of the
GM tube at the top of the unit.
OTHER SWITCHES, PORTS or DIALSA. To the left of the LCD is the
LCD contrast dial. As the LCD is used, it might get to a point for
you to readjust the
contrast for it. Not a big deal, while the backlight is on,
gently take a small screwdriver and turn it to the left or right
until itappears to have the best contrast.
B. To the right of the LCD is the output MULTI-PORT used for
Geiger Bot (with the included G-Bot cable), Just plug inthe Geiger
Bot cable into this with the 3 conductor plug, and the 4 conductor
into your iphone or ipad. It also serves as anmono audio output for
silent listening with headphones, or with an optional standard 3
conductor to 3 conductor M-M audiocable, you can run sound based
data logging software.
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D. At the very bottom of the unit is the Mini USB FTDI
output/input for programming in Arduino. This also is used tocharge
the internal Lithium Ion battery (with the power switch in the
bottom position.) Or it can be used to power the GCfor extended
periods, however when you power it this way, I would advise to turn
off the LCD backlight. But its ok to turn iton once in a while, but
I wouldnt leave it on for extended periods. When uploading any new
changes to the programsketch, you will need to have this switch in
the up position white it is plugged into your pc with the USB
cable. This sameUSB is also used as an output for usb based FREE
Radiation Logging software. To use this software, you unzip from
the cdand install on your laptop or PC. It is not available for
Mac. or download from:
http://radiohobbystore.com/radiation-logger/There is also a new
software available that also works much better called radmon. They
also have a data logging map andforum to link up with other users
as well. Go to this address for more info and download. IT is also
free. www.radmon.org.
DISPLAY IN DEPTH:
The top line shows the CPM (updated every 5 sec. by default) and
a quick response bar graph (updated 20 times /sec.). The bargraph
will be replaced with ALARM if the displayed CPM exceeds the alarm
threshold. It is also replaced byVcc when it drops below 4.2V. The
second line shows the dose unit and the calculated dose. The dose
unit and the doseratio (CPM to dose unit) are settable in the menu
(controlled by the wireless remote or via arduino). Pressing the
Selectbutton while in this screen will switch to the Scaler screen
. . .
Two scalers are provided, each with its own period. The scaler
on the top line is fixed at one minute and the scaler onthe bottom
line is set to a programmable period from the menu. Each scaler has
two modes - counting and ongoing. Thescreen on left shows both
scalers counting. A running total of the counts is displayed, along
with the amount of time left forthe scaler period. The screen on
the left shows that the one minute scaler finished the counting
mode and is now showingthe average CPM and dose rate for the
period. These values now become a moving average. The bottom scaler
can alsobe set to "Infinity" in the menu by setting it below 2.
This is a special mode that shows the total accumulated dose
sincethe scaler screen was first started. Pressing the Select
button while in the scaler screen will bring you back to the
mainscreen. However both scalers will still be accumulating counts,
so you can go back and forth between the main screen andthe scaler
screen and still see meaningful data.
REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM: This adds some conveniences such as the
ability to adjust certain things on the GC without the need to plug
into your
PC or mac. It is already setup to work. All you have to do is
point the remote towards the IR window (above the GM tubebehind the
steel speaker grill), and push the power button on the remote to
start. As soon as you do that these options willpop up. Use the
channel button to move thru each option, and use the volume buttons
to move up or down within thoseoptions. You can also use the number
pad to input numbers rather than using the up down of the volume.
After you reachthe desired amount you push ENT to enter it into the
system.
The keys on the Remote Control perform these functions:On/Off
enter or exit the menu system. "DISP PERIOD (MS) is the first
prompt you will see.Channel Down or Down Arrow moves to the next
menu optionChannel Up or Up Arrow moves to the previous menu
optionVolume Up or Right Arrow increments the value already set for
the current option or toggles an optionVolume Down or Left Arrow
decrements the value already set for the current option or toggles
an optionEnter finalizes the entry in the current menu option if
changes were made. When used out of the menu, it acts like
the"null" button to reset the tome.Digits 0-9 for direct entry of
values (instead of Volume or Arrows) must use Enter after using
digits.Decimal Point - enters a decimal point - used when setting
the ratio.Mute used when out of the menu mutes the speaker
Menu Options:Initially, the menu options are set to defaults.
Settings made will be stored in EEPROM on the ATmega328, so they
will bein effect when you power back on. Pressing and holding the
Select button at power on will reset all menu settings back totheir
default settings. Here's a brief description of each menu option
along with its default setting: DISP PERIOD (MS) - The number of
milliseconds before the display refreshes. 5000 (5 sec.) is a good
setting.(Display counts are based on a "running average" I do not
recommend settings of less than 5 seconds.)LOG PERIOD - Interval to
write the CPM, 'dose', and MCU voltage to the serial output.
Default = 1 minute Zero meanslogging is turned off.CPM->[DOSE]
RATIO - Sets that ratio for the type of GM tube used. Default =
175.43 CPM and 100 CPM to dose unit (uSv)Note this ratio will
depend on the dose unit being displayed - see DOSE UNIT. Also note
that 2 ratios can be stored. The secondratio can be selected by the
Tube Switch. Depending on the position of the switch this menu
option will set the value for eitherthe 1st or 2nd ratio. 175.43 is
the common default for the SBM-20 and 100 for the LDN 712. The DEC
PNT or AV/TV key on theremote can be used to enter a decimal
point.ALARM THRESHOLD - When the CPM or DOSE units is greater than
this value the alarm is triggered. Default = 500CPM This can be
either in CPM or the dose unit selected see ALARM UNIT. Zero means
the alarm is turned off. Unlikeusing the Select button, any value
may be entered. The alarm will stop when activity drops back under
the alarm threshold.You can also silence the alarm for 30 seconds
by pressing the Select button when the alarm is sounding.DOSE UNIT
- Use the arrow keys to select the name of the unit for the dose
value - "uSv/h", "uR/h" or "mR/h". Default =uSv/hALARM UNIT - Sets
whether the alarm is based off of CPM or the DOSE unit. Use the
arrow keys to select. Default =CPMSCALER PER (MIN) - Sets the
period for the second scaler. Default = 10 minutes If scaler period
set to "Infinite" (settingbelow 2) , the accumulated dose rate is
displayed on the scaler screen.BARGRAPH MAX CPM - Sets the CPM that
will give a full scale reading on the bar graph. Default = 1000 CPM
Also seethe Tone Mode section for how this option affects tone
mode.TONE SENSITIVITY - Determines how sensitive the tone is to
changing activity. Default = 4 Low numbers are more sensi-tive.
(see below)
SCALER SCREEN
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USE RADLOGGER? - When "Yes" serial output is compatible with
Radiation Logger and RadLog applications. Default = OFFREG. VOLTAGE
- Displays the voltage powering the MCU (Vcc). To a large degree,
this represents the state of the battery.Note that each menu
setting has a minimum and a maximum setting. Entries that are out
of bounds will revert to the minimum or maximum.
ABOUT DOSE UNITS:The menu allows you select the name of the dose
unit that appears on the display. However, to be clear, there is no
built in conversion between them. Instead theCPM->(unit) is
adjusted depending on the name of the DOSE UNIT selected. For
example, 175.43 is the default set for the SBM-20 with uSv as the
dose unit. Sup-pose you pick "mR" as the dose unit name, and want
to measure in milirems. ("mR" more correctly abbreviates as
milliroentgens but is used to save display space.)The rem is
defined as .01 seivert, and 1uSv = 0.1mR. Therefore, to use the
same ratio that was designed for the tube, you would multiply that
ratio by 10. You wouldenter a CPM->(unit) as 175.43 x 10 or
1754.3. Likewise if you wanted microrems ("uR") you would divide
the ratio by 10 and enter 17.54.If you do want to use roentgens
("exposure" - used in older instruments) this source states that
they are .96 rem in soft tissue. So the CPM->(unit) for actual
mRwould be 175.43 x 10 x .96 or 1684.1. (for uR it would be
16.84)
TONE MODEInstead of the usual 'clicks', tone mode produces tones
that vary in frequency with the current activity - much like a
metal detector. There is also an associated"null" button that
resets the scale to the current activity. Tone mode is very
responsive to changes in activity, and the change in pitch is much
more noticeable than achange in the rate of clicks. It was
primarily designed for field surveying. The sensitivity of the tone
mode is set by the TONE SENSITIVITY menu option. Sensitivityrefers
to the 'bandwidth' of the tone. When set to low numbers, say 4 (the
default) only a small increase in activity is needed to produce
higher tones. When dealingwith more sensitive GM tubes, decrease
the sensitivity by using a value of say 8 or 10. Experiment with
values that suit your ear.The BARGRAPH MAX CPM menu setting also
affects tone mode by defining the CPM that will produce the highest
frequency of tone. Normally this is set to high-est CPM for
situation and tube being used. In order to get the best spectrum of
tones, tone mode is based on a logarithmic progression rather than
a linear one.This fits with the fact that radiation intensity is
inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the
source. The "null button" resets the range of tones sothat the low
notes are set back to the current activity. This is a useful
feature when switching from a low to a high background for
instance. The null button removesthe higher background so increased
activity may be more easily discerned.
SETTING UP TONE MODE 1. Set the proper conversion ratio for your
tube. With the proper ratio set, the null point will automatically
be set when the counter ispowered on so normal background radiation
is ignored. 2. Place a sample of the mineral or other radioactive
item you are trying to detect approximately one inchfrom the
detector. Note the CPM reading after it has stabilized. 3. In the
menu, set the BARGRAPH MAX CPM to the CPM value you noted in step
2. 4. Adjust thetone sensitivity setting to suit your preferences.
For most mildly radioactive items (such as red Fiestaware),
sensitivity settings from 1-5 work well. The ideal valuevaries
depending on the activity level of the target object, the tube, and
the distance. Lower settings cause the tone to increase in
frequency faster in response tosmaller changes in the count rate.
Higher settings cause the frequency to increase much more slowly
for changes in count rate. When the sensitivity setting is 0,the
frequency will jump very rapidly from the lowest frequency to the
highest one. This setting is useful to quickly scan an area to
determine if there are hot spots.You will likely want to change the
setting to a higher number to help locate the hot spot.
PLEASE REFER TO THE DIY GEIGER COUNTER DEVELOPERS WEBSITE FOR
FURTHER
INFORMATION:http://www.sites.google.com/site/diygeigercounter/
ARDUINO Software and Serial-USB connection information:ON the cd
you will find the FTDI driver and Arduino program version 1.
Install both and restart your mac. Copy the Geiger Sketch folder to
the same folder as yourArduino program is and remember where that
is as that will be where you go to save your sketch everytime you
make a change to it. There will also be a Libraryfolder that will
also need to be in the same folder. Just remember that the folder
has to be the same exact name as the sketch name is. And also
within Arduino, youwill have to go to preferences and show Arduino
where your default sketch folder is.
ARDUINO SETTINGS: Brohogan Software system version 10.31. Open
Arduino2. Open the saved sketch .ino file, connect your Geiger
counter to the USB with power switch off.3. Verify the file by
clicking the little check mark icon.4. Click TOOLS, and Select
Board type as Arduino UNO, and select serial port as the top tty
choice.5. Click Serial Monitor (top right looking glass icon). Set
Baud rate to 9600 and you should see the CPM, uSv and geiger
counter voltage data coming up once per minute.
For more info go to website under Software section on the DIY
geiger counter website. Or go to Arduino.cc
GEIGER BOT SUGGESTED SETTINGS: (You may have to play with it to
get it just right) GO TO:
https://sites.google.com/site/geigerbot/
Select options Select Geiger Counter Select LND712 CS137 Adjust
Conversion factor to your tube:
123 for LND712175 for SBM-20
360 for LND7317Select I/O Settings
Auto Adjust OFF(you may need to play
with this setting) RMS Window 1
Delay Window 30Volume Thresh 20000
Ultrafast Rates ON
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HARDWARE1. DIY Geiger counter kit V5.3 by Brohogan, Running
operating system 10.32. New Russian CI-8B Geiger Muller Tube3.
Power System by Seeeduino, Sparkfun and Pololu (please charge the
unit until the RED light turns BLUE)A. You can power the Geiger in
a couple different ways 1. With internal Lipo battery (Power switch
in UP position)2. With PWR switch OFF (middle), USB cable plugged
into USB port on RIGHT side of geiger, USB PWR switch on right side
of unit switched UP, then plugUSB cable into:a. Computer or laptop
USBb. Wall charger block (included)c. Standard 5v USB Cigarette
adapter (included) d. To power and operate the unit this way for
long periods, TURN OFF BACKLIGHT To save LCD Life.
POWER and OTHER SYSTEM ITEMS: This system is capable of
producing 900+ volts, so be careful or you may get zapped when
handling the systemwhile it is powered on. 3.7v 4000mAh lithium
ion, with protective circuit PCM Lipo charger 1 cell Li-ion or LiPo
based TP4056. External power supply or USB. 25 * 19 * 10mm,
Charging current: 1A. Pololu 5v up/down boost regulator #2119
ENCLOSUREDimensions: New Age Enclosure - S784114 - 7.8" x 4.1" x
1.4" (not including handle or
feet)http://www.newageenclosures.com/files/784114_r5_2.pdf
REPAIRS:If the unit fails for some reason with six months from
purchase, I will be more than happy to do any maintenance you need
at no charge except shipping.
PACKAGE CONTENTS:In your package you will find: Geiger Counter
with Russian CI-8B Pancake Tube with Factory Cover, (3) Cables:
Geiger bot 3 to 4 conductor, Audio 3 to 3 conductor,Mini USB to
standard USB2 with car and wall charger. CD with software and
documents, Manual, RAD sticker, and extra faceplate labels. Sony
RM-EZ4 Remote.
80mm
30mm
65mm
mica window
10mm16.5mm
70mm
PANCAKE 7317 (@1/8 distance)
C
PANCAKE 7317 (@1/8 distance)
C
RUSSIAN GEIGER TUBE COUNTER CI-8BThe slope of the plateau of the
counting characteristics,%, not exceeding: 0,3Sensitivity of the
counting rate, imp.s-1.A-1.kg: 1.3 * 10E12 ... 1.9 *
10E12Sensitivity of the counting rate (imp / uR): (350 500)The
slope of the voltage-current characteristics,%, not more:
1,25Amplitude voltage pulse, V, no less than: 20Own background, imp
/ s, max: 2Effectiveness of registration of beta radiation,%: 50
85Current sensitivity, uA: 8 15 (at P = 12.9 * 10E-10 A / kg (5 uR
/ s))Operating range voltage, V: 360 440Maximum operating speed
counting, pulses / s: 3400Maximum operating current, mA: 18.2The
maximum permissible exposure dose of gamma radiation, A / kg: 21.5
* 10E-6 (for 1 min)The maximum permissible exposure dose of gamma
radiation (R / h): (300) (for 1 min)
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