These days, it’s plenty easy to build a Geiger counter with a microcontroller that has a nice fancy display and a simple digital readout for how many radiations you’re likely sucking up into your delicate fleshy body. But you can still do things the old fashioned way, as [ludens] demonstrates with this analog Geiger counter project.
With a goal of measuring low-level radiation sources and the normal background levels on Earth, [ludens] selected a large Geiger tube for its sensitivity—a Chinese J306β in particular. It’s rated to output 88 counts per minute at the average background level, or 8 counts per second when exposed to 1µSv/h. It’s quite a large device, measuring 200 mm long and 18 mm in diameter, and it sticks out on top of the device like a big fat antenna.
Since the large tube puts out plenty of counts at even low levels, [ludens] decided it would be easy to average the output with a simple analog low-pass circuit. Everything runs off a single AA battery, with a power supply built to step that up to 5 V for the ICs and 400 V for the tube itself. CMOS Schmitt triggers are responsible for running the show, with an old-school analog dial showing the reading.
There are two ranges to use, depending on the magnitude of the radiation source—1 uSv/h, and 10 uSv/h. The high range isn’t particularly high, but as [ludens] notes—”If anything I find pegs that scale, I prefer to run, instead of measuring exactly how much radiation there is! So I don’t need a higher scale than 10µSv/h.”
If you’ve ever wanted to build a Geiger counter that has that classic Cold War feel, this is a great way to go about it. Alternatively, you can always go the more modern route and build something digital and networkable for logging purposes.
This articles is written by : Fady Askharoun Samy Askharoun
All Rights Reserved to Amznusa www.amznusa.com
Why Amznusa?
AMZNUSA is a dynamic website that focuses on three primary categories: Technology, e-commerce and cryptocurrency news. It provides users with the latest updates and insights into online retail trends and the rapidly evolving world of digital currencies, helping visitors stay informed about both markets.
