Low Cost Geiger Counter

by Quarta Radiation Monitor

Product Description

Excellent geiger counter for the money!

Designed for evaluation of ambient dosage of gamma radiation, which can be done by ordinary people in domestic environment (homes, office, food products, construction materials, soil, etc.). Also, the instrument can be used by industrial personnel, working with ionizing sources of radiation. Moreover, the instrument can detect objects, polluted by beta active radioactive nuclides.

The instrument uses a Geiger counter to detect the amount of gamma radiation within 40 sec. and indicates the values in µSv/h and µRem/h on an LCD screen. Registration of every particle is indicated by a click sound, which makes it possible to quickly determine the location of hot spots.

Incorporates the following features: audio alarm with 3 adjustable thresholds, continuous updating of readout in proportion as duration of measurement increases, display illumination, MENU in English. CE. 3 year factory wty. Radex Model RD1503.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2.4 x 1 x 4.1 inches ; 3.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B00051E906
• Item model number: RADEX RD1503
• Batteries: 2 AAA batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,297 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice simple instrument, February 1, 2007

By 

R. Speizer "thebooktiger" (Reno, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Low Cost Geiger Counter (Tools & Home Improvement)

This is a simple lightweight instrument. Made in Russia. Easy to use. Does not tick or beep with each count, only when a theshold is crossed in terms of counts.
I gave it a 4 instead of 5 because the manual seems to have been written by someone with a Russian/English dictionary who had one semester of English. But it was understandable. It also did not have any information on how to interpet the readings.
Not a professional instrument but good for someone who wants to be prepared for a local nuclear accident or terroist attack. Peace of mind. I tested it by holding it near a smoke detector and it worked!

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars radioactivity counter- low cost geiger counter, June 7, 2008

By 

L. Burgoyne "wabson" (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Low Cost Geiger Counter (Tools & Home Improvement)

I bought this device to use as the subject of a hiking project with my grandchildren, mapping with a GPS as I go and recording the local radioactivity as I go. (It should make a nice intellectual point to hiking.)
I first tried the device at my home (unradioactive I hoped) and then some other places that I knew, from previous use of laboratory-grade counters, definitely had some local radioactivity in the sand and cliffs and it gave readings more or less as I expected from the previous use of much more expensive counters. As another test, it also picked up radioactive gas-mantles quite well indeed when I sat the device upon one (the luminescent gas-mantles as often used in camper lamps are often very solidly radioactive--- a ref on this is available if amazon requests) The strong signal was expected but it was reassuring to get it. The device is convenient to use and I found gave repeatable results although you have to leave it sit for a few minutes to get a reliable result. Note that if you use gas old-style mantles to test it yourself please make sure they are the old-fashioned thorium based gas mantles as the many modern gas mantles are no longer radioactive. In my experience the non-radioactive mantles advertise this clearly on their packet and the old radioactive mantles are discreetly silent about radioactivity on their packet. (Choose one from an old camping shop that doesnt mention radioactivity on its packet and then dont sleep near it!)
The four stars come from its very low price for doing an adequate job.

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Inconsistent and unreliable!, October 10, 2008

By 

John J. Kious "Magic Grandpa" (So. Oregon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Low Cost Geiger Counter (Tools & Home Improvement)

The directions are very poorly done...very difficult to relate to the operation of the unit. I purchased some calibrated uranium ore to test this gadget with and found the results to be totally unreliable and very inconsistent. I ended up returning it to the vendor and purchasing their next level up unit called the 'Monitor 4' which performs GREAT (it was also almost double the cash, but I guess you get what you pay for). The vendor was a pleasure to deal with.