Posted: 4/24/2007 5:56:04 AM EDT
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Please school me on personal Rad detectors. Not suprisingly both sites claim thier unit is better. I'm looking for independent data via websites and personal experience. I saw one link to a website where the owner of one comany was arguing with a blogger but no real concrete proof which one works better. Should I be spending my prep money elsewhere,do they even work? I actually deal with a company that makes larger(4"x4") units but they run $750.00 or more and I wouldnt keep one on my belt anyway. Realistically I probably wont keep the keychain style on my keychain but most likely in my GHB. Also, I am planning to pick up some Iosat(Pot. Iodine)any recs. on quantitiy or a better version would be helpful. thanks, Tim |
| I have a bottle of potassium iodate if I recall correctly. Supposedly it is recommended by the WHO (but not the US) because it is less bitter and the pills I purchased can be easily given in childrens doses. I am going to purchase the ingredients to make my own potassium iodide. I understand it tastes nasty but it is dirt cheap and I could purchase enough for family, friends, etc. |
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I have a couple of old cold war era radiation detectors(the big yellow hand held ones) but I have no idea if they work or how to test them. Kinda useless, huh? :P I also have these pen sized things that are supposed to change colors if exposed to radiation. Don't know if they work either. I have one in my vehicle. It will either not work and I'll be dependant on the radio for info like everyone else or it will work and I'll be lucky. I also have a bottle of the potasium iodide in a few different palces. Hopefully it's reputable and not a placebo. This is the one area I feel like there will be no way of knowing if the equipment works until it's too late UNLESS you spend lots of money on buying modern day stuff from reputable compamies. Supposedly you can get little vials of harmless isotopes in vials that you can test your detectors with but I don't want to try getting my hands on radioactive isotopes in a vial. :P |
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Although not exactly "personal-sized", the Plessy/Siemens PDRM-82 Digital Survey Meters are reasonably compact, modern, and inexpensive. BullNet has reasonable shipping rates on them to USA destinations. (Note: The price shown on this web page is in British Pounds - The equivalent USD price is significantly higher).   |
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you cannot make a key chain sized detector that is going to give you a reliable reading at radiation levels below the "oh shit run" levels. 99.99% of people you are going to know about radiation danger before these things go off because: 1. you see the mushroom cloud 2. you heard the explosion of the bomb/plant/warhead 3. the alarms are going off 4. it wasn't a gamma source so your keychain was silent so unless you are worried about an unmarked truck smuggling radioactive material that is a gamma source rolling over in front of you on the street, there are better radiation detectors to put your money into: 1. contamination 2. remote survey meters 3. personal dosimeters 
no. americium found in smoke detectors is Am-241: an alpha emitter. gamma emissions are negligable. the radiation source is essentially completely contained in the detector. these portable detectors are gamma only detectors. they are nowhere near the type of detector you'd need to pick up a smoke detector containing Am-241 |
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Further... RadDetect claims are laughable! Fast neutron detection in a keychain? Directional detection in a KEYCHAIN? bwahahahah (yes you could do it for beta) I do find it cool if their claims are true that they actuall have a scintillator in that tiny bugger... Funny their data sheets don't print up technical information on the detector response... ;) I guess you can get away with it when your device only has 4 possible readings: <0.75mGy 0.75mGy-1cGy 1cGy-9cGy >1cGy Yea... *real* usefull right there  ETA and RadAlert advertises:
Really? It'll work after that? Guess what! You  won't!
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Edit, final thoughts based on manufacturer data: NukeAlert if you are worried about nuclear war or about meaningfull readings that can tell you when to shelter in place and when to make a run. RadDetect if you just want a slightly more sensitivie radiation monitor (ie you are worried about an RDD, reactor accident, or material spill). Again a personal dosimeter or a larger meter with more reliable and graduated readings is more usefull. |
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It's probably bad form to link to somewhere else, but here's a great RadDetect vs. Nukealert thread: www.glocktalk.com/showthread.php?threadid=524048&perpage=25&highlight=&pagenumber=1 I agree with the poster above me though, neither of these things is gonna save your ass. |