Radiation Detector

[miked2345]

Radiation Detectors....

Does anyone know much about these things? With all the tension in the world, Russia testing nukes, flying their bombers close to our coastlines, radiation still coming from the destroyed power plants in Japan, I wonder if a radiation detector might be an item to add to my preps. (The kind with the meter, that makes the clicking sound..)

I see them on many sites online, even right here, on the jrh store. I'm wondering what the life span is? If it sits in my closet for 10 years, will it even work anymore? I'm comparing this to other detectors that use various kinds of sensors. We have a carbon monoxide detector that started going off after about 6 years. Turns out, these detectors only have a lifespan of 2 - 7 years, depending on brand and sensor materials. Then a while ago, the local fire chief was on the news, saying that smoke detectors also have a limited lifespan. (My wife tests our smoke detector weekly, with her cooking... ) ;)

I know detecting radiation is different than detecting C.O. or smoke, but I have no clue if the sensor used goes bad after a while...

[Lowdown3]

Nothing really goes "bad" in storage. But it's a good general rule to have them calibrated every 10 years or so. I think that could easily be stretched to 15 years however.

There is newer survey meters on the market, but most are commercial units, not hardened for true NUCLEAR WAR use.

In this case the "older" technology is usually the better. As the V717's were designed to FLOAT, be EMP resistant and were made with enough common parts that one could scrounge from a radio shack.

There are plenty of units out there that are not calibrated. You can't truly calibrate them yourself. So you want to buy a calibrated unit. That's the difference between the $60. surplus store version and a unit professionally calibrated at a lab. If we didn't have to get these professionally calibrated they would be cheaper also. However the last thing you want is an UNCALIBRATED unit.

Just dropping a battery in one and doing the function tests only shows so much. It's the equivalent of your car starting and driving fine, but your speedometer telling you you are going 20 when you are actually doing 65.

Since radiation can't be smelled, felt, etc. it's not something you want to fool around with. You pretty much have to have a calibrated unit. You could be going along thinking your shelter accomadations are just fine because an uncalibated unit is telling you your good and then suddenly you have nausea, your throwing up and having diarrhea. Too late at that point.

Edited to add the link to the V717

http://www.jrhenterprises.com/V717-Survey-Meter-Radiation-Detector-CALIBRATED-7000.htm