Detects Alpha Beta Gamma and XRay Alpha radioactive

Detects Alpha (α) Beta (β) Gamma (γ) and X-Ray (χ) Alpha – radioactive particles. Stopped with paper Beta – particles and low energy waves. Stopped with aluminum foil. Gamma – rays that travel at the speed of light. Stopped by thick lead or concrete. X-Rays – man-made rays. Stopped by thick lead or concrete. Alpha Beta Gamma

PRECAUTIONS Do not contaminate by touching to Radioactive Sources (Replacement Strips are available in the manual). Do not get the unit wet. Water can damage the electronics or the mica window on the tube. Do not leave in temperatures over 100 degrees F (38 C) or in direct sunlight for extended periods Do not put in a microwave oven. It cannot measure microwaves and you may damage to the unit or oven

The GM Tube End Window MICA END WINDOW The end window on the tube, under the protective metal screen, is made of a light weight, very thin mica to allow the penetration of alpha particles into the tube for alpha detection. Be careful of objects puncturing the end window, as will require tube replacement to repair.

Buttons and Switches LCD Panel Tube Center Indicator Mode Switch On/Off/Audio Switch Count Light CAL Input Output

Buttons and Switches

Meter Face Definitions

Accessing the Utility Menu

Menu Item # 1 allows the user to turn on and off the auto averaging feature. When auto averaging is turned off, The Inspector uses a fast 3 second averaging for its reading. When auto averaging is turned on, The Inspector averages the reading using the following rules: ● > 6000 CPM (1. 75 m. R/hr) averaging is done using previous 30 secs. ● < 6000 > 12000 CPM averaging is done using the previous 6 secs. ● < 12000 CPM (3. 6 m. R/hr) unit enters fast response mode.

Menu Item # 2 Select Menu Item #2 to switch between different units of measurement. You can choose between CPS and µSv or CPM and m. R/hr.

Menu Item # 3 enables to user to reset the CAL factor to the original setting of 100. Menu Items 4, 5 and 6 are reserved for future functions Menu Item # 7 enables to user to set the CAL factor manually. Menu Item # 8 factory reset. Menu Item # 9 shows the software version of the instrument.

Setting the Alert 1. To set the Alert, press the “SET” button on the end panel. The “ALERT” icon (radiation symbol) and the “SET” icon are displayed. 2. Use the “+” and “-” buttons to adjust the display to the desired level. 3. Press the “Set” button once to retain the setting memory. Then press it again to turn the alert mode on. The “ALERT” icon is now displayed to indicate the instrument is operating in the Alert mode. To use the previous alert setting, press the set button twice. Now the alert mode is on. 4. To deactivate the Alert mode, press the “Set” button again. The “ALERT” icon is no longer displayed.

The closer to the source, the higher the reading

The more shielding, the lower the reading

Autoranging When radiation levels increase over certain preset display levels, The Inspector uses autoranging, changing to the X 1000 scale. Whenever X 1000 is shown above the numeric display, multiply the displayed reading by 1000 to determine the radiation level. Mode Ranges Displayed CPM 0 to 2, 999 CPM X 1000 (<9, 999 CPM) 3. 00 to 350 (3, 000 to 350, 000) Total/Timer 0 -9, 999 counts 0 to 9, 999 Total/Timer X 1000 (<9, 999) 10. 00 to 9005 (10, 000 to 9, 999, 000) counts

Interfacing with an External Device The output can be used to drive a CMOS or TTL device to record the counts on a computer, data logger, or accumulating counter, such as the Observer Software.

Taking a Timed Count ● A timed count is used to obtain more accurate average count per minute values. The longer the count time, the more accurate the CPM average. ● The Inspector + can provide total counts for timed periods of 1 minute to 24 hours. Use a timed count to determine: ● The average normal background count rate (10 minutes is usually adequate). o Normal background radiation levels vary at different locations, time, even at different areas of the same room. o It is usually necessary to determine background radiation counts for each area to be monitored. ● If an object is mildly radioactive. ● Counts for wipe tests or planchet tests (optional accessory the Wipe Test Plate required). ● Variations in ambient radiation levels.

How to Take a Timed Count To take a timed count: ● Turn the Inspector + on and switch to the Total/Timer mode. ● Set the timer switch on the end panel to Set. ● Use the + and – buttons to set the timing period. o 1 minute to 9 minutes in 1 minute increments. o 10 minutes to 50 minutes in 10 minute increments. o 1 hour to 24 hours in 1 hour increments. ● Set the timer switch to On. ● The Inspector + beeps three times and begins counting ● The hourglass icon flashes during the timed period. ● To see how much time remains, switch the timer switch to Set. The display will show the time remaining. ● To use dose rate modes while the timer is on, switch to the desired mode. The hourglass icon will continue to flash while the Inspector is timing. At the end of the timed period the hourglass icon will stop flashing and the total counts for the timed period is retained in the Total/Timer mode. ● At the end of the timed period the Inspector + beeps three times. ● The number displayed is the total count.

Timed Count < 24 Hours Timed counts longer than 24 hours: ● a clock is required ● Turn the Inspector + on and switch to the Total/Timer mode. ● Set the timer switch to Off. ● Record the time immediately when the timer switch is set to Off. ● At the end of the timed period, record the number of counts and the time. ● Find the time period by subtracting the end time from the start time. ● Divide the number of counts by the number of minutes to obtain the average CPM for the timed period.

General Survey Techniques Surface contamination / Leak detection: ● With the Inspector + in either exposure rate modes, Position the Inspector such that the window is roughly 1 cm (0. 4”) from the surface. ● Wait 30 seconds or until the reading is stabilized. ● To determine whether the object is slightly radioactive, a timed count of at least 10 minutes is necessary. Compare the 10 minute average count with the 10 minute average background. ● If surface to be checked is large, then an area scan may be necessary. o Position the Inspector + with the window approximately 1 cm (0. 4”) from the object in question. o Move the Inspector + along the object at a speed of 5 cm (2”) per second to scan the object for radioactivity. o If the object is a seal, seam, crack or joint then, only one pass is necessary ● If the object is wide than the detector (such as a portion of a floor or workspace) then it is necessary to do several passes in order to effectively scan the entire surface. Start scanning along one edge then make each successive pass approximately 5 cm (2”) from the previous until all area is scanned.

Locating radioactive articles in freight containers or general areas If a portal monitor goes into alarm for excess radioactivity, or if a source is known to be lost in a building, scrap yard, landfill, etc. , the Inspector + may be used to locate and confirm the presence of radioactive items. § All accessible exterior surfaces should be scanned holding the Inspector + at a distance of 1 cm (0. 4”) from container walls and moving the detector at a speed of 5 cm (2”) per second. The complete exterior of the container should be scanned methodically using a 30 cm (12”) grid. § It is often necessary to unpack shipping containers, truck containers, etc. , and scan the items individually to locate the radioactive materials. The Inspector + may be used to “sniff out” radiation: With the unit in exposure rate mode, an operator will do a wide general survey of the area in question to look for elevated activity. The surveyor will divide the area into quadrants and try to identify quadrants with elevated activity. It may be necessary to divide the quadrants into sub areas in order adequately survey the area. If elevated activity is detected in a quadrant, then the quadrant is scanned more

Observer Software The Observer software runs on a Windows platform and can be used with the Inspector, Digilert 50, and Geiger Radiation Monitors. As an option, any of our Radiation Alert® instruments can be modified to interface with the Observer. The Observer reads in Counts, CPM, and CPS and has the ability to collect, log, and perform statistical analysis on the data received. The data is displayed on a graph as well as digital and analog on-screen meters and can be saved or printed in various ways including a spreadsheet format. The dwell/count time can be adjusted for each point on the graph. You can also set the length of time for the count. The on-screen meters in the software have adjustable settings as well as a settable alarm in CPM. There are both visual and audio indicators, and you can play the meter click through your PC speakers.

Radiation Basics Ionizing Radiation ● Ionizing radiation is radiation that changes the structure of individual atoms by ionizing them. The ions produced in turn ionize more atoms. Substances that produce ionizing radiation are called radioactive. ● Radioactivity is a natural phenomenon. Nuclear reactions take place continuously on the sun and all other stars. The emitted radiation travels through space, and a small fraction reaches the Earth. Natural sources of ionizing radiation also exist in people and in the ground. The most common of these are uranium and its decay products. ● Ionizing radiation is categorized into four types: ● X-rays are manmade radiation produced by bombarding a metallic target with electrons at a high speed in a vacuum. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation of the same nature as light waves and radio waves, but at extremely short wavelength, less than 0. 1 billionth of a centimeter. They are also called photons. The energy of X-rays is millions of times greater than that of light and radio waves. Because of this high energy level, X-rays penetrate a variety of materials, including body tissue. ● Gamma rays are almost identical to X-rays. Gamma rays generally have a shorter wavelength than X-rays. Gamma rays are very penetrating; thick lead shielding is generally required to stop them. ● Beta radiation A beta particle consists of an electron emitted from an atom. It has more mass and less energy than a gamma ray, so it doesn’t penetrate matter as deeply as gamma and X-rays. ● Alpha radiation An alpha particle consists of two protons and two neutrons, the same as the nucleus of a helium atom. It generally can travel no more than 1 to 3 inches in air before stopping, and can be stopped by a piece of paper. ● Decay: When an atom emits an alpha or beta particle or a gamma ray, it becomes a different type of atom. Radioactive substances may go through several stages of decay before they change into a stable, or non-ionizing, form. For example; U-238 has 14 different stages of decay before it stablizes. ● An element may have several forms, or isotopes. A radioactive isotope of an element may be called “radioisotope”. However, the more correct term is radionuclide. ● Half-life: Each radionuclide has a characteristic half-life, which is the time required for half of a quantity of the material to decay.

Radiation Measurement Units ● Several different units are used to measure radiation, exposure to it and dosage. ● A ROENTGEN is the amount of X-radiation or gamma radiation that produces one electrostatic unit of charge in one cc of dry air at 0° C and 760 mm of mercury atmospheric pressure. The Inspector displays in milliroentgens per hour (m. R/hr). ● A RAD is the unit of exposure to ionizing radiation equal to an energy of 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material. This is approximately equal to 1. 07 roentgen. ● A REM is the dosage received from exposure to a rad. It is the number of rads multiplied by the quality factor of the particular source of radiation. The rem and millirem are the most commonly-used measurement units of radiation dose in the U. S. 1 rem= 1 rad. ● A SIEVERT is the standard international measurement of dose. One sievert is equivalent to one hundred rems. A microsievert (m. Sv) is one millionth of a sievert. ● A CURIE is the amount of radioactive material that decays at the rate of 37 billion disintegrations per second, approximately the decay rate of one gram of radium. Microcuries (millionths of a curie) and picocuries (trillionths of a Common Rule of Thumb for demonstrating regulatory compliance: 1 REM = 1 RAD = 1 Roentgen curie) are also often used as units of measurement.