{"id":1423,"date":"2010-01-14T20:23:42","date_gmt":"2010-01-15T04:23:42","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-06-05T10:14:35","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T17:14:35","slug":"1423","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/1423","title":{"rendered":"Radiation Monitor Troubleshooting and FAQs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-kb-palette-12-background-color has-background\"><strong>This sensor is no longer available. Information is presented for reference only.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Radiation Monitor (RM-BTD, <em>discontinued<\/em>)<\/h3>\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"\/manuals\/RM-BTD\">Specifications and User Guide<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/rm-btd.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25098\" style=\"object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/rm-btd.jpg 100w, https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/rm-btd-90x90.jpg 90w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Troubleshooting<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Primary Test:<\/strong> Is the 9 V battery good? Are the correct settings chosen on the sensor? Are the monitor and source positioned properly for the type of radiation to be detected? <br \/>\u26ac Alpha: position the monitor so the suspected source of radiation is next to the GM window. <br \/>\u26ac Beta: point the end window toward the source of radiation. <br \/>\u26ac Gamma: hold the back of the Radiation Monitor toward the source of radiation.<strong><sup>*<\/sup><\/strong> <\/li>\n<li><strong>Secondary Test: <\/strong>Some types of radiation are very difficult or impossible for this GM tube to detect. Beta emissions from tritium are too weak to detect using the Radiation Monitor. Americium-241, used in some smoke detectors, can overexcite the GM tube and give an indication of a higher level of radiation than is actually there.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><sup>*<\/sup><\/strong> Low-energy gamma radiation (10-40 KeV) cannot penetrate the side of the GM tube, but may be detected through the end window.<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Additional Troubleshooting<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"\/til\/1019\/\">Where can I buy sources for nuclear radiation activities?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/til\/28\/\">Can I use the Pasco Radiation Monitor with a Vernier interface?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/til\/779\/\">What are the output signals of the Radiation Monitors?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/til\/793\/\">Can I monitor the radioactivity of red Fiestaware with your Radiation Monitor?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/til\/785\/\">When I plug the radiation monitor into LabPro it stops working. (especially if you have been using DCU).<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/til\/1932\/\">What is the difference between RAD-BTD and RCD-BTD, or the old and new radiation monitor cables?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Specifications<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sensor:<\/strong> LND 712 halogen-quenched GM tube<br \/>\u26ac mica window thickness, 1.5 to 2.0 mg\/cm\u00b2 <br \/>\u26ac Rated at 1000 counts per minute using a Cesium-137 laboratory standard.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Power:<\/strong> One 9-volt alkaline battery provides a battery life of 2000 hours at normal background radiation levels.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Accuracy<\/strong><br \/>\u26ac Non-instrumental aligned, approximately \u00b120% of full scale.<br \/>\u26ac Instrumental aligned, approximately \u00b110% of full scale.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Dimensions: <\/strong>38 X 62 X 145 mm (1.5 X 2.8 X 5.7 in)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Weight: <\/strong>245 g (8.8 oz) with battery installed<\/li>\n<li><strong>Energy Sensitivity<\/strong><br \/>\u26ac <strong>Alpha:<\/strong> Down to 2.5 MeV; typical detection efficiency at 3.6 MeV is greater than 80%. <br \/>\u26ac <strong>Beta:<\/strong> 50 KeV, typical 35% detection efficiency. <br \/>\u26ac <strong>Gamma and X-rays:<\/strong> Down to 10 KeV typical through the end window, 40 KeV through the case.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Audio Output: <\/strong>Audible indication of each count available using the Audio switch position.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Temperature Range:<\/strong> 0 to 50 \u00b0C<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Calibration<\/h3>\n<p>It is not necessary to calibrate this sensor.<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related Products<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"\/product\/bt-radiation-cable\/\">BT Radiation Cable<\/a> (<nobr>RAD-BTD<\/nobr>)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/product\/vernier-radiation-monitor\/\">Vernier Radiation Monitor<\/a> (<nobr>VRM-BTD<\/nobr>)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/product\/go-direct-radiation-monitor\/\">Go Direct<sup>&reg;<\/sup> Radiation Monitor<\/a> (<nobr>GDX-RAD<\/nobr>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Legacy Products<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"\/til\/2393\/\">Digital Radiation Monitor Troubleshooting and FAQs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/til\/1438\/\">Student Radiation Monitor Troubleshooting and FAQs<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This sensor is no longer available. Information is presented for reference only. Specifications and User Guide Troubleshooting * Low-energy gamma radiation (10-40 KeV) cannot penetrate&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[1856,1857,1858],"class_list":["post-1423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tag-radiation-maintil-rm-btd-rm-dg","tag-radiationmain","tag-rmmain"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1423"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1423\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vernier.com\/til\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}