Re: X-rays from light bulbs/Tesla Coils !!! where to get a geiger counter

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: Re: X-rays from light bulbs/Tesla Coils !!! where to get a geiger counter
• From: "John" <jbowers1-at-jnlk-dot-com> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)
• Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 18:26:09 -0600
• Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
• Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme

>Original Poster: David Trimmell <davidt-at-pond-dot-net>
>
>Hello, I would not recommend anyone mess with x-ray producing items without
>"real" ionizing radiation detection equipment. The CD "civil defense" items
>you speak of, will be no good to the Tesla coil enthusiast who may be
>producing 100 to 1000 mR/hr dose rates, as those Victoreen meters are made
>to measure R/hr dose rates, of up to 0-500 R/hr on the high scale. I would
>not want to be the  poor sap too have to use such a meter. They were for
>Nuclear war type dose rates :-(
>


Good point.  I used to have a CD counter with a built-in ionization chamber.
It took at least 1 R/hr of radiation to even begin to obtain a response.
However, the CD counters with external hand held probes are much better and
will detect low radiation levels.  Even these are not ideal as low energy
x-rays (I'd guess around 30 Kv depending on Geiger tube thickness), will not
penetrate but it's better than nothing.  An ideal counter would have a probe
with the thinest mica window possible and x-ray compensated.   Also, it
seems to help if the probe has a larger surface area.

John Bowers

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