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From: elw@netexa.UUCP (E. L. Wiles)
Newsgroups: net.analog,net.med
Subject: Re: Old Geiger counters
Message-ID: <468@netexa.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 5-May-86 18:30:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: netexa.468
Posted: Mon May  5 18:30:45 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 7-May-86 06:07:58 EDT
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Organization: NetExpress, Inc., Vienna, VA
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Xref: watmath net.analog:806 net.med:3909

> "Where's Chernobyl?  Well, make a left at that cloud and
> follow the glow..."
> 
> .......................  Well, after probing around, I found that
> the meter face and especially the meter needle-tip was coated
> in radioactive glow-goo that ran my meter to 80% full scale!
> 
> I have a hard time understanding why a Geiger counter manufacturer
> would paint the meter with radio-active paint!

	So you can read it in the dark ... probably while you glow
	yourself... :-)  Seriously, they used to use radium paint
	to make glow in the dark watches.  The paint was applied
	by hand, often by people who would wet their brushes in
	their mouths! (No Joke!)  At that time, the hazards were
	understood by a few scientists, and ignored by everyone
	else.
>                                                 Oh well.  I guess
> that the military meter was so insensitive that any output from the
> glow-goo was ignored by the unit.  The meter's scale was divided
> into three segments "safe to travel", "limited exposure", and "take
> cover..."

	With divisions like that, I'd agree that it's not terribly
	sensitive.  However, that is just the kind of thing you need
	if you have no training to read a more complicated device, or
	to convert from "rad's" to "safe-or-not".

> If you have one of these, put it out in the garage, Radon gas is no fun!

	Being ignorant of how much radon radium paint puts out, I'd aggree
	that it should be stored elsewhere.  However, being curious, I'd
	like to ask more knowledgeable people out there how much of a hazard
	is it?
-- 
				E. L. Wiles @ NetExpress Comm. Inc.
				Vienna, Virginia.

"Opinions?....Opinions?....WHAT Opinions?!?"