K121 Windscale 2.

0 with LND712 probe

Geiger Counter
by Atomic.dave

This is a one of a kind custom hand-made Geiger Counter built by Atomic.Dave based on a
kit designed by the original creator of the DIY Arduino based Geiger Counter Kit- user: Brohogan.
For over 3 years, I have built and sold about 150 of these kits, with very good results, and fantastic
feedback by ebay customers. All information for this kit is available at the developers website and its a
good idea to visit the site from time to time as the software and other parts of it may change, upgrade
or improve. As I have said before, this is more of a kit for someone who knows a little bit about electronics but doesnt have the time or patience to build it, or would rather someone else do all the dirty work. Having been built by me, of course there will be
some imperfections, although as minimal as possible. These instructions will
help you to understand the basic operation of this meter. Once you have used
it a couple times, it should be pretty easy for you to operate.
OPERATION
On the face of the unit starting from the top are the LCD backlit display, 3 vent holes, 2 LEDS, 2 momentary buttons, and 4 triple pole slide
switches. Before turning on the device, please read and understand this
simple guide. Follow the label to locate the listed switches below:
VENTS (Three grilled holes just above the display)
Bellow these vents are two piezos and the location of the IR for the remote
control.
LEDS
After powering the GC on, you will hear the beeping of the piezo as your GM tube picks up radiation events. The BLUE LED is for radiation events and coincides with the beeping piezo which can be
muted with the SOUND switch. The RED LED will only light up when a set alarm threshold is reached.
Both LEDS can be turned off for indiscreet radiation monitoring. There is also a third GREEN LED
which is a system status LED. It comes on and blinks a few times at startup. It will also blink when you
update the sketch or do any arduino work and transfer data between PC and the units processor.
BUTTONS & SWITCHES
A. POWER Power switch controls the power and charging of the GC. Up turns it on the GC with
battery power, Middle turns off battery power, and Down position is for charging the unit. To charge
the GC, push down the USB power switch on the left side of the GC, as well as have the PWR switch
down. When you do this, a RED LED to the right of the USB port will remain constant RED while
charging, and will turn BLUE when charging is complete. If you wish to power the unit with the USB in,
and bypass the batteries for extended periods, put the Power switch in the middle position, and push
the USB power switch UP. Always keep the USB power switch (UP) when powering the unit with the
batteries and with the USB but when using the USB, put the PWR button in the middle.
B. LIGHTS This is the Light switch that controls both the BLUE Event LED and the LCD Backlight. Up
turns on both, Middle turns both off, and Down turns on just the LED, and turns the Backlight off for
power saving.
C. SOUND The Sound switch controls the Event speaker. Up for tone mode, Middle for mute, and
Down for Standard Click Mode. More on Tone Mode later. PLEASE ALSO NOTE THAT THE MUTE
BUTTON ON THE REMOTE WORKS TO MUTE THE SOUND ANYTIME YOU WANT.
D. ALARM The Alarm switch controls the Alarm RED LED and Piezo. Up for both on, Middle for both
off, and Down for LED only on. This makes for a silent visual alarm.
E. MOD tactile button (located on the right side of the device just to the right of the LIGHTS switch)
does 4 things. 1- Alarm control. 2- Scaler mode start/stop. 3- Alarm 30 second mute. 4- ATmega
EPROM reset.
1. When you first power on the unit, you will see:
Atomic.Dave K121
Windscale v11.1b
This customized first welcome window can easily be changed if you want, by doing a little programming in Arduino. Refer to the DIY site for directions at the SOFTWARE section. But the default is
now set to the device name and the version of software that the AT328 chip is running which is version
11.1b (the newest). Then a second window will come up with the first line showing the current set uSv
to CPM conversion rate.
100 CPM=1 uSv/h
Running at 5.19V

 The second line refers to the current voltage that your system is running at. This is a 5 volt system. The 3400mAh 3.7v lipo battery is boosted to 5v with a pololu booster. Everytime you start up your
GC (Geiger Counter) it will show you this so you will always know your current voltage.
The third window will show this:
Alarm Set ?
Now at 500 CPM
At this point, you can push the MODE button to incrementally change the Alarm threshold number. Once you stop holding down the button and wait, it will be set to the current number shown on
the screen and will stay there until you change it either again restarting and waiting for this part, or by
using the included remote control to change it. You can also choose from units of measurement such
as CPM or uSv/h for the Alarm with the remote.
2. It also acts like a stopwatch starter for the scaler mode. It has two preset times of 1 minute and 10
minute averaging. You can change this with the remote, or the sketch when connected to pc. Although
it is much easier with the remote obviously. Push the button and the timer starts where the first line is
counting down from 60 seconds. The numbers on the left are the current total events during this timed
one minute. The numbers on the right is the seconds counting down from 60 to 0. Same thing goes for
the second line, but for 10 minutes.
3.When your alarm goes off you can tap this button to mute the alarm for 30 seconds.
4. After programming your unit with the wireless remote, if you want to reset it to default settings. Hold
down this button while the unit starts up.
F. NULL This tactile button (also on the right side of device to the right of the Sound switch) is used
in Tone Mode where clicks are replaced by a tone which varies in pitch based on the CPM. When
pressed, a new baseline is created for the pitch so if you are moving to an area with a higher background the pitch will still indicate changes at the new level.
DISPLAY IN DEPTH:

The top line shows the CPM (updated every 5 sec. by default) and a quick response bar graph
(updated 20 times / sec.). The bargraph will be replaced with ALARM if the displayed CPM exceeds
the alarm threshold. It is also replaced by Vcc when it drops below 4.2V. The second line shows the
dose unit and the calculated dose. The dose unit and the dose ratio (CPM to dose unit) are settable
in the menu (controlled by the wireless remote or via arduino). Pressing the Select button while in this
screen will switch to the Scaler screen . . .
Two scalers are provided, each with its own period. The scaler on the top line is fixed at one minute and the scaler on the bottom line is set to a programmable period from the menu. Each scaler has
two modes - counting and ongoing. The screen on left shows both scalers counting. A running total of
the counts is displayed, along with the amount of time left for the scaler period. The screen on the right
shows that the one minute scaler finished the counting mode and is now showing the average CPM
and dose rate for the period.
These values now become a moving average. The bottom scaler can also be set to Infinity in
the menu by setting it below 2. This is a special mode that shows the total accumulated dose since
the scaler screen was first started. Pressing the Select button while in the scaler screen will bring you
back to the main screen. However both scalers will still be accumulating counts, so you can go back
and forth between the main screen and the scaler screen and still see meaningful data.
OTHER SWITCHES, BUTTONS, PORTS, DIALS
A. Just to the right of the LCD is the LCD contrast dial. As the LCD is used, it might get to a point
for you to readjust the contrast for it. Not a big deal, while the backlight is on, gently take a small
screwdriver and turn it to the left or right until it appears to have the best contrast.
B. Located on the lower left side is the AUDIO OUTPUT multi-port used for Geiger Bot (with the
included G-Bot cable), and for Geiger Graph (with the optional USB cable) Just plug in the Geiger Bot
cable into this with the 3 conductor plug, and the 4 conductor into your iphone or ipad. It also serves
as a mono audio output for silent listening with headphones, or with any 3 conductor to 3 conductor
M-M audio cable, you can run sound based data logging software or amplify the clicking.
C. Just above the USB port is the USB power and charge control switch. If you want to power the
GC without using the batteries- 1. Turn off the GC battery by switching PWR to middle position. 2. plug
in the USB cable, and other end to any 5v source such as a wall charger, cigarette adapter, pc, mac
or laptop usb output. 3. Flip switch to the Up POWER position. To charge the GC- 1. Push PWR switch
down to CHARGE position. 2. Plug into USB source. 3. Push USB switch to the down CHARGE position. When you do this, a RED LED comes on to the right of the USB port and will remain RED till it is
done charging, then the RED LED will become BLUE. Below this switch is the Mini USB FTDI output/
input for programming in Arduino. This also is used to charge the internal Lithium Ion battery (with the
power switch in the bottome position.) Or it can be used to power the GC for extended periods, however when you power it this way, I would advise to turn off the LCD backlight. But its ok to turn it on once
in a while, but I wouldnt leave it on for extended periods. When uploading any new changes to the
program sketch, you will need to have the USB PWR switch in the up position white it is plugged into
your pc with the USB cable. This same USB is used for an output to two different usb based FREE
Radiation Logging softwares. Both are PC based and not available for mac.

LCD Contrast
Adjusment Pot

HV Adjustment pot
HV Check point

REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM

This adds some conveniences such as the ability to adjust certain things on the GC without the need to plug into your PC or mac. It is already
setup to work. All you have to do is point the remote towards the IR window (above the display behind the steel speaker grill), and push the
MENU button on the remote to start. As soon as you do that these options will pop up:
MENU OPTIONS
Initially, the menu options are set to defaults. Settings made will be stored in EEPROM on the ATmega328, so they will be in effect when you
power back on. Pressing and holding the Select button at power on will reset all menu settings back to their default settings. Heres a brief description of each menu option along with its default setting:
DISP PERIOD (MS) - The number of milliseconds before the display refreshes. 5000 (5 sec.) is a good setting.
(Display counts are based on a running average I do not recommend settings of less than 5 seconds.)
LOG PERIOD - Interval to write the CPM, dose, and MCU voltage to the serial output. Default = 1 minute Zero means logging is turned off.
CPM->[DOSE] RATIO - Sets that ratio for the type of GM tube used. Default = 175.43 CPM and 100 CPM to dose unit (uSv) Note this ratio will
depend on the dose unit being displayed - see DOSE UNIT. Also note that 2 ratios can be stored. The second ratio can be selected by the Tube
Switch. Depending on the position of the switch this menu option will set the value for either the 1st or 2nd ratio. 175.43 is the common default for
the SBM-20 and 100 for the LDN 712. The DEC PNT or AV/TV key on the remote can be used to enter a decimal point.
ALARM THRESHOLD - When the CPM or DOSE units is greater than this value the alarm is triggered. Default = 500 CPM This can be either in
CPM or the dose unit selected see ALARM UNIT. Zero means the alarm is turned off. Unlike using the Select button, any value may be
entered. The alarm will stop when activity drops back under the alarm threshold. You can also silence the alarm for 30 seconds by pressing the
Select button when the alarm is sounding.
DOSE UNIT - Use the arrow keys to select the name of the unit for the dose value - uSv/h, uR/h or mR/h. Default = uSv/h
ALARM UNIT - Sets whether the alarm is based off of CPM or the DOSE unit. Use the arrow keys to select. Default = CPM
SCALER PER (MIN) - Sets the period for the second scaler. Default = 10 minutes If scaler period set to Infinite (setting below 2) , the accumulated dose rate is displayed on the scaler screen.
BARGRAPH MAX CPM - Sets the CPM that will give a full scale reading on the bar graph. Default = 1000 CPM Also see the Tone Mode section
for how this option affects tone mode.
TONE SENSITIVITY - Determines how sensitive the tone is to changing activity. Default = 4 Low numbers are more sensitive. (see below)
USE RADLOGGER? - When Yes serial output is compatible with Radiation Logger and RadLog applications. Default = OFF
REG. VOLTAGE - Displays the voltage powering the MCU (Vcc). To a large degree, this represents the state of the battery.
Note that each menu setting has a minimum and a maximum setting. Entries that are out of bounds will revert to the minimum or maximum.
Function of Keys on the Remote
The functions for the various keys on the remote are as follows:
Enters menu system. The current selection is highlighted and the selections before and after are shown. Pressing
the Menu key while in the menus exits them.
Moves down to the next menu option, or up to the previous menu option.
>> Increments the value already set for the current option or toggle the option.
<< Decrements the value already set for the current option or toggle the option.
(Enter) Finalizes the entry in the current menu option.
Digits 0-9 For direct entry of values (instead of arrows) must use > after using digits.
Enters a decimal point when setting CPM->(unit). If C is used when out of the menu - it will clear the graph data if
on the main screen and clear the scaler counts if in the scaler screen.
(Mute) Silence the speaker - used when out of the menu.
(Select) Switches between the main screen and scaler screen - used when out of the menu.
Switches between the main screen and the Info screen - used when out of the menu.
Any other key if in the menu system the key code for unknown keys will display.
ABOUT DOSE UNITS
The menu allows you select the name of the dose unit that appears on the display. However, to be clear, there is no built in conversion between
them. Instead the CPM->(unit) is adjusted depending on the name of the DOSE UNIT selected. For example, 175.43 is the default set for the
SBM-20 with uSv as the dose unit. Suppose you pick mR as the dose unit name, and want to measure in milirems. (mR more correctly abbreviates as milliroentgens but is used to save display space.) The rem is defined as .01 seivert, and 1uSv = 0.1mR. Therefore, to use the same
ratio that was designed for the tube, you would multiply that ratio by 10. You would enter a CPM->(unit) as 175.43 x 10 or 1754.3. Likewise if you
wanted microrems (uR) you would divide the ratio by 10 and enter 17.54. If you do want to use roentgens (exposure - used in older instruments) this source states that they are .96 rem in soft tissue. So the CPM- >(unit) for actual mR would be 175.43 x 10 x .96 or 1684.1. (for uR it
would be 16.84)
TONE MODE
Instead of the usual clicks, tone mode produces tones that vary in frequency with the current activity - much like a metal detector. There is also
an associated null button that resets the scale to the current activity. Tone mode is very responsive to changes in activity, and the change in
pitch is much more noticeable than a change in the rate of clicks. It was primarily designed for field surveying. The sensitivity of the tone mode is
set by the TONE SENSITIVITY menu option. Sensitivity refers to the bandwidth of the tone. When set to low numbers, say 4 (the default) only a
small increase in activity is needed to produce higher tones. When dealing with more sensitive GM tubes, decrease the sensitivity by using a
value of say 8 or 10. Experiment with values that suit your ear.

The BARGRAPH MAX CPM menu setting also affects tone mode by defining the CPM that will produce the highest frequency of tone. Normally
this is set to highest CPM for situation and tube being used. In order to get the best spectrum of tones, tone mode is based on a logarithmic progression rather than a linear one. This fits with the fact that radiation intensity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the
source. The null button resets the range of tones so that the low notes are set back to the current activity. This is a useful feature when switching
from a low to a high background for instance. The null button removes the higher background so increased activity may be more easily discerned.
SETTING UP TONE MODE
1. Set the proper conversion ratio for your tube. With the proper ratio set, the null point will automatically be set when the counter is powered on
so normal background radiation is ignored. 2. Place a sample of the mineral or other radioactive item you are trying to detect approximately one
inch from the detector. Note the CPM reading after it has stabilized. 3. In the menu, set the BARGRAPH MAX CPM to the CPM value you noted
in step 2. 4. Adjust the tone sensitivity setting to suit your preferences. For most mildly radioactive items (such as red Fiestaware), sensitivity
settings from 1-5 work well. The ideal value varies depending on the activity level of the target object, the tube, and the distance. Lower settings
cause the tone to increase in frequency faster in response to smaller changes in the count rate. Higher settings cause the frequency to increase
much more slowly for changes in count rate. When the sensitivity setting is 0, the frequency will jump very rapidly from the lowest frequency to
the highest one. This setting is useful to quickly scan an area to determine if there are hot spots. You will likely want to change the setting to a
higher number to help locate the hot spot.
LOGGING
Logging is provided in the form of serial output through the FTDI connector at 9600 baud, N,8,1. The frequency to send the serial output is determined by the LOG PERIOD menu setting. The default format has a header on the first line with each line of data in comma separated values for
CPM, Dose. and Vcc. For example, 36,0.2052,4.79<CR/LF> (36 CPM, 0.2052 dose, 4.79V) When USE RADLOGGER? is YES, no header is
created, and only CPM is output. This setting is used when connecting the serial output to the Radiation Logger application.
RADIATION LOGGER
This may be the simplest application to interface to and provides some very nice features. Its a Windows freeware application available on this
site. It was originally intended to work with a clone of the Geiger kit sold there. Beginning with v10.1 the Geiger kit can interface to this application
by setting a menu option USE RADLOGGER? to Yes and setting LOG PERIOD to either 5 or 10 seconds. The application expects only CPM
from the serial port in either 5 or 10 second intervals and combines it with the local time. Setup the parameters on the logging application by
selecting the comm port and the baud - 9600. It does a great job logging and graphing. Logs can be saved and graphed at a later time. It may be
the best logging and graphing application Ive run into. All that is needed to use it with the kit is v10.1+ software and a USB to serial dongle.
RADMON.ORG
This is a very unique approach that maps and graphs the output collected at the PC to a web site. This allows you to compare your readings with
others around the globe. It is very easy to get this working with the kit . . . Register and download the application from radmon.org. Set the menu
options on the kit to: USE RADLOGGER? = Yes and set LOG PERIOD to at least 30 seconds. (Unlike the Radiation Logger above, you can set
longer periods if you wish.) Run the application you downloaded, set the comm port to your FTDI cable, the baud to 9600, and enter the username and password you registered with. You will also see the kits output on your PC and also on the radmon.org website.
SOFTWARE SWITCHES
If you are willing to load the software, modify it, and upload it, you can set #defines to change certain behavior or add special features to the
program. In general all the common features are enabled and you dont have to mess with it. But if, for example, you want to use a 2x8 LCD, you
simply change a #define, and upload the new release.
All user based #defines are located at the beginning of the sketch and may change based on the version. Below is a list of the most interesting
defines in the current version.
EIGHT_CHAR - formats for 2x8 LCD when true
DOGM_LCD -DogM LCD used for display (SPI interface)
IR_RC5 - use Phillips RC5 IR protocol instead of Sony
ANALOG_METER - support for analog meter output - REQUIRES HARDWARE - see this project
TONE_POT_ADJ if set, a 100k pot can be used to set TONE SENSITIVITY instead of the menu option.
SELF_TEST - adds one to each counter every 167ms - simulates a ~360CPM count
There are step by step instructions on installing the Arduino IDE and uploading new software.
ARDUINO SETTINGS: Brohogan Software system version 11.1B
1. Open Arduino
2. Open the saved sketch .ino file, connect your Geiger counter to the USB with power switch off.
3. Verify the file by clicking the little check mark icon.
4. Click TOOLS, and Select Board type as Arduino UNO, and select serial port as the top tty choice.
5. Click Serial Monitor (top right looking glass icon). Set Baud rate to 9600 and you should see the CPM, uSv and geiger counter voltage data
coming up once per minute.
For more info go to website under Software section on the DIY geiger counter website. Or go to Arduino.cc
PLEASE REFER TO THE DIY GEIGER COUNTER DEVELOPERS WEBSITE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
http://www.sites.google.com/site/diygeigercounter/

GEIGER BOT SUGGESTED SETTINGS: (You will have to play with it to get it just right) GO TO: https://sites.google.com/site/geigerbot/
ARDUINO Software and Serial-USB connection information
ON the cd you will find the FTDI driver and Arduino program version 1. Install both and restart your mac. Copy the Geiger Sketch folder to the
same folder as your Arduino program is and remember where that is as that will be where you go to save your sketch everytime you make a
change to it. There will also be a Library folder that will also need to be in the same folder. Just remember that the folder has to be the same exact
name as the sketch name is. And also within Arduino, you will have to go to preferences and show Arduino where your default sketch folder is.
HARDWARE
1. DIY Geiger counter kit V5.4 by Brohogan, Running operating system v11.1b
2. Power System by Panasonic, Sparkfun and Pololu (please charge the unit VIA USB until the RED LED turns BLUE)
A. You can power the Geiger in a couple different ways
1. With internal Lipo battery
2. With PWR switch OFF (middle), USB SWITCH UP, USB cable plugged into USB port then plugged into:
a. Computer or laptop USB
b. Wall charger block- This is the fastest way to charge the battery. (included)
c. Standard 5v USB Cigarette adapter (included)
d. To power and operate the unit this way for long periods, I would suggest to TURN OFF BACKLIGHT to conserve the life of the LCD.
LND712 ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATIONS
RECOMMENDED ANODE RESISTOR (MEG OHM)
10
MAXIMUM STARTING VOLTAGE (VOLTS) 325
RECOMMENDED OPERATING VOLTAGE (VOLTS)
500
OPERATING VOLTAGE RANGE (VOLTS)
450 - 650
MAXIMUM PLATEAU SLOPE (%/100 VOLTS)
6
MINIMUM DEAD TIME (MICRO SEC)
90
GAMMA SENSITIVITY CO60 (CPS/MR/HR)
18
TUBE CAPACITANCE (PF) 3
WEIGHT (GRAMS) 8
MAXIMUM BACKGROUND SHIELDED 50MM PB + 3MM AL (CPM)
10
POWER and OTHER SYSTEM ITEMS
This system is capable of producing 900+ volts, so be careful or you may get zapped when handling the system while it is powered on.
A. Panasonic Lithium Ion battery - 3.7v 3400mAh
Full charge provides approximately 20 hours constant use of geiger counter with backlight off.
Charge with PC/USB will take about 5 hours or more.
B. USB Lithium Polymer battery charger
C. Pololu 5V Step-Up Voltage Regulator U1V10F5 http://www.pololu.com/product/2564
D. Sparkfun 5V FTDI Basic Breakout
REPAIRS
If the unit fails for some reason within 6 months of purchase, I will be more than happy to do any maintenance you need at no charge except for
parts and shipping. The SBT-11A and SBM-20 GM tubes are sold AS IS and not warranted under this repair.
PACKAGE CONTENTS In your package you will find:
Geiger Counter, Lead Pig w/ Sample, Remote Control, (3) Cables: BNC, BNC connector, Geiger bot 3 to 4 conductor, Mini USB to standard
USB2. CD with program sketch, photos, documents, Manual, RAD sticker, and extra faceplate labels. Free UV Flashlight, 1G ohm Resistor.
FREE WALL AND CAR CHARGERS & UV keychain flashlight with batteries while supplies last.
THE GEIGER KIT IS NOT INTENDED TO GUIDE ACTIONS TO TAKE, OR NOT TO TAKE, REGARDING EXPOSURE TO RADIATION.
THE GEIGER KIT AND ITS SOFTWARE ARE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.
DO NOT RELY ON THEM IN HAZARDOUS SITUATIONS!

Windscale 2.0
usb
mod

LIGHTS

null

on

POWER

SOUND

charge

GK5-K121
on

LED

tone
click

PROBE

atomic.dave

on

ALARM

RADIATION DETECTOR

LED

3v
LIPO

5v in

5v in+

Batt+

Pololu 2119
5v Boost REG
Up/Down

270 OHM
RESISTOR

Batt

EVENT
LED

Voltage Limiter
DIODE
1N4148

LIGHTS
ON
OFF
LED ONLY

3
5

SOUND
TONE
OFF ALARM
LED
CLICK

10K Pot

300 OHM
RESISTOR

ALARM
ON
OFF
SILENT
ALARM
PIEZO

+
_

3.5mm
Socket

MOD
ALARM
THRESHOLD
RESET

1K OHM
RESISTOR

MULTI-PORT

.1 uF Cap

56K OHM
RESISTOR .1 uF Cap

NULL
RESET

FTDI

on

A
B
C
D

IR SENSOR

LED

ALARM

on

click

SOUND

tone

LED

LIGHTS

on

charge

POWER

RADIATION DETECTOR

atomic.dave

PROBE

GK5-K121

Windscale 2.0

14
15
16
17
18
19

POWER
ON
OFF
CHARGE

7
6
5
4
3
2
8
9
10
11
12
13

usb
mod
null

CHG

PWR

USB