Operation Manual

Radiation Measurement

Display Current Radiation

• Pressing the button puts GAMMA-SCOUT

into standard mode, and its display shows you

the present radiation in microsievert per hour - not only as a value, but also in the form of a bar

chart. Note that for a small radiation value, this bar chart appears only as a single line. In order to

visualize the volume of detected radiation, there are symbols beneath the bar chart such as >1a

(more than 1 year), <1m (less than 1 month), etc.

• To switch from µSv/h to µRem/h and back, start from “measure radiation” mode. Press the button

and conrm the suggested units with the button. All data will be displayed in the selected units.

Calculate Average Over the Past Day (12:00 am to 12:00 am)

• Pressing the button a second time displays the average radiation over the last day (midnight

to midnight - taken from the GAMMA-SCOUT

clock) for a few seconds, again in microsievert per

hour. The H symbol in the display will blink. Note that this function is not available for up to 48 hours

after rst operating the device, or after a resetting.

Automatic Alert Level (w/ALERT version)

• When exceeding the user programmed alert level, GAMMA-SCOUT

generates an acoustic alert

and displays the blinking icon. This icon continues blinking until the user shuts it off by pressing

the button twice.

What is a “microsievert”?

In physics, three types of radioactive radiation are known: alpha, beta and gamma radiation. They differ, not only

in their physical characteristics, but also in their effects on humans. To make these three radiation types com-

parable in their effects on humans, a value has been created which denes the biological effects of radiation: it is

referred to as the equivalent dose and its unit of measurement is the sievert. The older unit was called REM.

1 REM = 0.01 Sievert (Sv). Based on the radiation pulses counted, the different components of a radiation mix

are converted into a common measure of biological effect. The basis is Cs-137. Conversion into the equivalent

dose refers to the gamma quantum of the Cs-137 radionuclide with quantum energy of 662 keV. The conversion

takes place due to physical reasons with different factors dependent upon the amount of impulses per time; in the

environmental eld, the factor 150 impulses per minute = 1.0 microsievert per hour.