K112 Geiger Pal

This is a one of a kind custom hand-made Geiger Counter built by

Atomic.Dave. It is based on a kit designed by Username: Brohogan. For 3
years, I have built and sold about 120 of these kits, with very good results,
and fantastic feedback by ebay customers. All information for this kit is
available at the developers website. 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 are 2 LEDS, 1 GREEN momentary button, and 2
triple pole slide switches. Follow the label to locate the listed switches
below:
LEDS
After powering the GC on, you will hear the beeping of the piezo as your
SBT-9 GM tube picks up radiation events. The GREEN LED is for radiation
events and coincides with the beeping piezo which can be muted with the
mute switch. The RED LED will only light up when a set alarm threshold is
reached. The piezo for events is located beneath the trefoil under the label
and the piezo for the alarm is located on the top of the unit next to the IR
window for the newly added remote control feature of this unit.
Switches:
1. SELECT Green momentary switch. When you first power on the unit, you
will see this first screen:
GEIGERPAL 11.1
This customized first welcome window can be changed, by doing a little
programming in Arduino. The second line refers to the kit brohogan software
version 11.1. Refer to the DIY site for more info at the SOFTWARE section.
The second window will show this:
85 Rate
5.25V
The first line refers to the conversion rate of CPM to uSv/hr for the SBT9 tube (85) this can be changed with the remote, or in the program sketch,
with Arduino which I will explain later. The second line refers to the current
voltage that your system is running at. This is a 5 volt system. (2) AA
batteries are boosted to 5v with a Up/down regulator. However, this unit is
unique in that you can install higher voltage AA size batteries such as (2)
3.7v Lipos. As long as you stay under 9 volts. IMPORTANT- MAKE SURE
YOU PUT THE BATTERIES IN ACCORDING TO THE INDICATED + AND
IN THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT. You can use Alkaline, or nimh
rechargeables. 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 something like this:
Alarm ?
Now 200
At this point, you can hold down the SELECT button to incrementally
change the Alarm threshold number. Once you stop holding the button and
wait, it will be set to the current number shown on the screen and will stay
there until you change it by restarting and repeating the same procedure. You

can also chose from units of measurement such as CPM or uSv/h for the
Alarm with Arduino.
The final screen will say:
??? c/m
Then it starts counting with the first line being the Counts Per Minute
(CPM) and the second line being uSv/hr. Both numbers are continuously
averaged with it going back to 0 during pauses under a minute.
This same button is used for changing the display from standard mode
to scaler mode. It has two preset timed functions, one for each line. 1 minute
and 10 minute averaging. The 1 minute first timer is set and cannot be
changed, but the second one can be changed with the remote (more on that
later) or in Arduino to whatever time you wish to set it up to 90 minutes. It
works like a stopwatch starting as soon as you hit the button. The time
counts down on the right side of the screen in seconds. Until each amount is
reached, both lines act as total counters. During this time, you will see a C on
the left side of each line until that time is reached. Once it is reached, the
averaged count is displayed.
2. POWER controls the units event LED and power. Left is meter on without
LED. Middle is OFF, and Right is meter on with LED on.
3. SOUND The Sound switch controls the Event piezo and the Alarm piezo.
Middle turns off both. Right turns both on. Left turns on only the Event piezo.
The Red LED will go off even if the alarm piezo is in off position. This is
known as a visual silent alarm.
OTHER SWITCHES, BUTTONS, PORTS, DIALS
A. On the upper right side of the unit, 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 left side of the unit is the AUDIO output multi-port
used for Geiger Bot (with the included G-Bot 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 a 3 conductor to 3 conductor M-M audio cable, you can
run sound based data logging software or amplify the clicking.
C. On the right side of the meter is the Mini USB FTDI output/input for
programming in Arduino. This is also used to power the GC for extended
periods, however when you power it this way, it is very IMPORTANT to take out
the batteries first. When uploading any new changes to the program sketch,
this switch can be in any position while you are connected to your pc with the
USB cable. This same USB is also used as an output for usb based FREE
Radiation Logging softwares. To use these softwares, you must download from
their sites, and install on your laptop or PC. Both are not available for Mac. The
cd has the software in zipped format for easy download.
http://radmon.org/download.shtml
http://radiohobbystore.com/radiation-logger/
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 power button
on the remote to start. As soon as you do that these options will pop up. Use
the channel button to move thru each option, and use the volume buttons to
move up or down within those options. You can also use the number pad to
input numbers rather than using the up down of the volume. After you reach
the desired amount you push ENT to enter it into the system.

The keys on the SONY Remote Control perform these functions:

GREEN POWER BUTTON enter or exit the menu system. "DISP PERIOD
(MS) is the first prompt you will see.
CH + moves to the next menu option
CH moves to the previous menu option
VOL + increments the value already set for the current option or toggles an
option
VOL decrements the value already set for the current option or toggles
an option
ENT finalizes the entry in the current menu option if changes were made.
When used out of the menu, it acts like the "null" button to reset the tone.
Digits 0-9 for direct entry of values (instead of Volume or Arrows) must
use Enter after using digits.
Decimal Point - enters a decimal point - used when setting the ratio.
Mute used when out of the menu mutes the speaker
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. Here's 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.
USE RADLOGGER? - When "Yes" serial output is compatible with Radiation Logger and RadLog applications. Default = OFF
TONE SENSITIVITY - Determines how sensitive the tone is to changing activity. Default = 4 Low numbers are more sensitive. (see below)
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.
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->[DOSE] RATIO 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. Therefore, to use the same ratio that was designed for the tube, you
would multiply that ratio by 10. You would enter a CPM->[DOSE] RATIO 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 (used
in older instruments) this source states that they are .96 rem in soft tissue.
So the CPM->[DOSE] RATIO for actual mR would be 175.43 x 10 x .96 or
1684.1. (for uR it would be 16.84)
PLEASE REFER TO THE DIY GEIGER COUNTER DEVELOPERS
WEBSITE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
http://www.sites.google.com/site/diygeigercounter/
ARDUINO Software and Serial-USB connection information:
ON the cd you will find the FTDI driver and Arduino. 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.
ARDUINO SETTINGS: Brohogan Software system version 10.3
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
OTHER SOFTWARE LINKS:
http://www.blackcatsystems.com/GM/download.html
HARDWARE
1. DIY Geiger counter kit V3.0 by Brohogan, Running operating system 10.3
2. SBT-9 Russian New Old Stock Geiger Muller Tube
POWERING YOUR GEIGER COUNTER
You can power the Geiger in a couple different ways
1. With internal AA batteries, Alkaline or Nimh rechargeables.
2. With PWR switch in any position, USB cable plugged into USB port then
plugged into:

ENCLOSURE: Serpac H67AA

Dimensions: 4.940 in X 2.750 in X 1.275 in
http://www.serpac.com/h67.aspx

a. Computer or laptop USB

b. Wall charger block
c. Standard 5v USB Cigarette adapter
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. Sparkfun Lithium Ion battery - 3.7v 1300mAh
Full charge provides approximately 20 hours constant use of geiger
counter with backlight off.
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.
PACKAGE CONTENTS:
In your package you will find: Geiger Counter & Probe, (2) Cables: Geiger
bot 3 to 4 conductor, Mini USB to standard USB2. Wall and Car USB
chargers. CD with software and documents, Manual, RAD sticker, and extra
faceplate labels.

GEIGER BOT SUGGESTED SETTINGS: (You may have to play with it to get it just right) GO TO: https://sites.google.com/site/geigerbot/

Select options

Select Geiger Counter

Select LND712 CS137

SBT-9
Voltage of start of counting = 260...320V
Working voltage = 380V
Length of flat part of counting curve = 80V
Slope of flat part of counting curve = 0.125 %/V
Background noise at 25 OC = 0.15 pulses/sec
Working temperature = -45...+50 OC
Life = 1*1010 pulses
Weight = ~8.5 g
Diametr = 10mm
Length = 73mm

Adjust Conversion
factor to your tube:
123 for LND712
175 for SBM-20
360 for LND7317
Select I/O Settings

Auto Adjust OFF

(you may need to play
with this setting)
RMS Window 1
Delay Window 30
Volume Thresh 20000

Ultrafast Rates ON

TOP

SELECT
POWER

SOUND

ALPHA

X
R AY

SBT-9

ET

A GAM

atomic.dave
GEIGER PAL
RADIATION DETECTOR

ALARM
AL
ARM
LED

300 OHM
RESIST
OR
RESISTOR

OFF
CENTER
ON &
ON &
NO LED
LED ON

SELECT
ALARM
SCALER

POWER

SOUND

NO CLICK
NO ALARM
CLICK &
CLICK &
NO ALRM
ALARM

EEVENT
VENT
LED

270 OHM
RESIST
OR
RESISTOR

Cap
.1 uF C
ap
.1 uF C
Cap
ap

56K OHM
RESISTOR
RESISTOR

AUDIO
A
UDIO
OUTPUT PORT

1K OHM
RESIST
OR
RESISTOR

10
8
6
4
2

9
7
5
3
1

11 12

13 14

13

TOP

A GAM

14

12 11 10 9 8 7

15

4 3 2 1

FTDI

RADIATION DETECTOR

GEIGER PAL

atomic.c.dave
atomi

ET

SBT-9

SOUND

SELECT
POWER

X
R AY

ALPHA

In

Out
O
ut

Up/Down
5V Up/Down
BOOST