Should I buy the S2 or S2L version? In short, if your main interest is emergency preparedness the S2 is all you need. The S2L offers a larger scintillator with much higher sensitivity which is useful for quickly locating weak sources of radiation in your surroundings, such as radioactive antiques or radioactive minerals in nature.

Is the test source safe? For detailed information about naturally occurring radioactive materials, including the optional Better Geiger test source, please click here.

Why is this detector special? Nearly all low-cost devices use traditional Geiger tubes that can read a maximum of 1 mSv/hr (1,000 μSv/hr) dose rate. The Better Geiger can measure up to 20 mSv/hr (20,000 μSv/hr), so in extreme environments it is much more capable. It also automatically corrects the dose rate according to what X-ray/gamma energies it is exposed to, making accuracy much better (this is not possible with traditional Geiger tubes). Traditional Geiger tubes can also be fragile, while the solid-state Better Geiger is generally more robust. Lastly, it is designed to be as simple as possible so that anyone can understand how to operate it and understand the measurements.

Does it measure X-ray/gamma? Yes, and it has much higher sensitivity to X-ray/gamma than traditional Geiger tubes (more than three times higher), so small changes in radiation levels are easier to identify.

Does it measure beta radiation? It has very low sensitivity to beta radiation. This is a good thing for measuring radiation dose because beta causes false over-estimated readings, another problem traditional Geiger counters have. That’s because beta radiation is not a significant external threat (though it is dangerous when inhaled or ingested, but that can’t really be measured). In other words, the Better Geiger can be trusted to give accurate readings in any environment, even if the user does not have expertise on radiation detection (unlike a traditional Geiger tube, which can easily be used incorrectly to give false readings).

Can I measure fallout with it? Yes. Fallout is a mix of materials emitting all sorts of X-ray/gamma/beta/alpha, and since the detector responds very well X-ray/gamma it will react to fallout for checking surfaces for contamination.

Is it better at everything than a traditional Geiger counter? No, for radioactive antique hunting a traditional Geiger is faster to react to things like Fiestaware and uranium glass because they are primarily low energy beta emitters. A “Better Geiger” can be used to identify those objects as radioactive, but it reacts more slowly. This tradeoff was to ensure accurate dose readings as previously described.

If there’s a nuclear blast aren’t I just going to die anyway? No, a very large percentage of people will survive. Those people might wonder what radiation levels are in their home or in surrounding areas, and the Better Geiger S-1 can perform that task. Despite popular belief, radiation exposure due to fallout is a localized phenomenon and some areas surrounding a blast can be highly contaminated while many others are affected very little.

How would the detector be used post nuclear blast? Your initial action should always be shelter in place, at least a few days if you are not sure of the conditions outside. A radiation detector can tell you when it’s safe to go outside. It can also help you check for surface contamination that you might want to remove from your clothes/body before returning indoors. If you are travelling around it can also warn you if you encountered an area where fallout happened to land in high concentration.

Does this device measure microwaves/5G/RF/ghosts/etc? No, it measures dose rates of ionizing radiation.