GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter Nuclear Radiation Detector Monitor Dosimeter, White

so out of the box this is a pretty decent detector other than the cheap tubes it uses in it being good only for high energy beta gamma and x ray but what really make is shine is the ability to change the voltage to the tubes in software which allows you to modify the detector like i did by putting in a thin window alpha beta gamma tube in my case i am using a small LND712 tube at 510 volts and it works pretty good for my stuff though i plan to get a larger tube that is more sensitive the detector seems to be pretty accurate also as i get the same CPM from it as a certified source so its worth the money as an entry level geiger counter

It's a very good all-rounder Geiger counter. Mostly mine gets used as a desk toy (automatically uploading radiation measurements to gmcmap) but the internal battery lasts for over week of continuous measurement, and the internal logging keeps records back nearly as long (and you can copy those off using a computer), so it's very easy to toss in a bag and take with you as well. Given it's a Geiger tube based device I wouldn't subject it to a rugged environment but living in a backpack in the included fabric pouch hasn't caused any problems so far. Main complaints center around using the four buttons to enter information for wifi uploads, which is very obnoxious but also only needs to be done once/whenever your wifi info changes, so it's minimal. Daily use interactions are easy and painless.

ALL Geiger Muller tubes age. If you are checking rocks, granite counters, and habitations for unusual radiation, this is a great device that will last many years.If you are doing background radiation surveys over time, as I do, it is still a great device as you CAN replace your tube every three to five years. When my older counter read higher than my new one, I called them, they reminded me about tubes aging, (Duh! How could I forget!) so I ordered a replacement tube. They have good tech support and stand behind their products. I have two of their counters.Having worked a bit with the high vacuum of physics, I can say that ALL vacuum tubes age as air diffuses in through the glass, reducing vacuum and providing more atoms to become ionized over time. Whether it takes years, decades, or centuries depends on the thickness of the glass. Geiger Muller tubes have to be thinner to detect particles, so age faster than radio tubes. So if you are interested in cosmic rays over time, you will need to replace your tube every three to five years REGARDLESS OF THE BRAND of your device! This company will support you with replacements. I replaced the tube in my older counter already, and it was very easy to do! Great American company, great product, great support.

The 500+ is a great all around unit with a medium sensitivity it's well balanced and won't easily overload. It has two tubes one that is fairly high sensitivity and one that can handle massive readings that would long overload the first tube. You could replace the later tube for a different tube if you so choose.The construction is good, solid, and light. It's styling is a tad conspicuous if you were say trying to take covert readings without drawing attention I hope a GQ GMC-500-Slim is in the works.The battery life is about 7days at background and 4-5 days with occasional high loads like a few feistaware dose measurements or a Cs calibration source stress test.It seams reasonably accurate and measures in the ball park uSv/hr as more expensive units. A beta shield would be another requested improvement but thats picky and you could easily fabricate an aluminum case to do the same.The interface is not as stylish as as some of the other brands how ever it really wins brownie points for being versital. The module they are based on can have functionality added on the fly and can be reprogrammed for use with alt tubes. If you for instance use this for lab work you could set a custom macro to take a timed reading every 4hrs report them to a custom server and monitor them at home.They don't have an app this would have pushed the rating to a 5 star overall and would be welcome even at the sacrifice of wifi for BT.Me what do I do that qualifies me to review this? Nothing more than anyone else. I'm a hobbiest both electronics and radiological. I build RC, I tinker, I do tear downs. I own a lot of Geiger counters. I measure Radeon decay prodigy in air filtration using this and a GQ GMC-600+ on a long term study of air quality and hope to work on project to find alt means of radon detection. I also enjoy radioactive antiquing. I like this product 4/5 is my all considered rating. It's the perfect ratio between the best an the cheapest and for the price I can't find better.