K91_TEKOplus_CI8B Geiger Counter

by Atomic.dave Atomic.Dave@yahoo.com
This is a one of a kind custom hand-made Geiger Counter built by Atomic.Dave. It is based on a kit designed by John
Giametti (username: Brohogan) I have been building his DIY Geiger counters for over three years having built and sold
around 90 of them. Much of the information for this kit is available at the developers website. 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 may be some imperfections, although as minimal as possible. This
Russian tube/probe is one of the most sensitive that I have ever used before. I have preset the high voltage to about 380v.
Dont be afraid by the amount of background radiation this will pick up, just consider the size of the the mica window and how
much it will pick up. As all mica windows, please be careful when handling it, and realize that it can pop easily if poked with a
hard object. It is however much less delicate than a LND7317 as it will not require a air pressurized container for shipping.
OPERATION
Five Triple Pole switches- ALL OFF IN CENTER POSITION. (FOLLOW PHOTO BELOW FOR BUTTON LOCATON)
A. MODE momentary switch does 4 things. 1- Alarm control. 2- Scaler mode start/stop. 3- Alarm 30 second mute. 4- Menu reset.
1. When you first power on the unit, you will see:
Atomic.Dave K091
TEKO CI-8B V10.3
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 my name, Kit 91, and the second line is the Geiger Counter
Name and Tube, and the version of software that the AT328 chip is running V10.3C.
Then a second window will come up with the first line showing the current set uSv
A
E
to CPM conversion rate.
440 CPM=1 uSv/h
100 CPM=1 uSv/h
Running at 5.24V
Running at 5.24V
The second line refers to the current voltage that your system is running at. This is
B
C
D
a 5 volt system. The 4000mAh 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.
F
G
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.
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.
B. LIGHT this controls the LCD backlight and the blinking Green LED. Left for only the LED on, middle for both off, and right
for both LED and Backlight on.
C. POWER switch controls the power and charging of the unit. Right powers the unit with the internal battery, Middle turns it
off, and Left is for charging the unit. (in addition to this, you will need to switch the USB power switch on the lower right side
to the down CHRG position) When the unit is charging, the RED LED just above the mini USB port at the bottom of the unit
will remain constant RED while charging, and when charging is complete, it will turn BLUE. If you wish to power the unit
with the USB in, and bypass the batteries for extended periods. Keep Power switch in OFF position, and flip the USB power
switch on the lower right side to the PWR position. (when not using USB power or charging, keep this USB switch in the
middle position)
D. SOUND switch controls the Event speaker. Right for tone mode, Middle for mute, Left for Standard Click Mode. More on
Tone Mode later. If you dont hear a sound when you go to TONE, it is muted, and you need to unmute with the remote.
E. GREEN NULL momentary this works only when in Tone mode for the event speaker. When you are scanning in Tone
mode, you can push this to reset the sensing to zero. More on this later.
F. USB switch is used to control the power coming into the mini usb port. UP to bypass the battery and use only USB
power. Middle to turn it off, and down to charge the unit. Remeber to switch the POWER switch to CHG when charging,
and OFF when using USB power.
G. ALM switch controls the Alarm LED and Piezo. Up for both on, Middle for both off, and Down for LED only on. This
makes for a silent visual alarm.
LEDS
After turning on the unit, right away, you will hear the clicking of the speaker as your GM tube picks up radiation events.
There are two LEDs below the GM tube. The Left one is GREEN which is for radiation events and coincides with the clicking speaker which can be muted with the mute switch. The Right one is RED for the Alarm which will only light up when a
set alarm threshold is reached. It can be turned on or off. The speaker for the alarm and events is located above and left
and right of the GM tube at the top of the unit.
OTHER SWITCHES, PORTS or DIALS
A. To the left 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. To the right of the LCD is the 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 an
mono audio output for silent listening with headphones, or with an optional standard 3 conductor to 3 conductor M-M audio
cable, you can run sound based data logging software.

D. At the very bottom of the unit 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 bottom 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 this switch in the up position white it is plugged into your pc with the USB cable. This same
USB is also used as an output for usb based FREE Radiation Logging software. To use this software, you unzip from the cd
and install on your laptop or PC. It is not available for Mac. or download from: http://radiohobbystore.com/radiation-logger/
There is also a new software available that also works much better called radmon. They also have a data logging map and
forum to link up with other users as well. Go to this address for more info and download. IT is also free. www.radmon.org.
DISPLAY IN DEPTH:

SCALER SCREEN

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 left 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.
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 GM tube
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 Remote Control perform these functions:
On/Off enter or exit the menu system. "DISP PERIOD (MS) is the first prompt you will see.
Channel Down or Down Arrow moves to the next menu option
Channel Up or Up Arrow moves to the previous menu option
Volume Up or Right Arrow increments the value already set for the current option or toggles an option
Volume Down or Left Arrow decrements the value already set for the current option or toggles an option
Enter 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 tome.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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
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

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

HARDWARE
1. DIY Geiger counter kit V5.3 by Brohogan, Running operating system 10.3
2. New Russian CI-8B Geiger Muller Tube
3. Power System by Seeeduino, Sparkfun and Pololu (please charge the unit until the RED light turns BLUE)
A. You can power the Geiger in a couple different ways
1. With internal Lipo battery (Power switch in UP position)
2. With PWR switch OFF (middle), USB cable plugged into USB port on RIGHT side of geiger, USB PWR switch on right side of unit switched UP, then plug
USB cable into:
a. Computer or laptop USB
b. Wall charger block (included)
c. Standard 5v USB Cigarette adapter (included)
d. To power and operate the unit this way for long periods, TURN OFF BACKLIGHT To save LCD Life.
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.

3.7v 4000mAh lithium ion, with protective circuit PCM

Lipo charger 1 cell Li-ion or LiPo based TP4056. External power supply or USB. 25 * 19 * 10mm, Charging current: 1A.
Pololu 5v up/down boost regulator #2119
ENCLOSURE
Dimensions: New Age Enclosure - S784114 - 7.8" x 4.1" x 1.4" (not including handle or feet)
http://www.newageenclosures.com/files/784114_r5_2.pdf
REPAIRS:
If the unit fails for some reason with six months from purchase, I will be more than happy to do any maintenance you need at no charge except shipping.
PACKAGE CONTENTS:
In your package you will find: Geiger Counter with Russian CI-8B Pancake Tube with Factory Cover, (3) Cables: Geiger bot 3 to 4 conductor, Audio 3 to 3 conductor,
Mini USB to standard USB2 with car and wall charger. CD with software and documents, Manual, RAD sticker, and extra faceplate labels. Sony RM-EZ4 Remote.

8 distance)

RUSSIAN GEIGER TUBE COUNTER CI-8B

The slope of the plateau of the counting characteristics,%, not exceeding:
Sensitivity of the counting rate, imp.s-1.A-1.kg:
Sensitivity of the counting rate (imp / uR):
The slope of the voltage-current characteristics,%, not more:
Amplitude voltage pulse, V, no less than:
Own background, imp / s, max:
Effectiveness of registration of beta radiation,%:
Current sensitivity, uA:
Operating range voltage, V:
Maximum operating speed counting, pulses / s:
Maximum operating current, mA:
The maximum permissible exposure dose of gamma radiation, A / kg:
The maximum permissible exposure dose of gamma radiation (R / h):

0,3
1.3 * 10E12 ... 1.9 * 10E12
(350 500)
1,25
20
2
50 85
8 15 (at P = 12.9 * 10E-10 A / kg (5 uR / s))
360 440
3400
18.2
21.5 * 10E-6 (for 1 min)
(300) (for 1 min)

10mm

30mm
16.5mm

80mm

70mm

65mm
mica window

PANCAKE 731
C

LIGHT
LIGH
HT

POWER

SOUND
SOU
UND

,%$s/&&s/.

#('s/&&s/.

#,+s/&&s4.%

--

--

CI-8B
B

/.
ALM OFF
LED

PWR
OFF USB
CHG

atomic.c.dave
atomi

K90

RADIATION
R
RAD
DIATION DETECTOR
DETECT
TOR

FTDI 5V

LIPO Chrg USB POS

LI
PO
LIPO

5v in

5v in+

Batt+

LCD Diode
V
o
oltage Limiter
Voltage
Band to left

Batt

300 OHM
RESISTOR
RESISTOR

300 OHM
RESISTOR
RESISTOR

ON/ON
OFF
ON/OFF

AL
ARM
ALARM
LED

ON/ON
OFF
ON/OFF

EEVENT
VENT
LED

ON
OFF/USB
OFF/
/USB
CHARGE
CHA
ARGE

ALARM
Threshold
Timer
Timer

ALARM

Red LED POS

BRD Pin 15

Red LED POS

LIGHT

OP
PEN
OPEN

LC
CD Jump L
LCD

LC
CD Jump R
LCD

POW
WER
POWER

Blue LED POS

LED BRD POS

LIPO Chrg 5V Out

OPEN

Blue LED POS

5V Boost IN

SELECT

OPEN

3.5mm
SSocket
ocket

1K OHM
RESISTOR
RESIST
OR

ALARM
PIEZ
O
PIEZO

OPEN

BRD Pin 15

.1 uF C
ap
p
Cap

56K OHM
M
RESISTOR
RESIST
OR
R

O
OPEN

O
OPEN

Alarm Piezo POS OPEN

O

.1 uF C
ap
Cap

TONE
OFF
CLICK

SOUND

Piezo Jump B

Piezo Jump A

Board Pin 12
2

E
1

TONE
Reset

NULL

5 4 3

2 1

FTDI

7
8
9

IR SENSOR

CHRG
CHRG

OFF

ON

USB
POWER

/.
ALM OFF
LED

--
--

atomi
.dave TOR
atomic.cDETECTOR
RAD
DIATION DETECT
RADIATION
K90

SOUND
#,+s/&&s4.%

POWER
#('s/&&s/.

LIGHT
,%$s/&&s/.

PWR
OFF USB
CHG

CI-8B