Nuclear Radiation Detector GQ GMC-800 USA Design Product US National Standard Large Color LCD Display 5 Alarm Types Dosimeter Data Save & Global Share Beta Gamma X-ray Portable Multifunction Device

I have been looking at Geiger counters for years, but haven't been able to justify the expense (until now). Basically, I wanted it because while I don't personally work with radioactive materials or radiation, I do work with people who do, and contamination does happen. So basically I was looking for something for everyday carry. I was also interested in confirming that granite and quartz counter tops, as well as tiles, were not radioactive. I also know a lot of people with antique china (some of which is radioactive). Okay, I mostly wanted it as a gadget, but okay, I also wanted it as a prep (eyes rolling). No seriously, if you ever actually need a Geiger counter as a prep, it might be too late to buy one. So I have a few basic preps, and now this is one of them.People often wear those little radiation dosimeter badges. I have often thought this was a bit weird, because basically they tell you that you were exposed a couple of weeks ago. Whoops - it would have been nice to have known that when the exposure was happening, so you could have stopped it.So I have been looking at a number of Geiger counters for a while, and the thing that pushed me over the edge, is that the cat was about to have I-131 treatment for hyperthyroidism (this is where the patient, in this case our cat, is injected with radioactive iodine to treat hyperthyroidism). The patient (again in this case our cat) ends up fairly radioactive for a few weeks.My biggest problem upon receiving the device is that I had no way to test it. I could find literally nothing in the house that was radioactive (thank goodness). None of the china was radioactive, none of the tiles and countertops are radioactive, and I couldn't find a single old watch or clock (i.e. with radioactive glow in the dark hands).When the cat's treatment started, this problem was solved. The cat was hot, the cat's thyroid was even hotter. The litter box was hot. The cat's vomit (sometimes invisible, except to the naked foot) was hot, and the cat unfortunately in one instance missed the litter box, so then that spot of carpet was hot.I really like the device. It has a very nice display and menu options. The battery life is great: I haven't checked, but I think it lasts more than 24 hours with the display continuously on. I like that it has a rechargeable battery that you can replace, and I like that you can recharge the battery via USB-C (i.e. while the device is running). I like that it has an alarm, so if the cat sneaks up on me, I know right away. The device is very light, so I can put it in my bag and forget that it is even there. Based on what I know, GQ is quite a reputable company in the affordable Geiger counter space.The plastic looks a bit brittle, but in practice I have (unfortunately) whacked it and dropped it a couple of times, without incident (thank goodness).There are still a few Geiger counter features that I would like (again, mostly thinking of this like a gadget):- A large and sensitive paddle tube- A mica window to detect alpha particles- A gamma spectrometerI also really like the idea of ultra compact Geiger counters (like keychain ones) for everyday carry, but in practice there is a tradeoff between size and sensitivity.One thing that would be really nice for everyday carry is bluetooth connectivity. It occurs to me that one of the most likely reasons to be exposed to radiation, is if someone you know is having some sort of medical treatment and hasn't told you. It would be super embarrassing if you were in a conference room, and your Geiger counter were to go off, because surprise, your boss's boss is having brachytherapy for prostate cancer. Awkward. So for everyday carry like this, it would be better if the device were just to inconspicuously show a notification on your phone.So I don't know if this will be my last Geiger counter, but this is the one that finally bought, after years of wanting one.All in all, I would say that the perfect Geiger counter is the one that you actually own, and that you are carrying when you are exposed. This is the one that pushed me over the edge, and so for me, right now, I would say this is the perfect Geiger counter.

A decent starter dosimeter. It’s lightweight, cheap, and does its job. It’s accurate enough to know if you have to get out of a place and its design makes it easy to use.Is this the best? No, is it great for the money? Absolutely.

The Gmc-800 that I received in December 2024 was of high quality and is easy to use. The rechargeable AA size battery it comes with can last days on a charge even with display and data logging. Mine arrived fully charged and configured (presumably calibrated too). The screens and buttons are very intuitive to use. This geiger counter is more expensive than some more popular Amazon selections but this one comes with the sensitive J321 tube, as you can see in the picture. This is a good value.

I work in the Well Logging industry and wanted to see how a cheap Amazon Geiger counter would compare to some of Ludlum's more well known analog models. I did several tests using cs-137 down to 5 uCi and up to 300 mCi and compared the readings with a Ludlum 3 with 44-6. This was with factory calibration. Now you see how it says the meter meets the standards to have a NIST/NRC calibration. There is a third party lab that can actually calibrate these to known standards: 0-200 mr/h. Anyway this is a very neat little meter and if you worked someplace like a doctors office or maybe even a hospital, they might allow you to use one based on the accuracy of 1-2%. I am waiting for my meter to get back from the calibration lab to check out how it is. If you want this to find rocks or help when nuclear war comes I it will work for you. I want to see if it is durable enough to be used in the Field where people throw things, drop things, etc. It's already a great meter but if I could show that it was durable then I think people might use it for professional work

It works as I would expect it to. The USB type C charging is very fast, but I wish the battery would last longer on a charge. The screen is easy to read, and unit is easy to operate.

This unit went beyond my expectations, well built, great size easy to use right out of the box!

The media could not be loaded. Very pleased with this little Geiger counter. Bought it for detecting Uranium Glass, for just having fun with, for law enforcement purposes, and for end of the world scenarios that I hope never happen.Down-sides: It’s slow to react, it doesn’t have the ability to detect Alpha particles (they are stopped by everything, including paper…not this detector’s fault), and there isn’t the ability (that I’ve found so far to change between mR/hr and micro R / hrPros: It’s very affordable and seems to be picking up on Beta and Gamma just fine. I was glad to see it really responding to the Uranium glass. Not only is that exciting, it gives it a solid, practical use for more mundane purposes than the end of the world.A special note for Law Enforcement and Firefighters. Get some training. There are amazing courses put out by the federal government, free of charge, at the Nevada National Security Site through CTOS. Check your state disaster agencies. They’ll fly you out there for free m, give you food and lodging all week to teach you about using meters to detect ionizing radiation on a site where nukes were actually detonated in the 50’s and 60’s.After an explosion, you don’t know if the explosion is the terrorist event or if it was simply a mechanism for dispersing radiological material. A little meter like this can help you protect the public by alerting you about their presence, getting people out of the area, and calling for higher levels of help.

It's nice. The UI is great and customizable. Does everything I need. The problem is that I was charging it and when I came back the charging animation was burnt into the screen