What’s up with this Rock ? SCINTILLATOR (RadiaCode) vs GEIGER COUNTER (Gmc500 plus)

Get RadiaCode 103 : amzn.to/4fYrSzK
or other RadiaCode versions
Get GMC500plus : amzn.to/3X1snQL
or the GMC600plus: amzn.to/3T3T0U2
I will be doing some more interesting demos with these gadgets, and hopefully more, to explore radioactivity soon. Stay turned for some good radioactive fossil material I will test as soon as I can get out to the site, depending on weather. And I have that strange anomaly I found in the desert some time ago where I plan to return and see what the RadiaCode reads there (just had the Geiger on the last visit). Lots of fun to come!

[@nevadaminer5977]

Looks geothermal in nature.
Better add a Prop 65 warning label to that rock.

[@davec9244]

WOW! I worked in a nuke plant way back in the day, I had no side effects however my 3 headed kids eat a lot. It is hard to feed 3 headed kids. On the Geiger counter painfully slow to watch. thank you be safe out there.

[@hestheMaster]

Careful what you dig and bring home. Looks to have sandstone on lower half of it and a quartz rich conglomerate on the rest.

[@billroberts9182]

I think scintillometers are a lot more efficient than geiger counters. That rock cut and polished would make a great book end of coffee table specimen.

[@johnlord8337]

- Alpha decay radiation (Helium atom discharge) has a force and field distance of only a few centimeters ... can be stopped with the thinness of a paper sheet or the human skin surface
- Beta decay radiation (electron discharge) has a distance of tens of centimeters ... can be stopped with a few millimeters thickness of paper tissue or water, or a denser and thinner aluminum foil
- Gamma decay radiation (gamma ray discharge) has a distance of a few meters ... can be stopped with a few inches - 4 inches of lead, a few feet - 6.6 feet of concrete, or 13.8 feet of water.
The normal range in a typical environment is 7-30 counts per minute (CPM). However, the natural background radiation level can vary from 5-60 CPM or more, depending on the type of Geiger counter, and the elevation. A reading that's more than 3x + higher than normal (7-30) and remains elevated (21-90 CPM) - should be investigated. A 100+ CPM reading is considered a warning level by the Radiation Network. A reading of a few hundred (200+) CPM might indicate a radioactive presence, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it's dangerous.
Depending on the quality (and shielding) in a Geiger counter design detects alpha, beta, and gamma rays, or specific radiations.
The same scintillator designs can detect alpha, beta, and gamma rays, or can be shielded, and only designed to test for gamma rays. One would need to see what Geiger and scintillator designs you have.
With the fact that you have both units in the range of the alpha and beta distances, what you have here is low grade radioactive material. From your approach of the Geiger and scintillator to the rock surface, you are mostly having alpha and/or beta radiation. The scintillator was more sensitive and shows a higher count.

[@seanwelch007]

I do a lot of Utah rockhounding and was thinking of getting a scintillator. Follow up on how well you like it after using it for a bit. 🙏

[@vernontafte1718]

So is it bad to cut a rock with that much uranium?

[@CricketsBay]

I think I've seen higher Geiger counter readings from glass at the thrift store. Don't store that rock on your nightstand and you should be fine.