Topic: Radiation via APRS

[SLOweather]

Here's a site near Mountain View CA using APRS to send background radiation data.

http://aprs.fi/telemetry/a/KI6TSF-8

[W3DRM]

Interesting. It looks like is was just placed it on-line on Mar 16th so we don't have any data that pre-dates the Japan event. Will watch this site to see if any changes take place over time.

Also, wonder how accurate the readings are and what kind of radiation detector is being used.

Thanks for posting. I wonder if there are any other links to live/real-time radiation monitoring instruments?

[johnd]

I'm not sure that this is only a remote monitoring topic but since the thread has started here:

The problem I see in linking a radiation counter to a weather station like a VP2 is that something like a Geiger counter tube circuit typically registers in counts, eg counts per minute. There's no input on a VP2 system to which you could easily attach a countre capable of say 1000cpm, let alone orders of magnitude above that. What's needed is a circuit that can convert cpm on to say a linear 0-3v scale so that a VP2 solar or UV or soil moisture or leaf wetness input could be used for monitoring. I dare say that such a circuit is standard fare for any electronics buffs here. But if there was some such circuit readily available (ideally as an ready-built or off-the-shelf item) then it should be easy enough to interface to one of the VP2 inputs mentioned above.

[W3DRM]

I'm not sure that this is only a remote monitoring topic but since the thread has started here:

The problem I see in linking a radiation counter to a weather station like a VP2 is that something like a Geiger counter tube circuit typically registers in counts, eg counts per minute. There's no input on a VP2 system to which you could easily attach a countre capable of say 1000cpm, let alone orders of magnitude above that. What's needed is a circuit that can convert cpm on to say a linear 0-3v scale so that a VP2 solar or UV or soil moisture or leaf wetness input could be used for monitoring. I dare say that such a circuit is standard fare for any electronics buffs here. But if there was some such circuit readily available (ideally as an ready-built or off-the-shelf item) then it should be easy enough to interface to one of the VP2 inputs mentioned above.

johnd:

I'm confused and don't understand your reply. I don't see any reference to a VP2 system in the initial post nor on the linked site. This is APRS telemetry data that is being sent via an Amateur Radio network. Weather isn't part of the data being collected or transmitted.

[johnd]

johnd:

I'm confused and don't understand your reply. I don't see any reference to a VP2 system in the initial post nor on the linked site. This is APRS telemetry data that is being sent via an Amateur Radio network. Weather isn't part of the data being collected or transmitted.

Sorry, yes, that was taking things off at a bit of a tangent. Just thinking about how to monitor radioactivity with an AWS and hanging it on this peg!