K89_HIROplus_SBT10 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 two 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 400. 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
Four Triple Pole switches- ALL OFF IN CENTER POSITION.

UP
MIDDLE
DOWN

MODE
ALARM
SCALER

POWER
ON
OFF
CHARGE

LIGHT
ON
OFF
LED ONLY

ALARM
ON
OFF
LED ONLY

SOUND
TONE
OFF
CLICK

NULL
TONE
RESET

A. MODE switch does 2 thing. When you first power on the unit, you will see:

Atomic.Dave K89
HIRO SBT10 V10.2
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 89, and the second line is the Geiger Counter Name and Tube, and the version of software that the AT328 chip is running V10.2.
The second window will show on first line the current uSv to CPM conversion rate. This is dependent upon the postition of the metal toggle switch just across from the BNC connector. Toggle DOWN for the SBT-10 probe (450), and toggle
UP for a LND 712 Tube (100). Please turn off the unit when toggling between the two preset amounts.

450 CPM=1 uSv/h

Running at 5.24V

100 CPM=1 uSv/h

Running at 5.24V

I have preset this for two Tubes, but later if you wanted to add another probe, you could change this rate with
Arduino, or with the Sony wireless remote control which I will explain later. The second line refers to the current voltage
that your system is running at. This is a 5 volt system. The 3000mAh 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.
The third window will show this:

Alarm Set ?
Now at 300 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.
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.
B. POWER switch controls the power and charging of the unit. Up powers the unit with the internal battery, Middle turns it
off, and Down 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 on the lower right side 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 middle position, and flip the USB power switch on the lower right
side to the PWR position. (when not using USB power or charging, you can keep this USB switch in the middle position)
C. LIGHT switch controls the Event LED (BLUE) and the LCD Backlight. Up turns ON both, Middle turns OFF both, and
Down leaves the LED on, but turns the Backlight off.
E. ALARM 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.
D. SOUND switch controls the Event speaker. Up for tone mode, Middle for mute, Down for Standard Click Mode. More on
Tone Mode later.
F. NULL this is a new switch and 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.
LEDS
Right away, you will hear the clicking of the speaker as your GM tube picks up radiation events. There are two LEDs below
the LCD. 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 below the grilled ports just below the LCD display.
SWITCHES, BUTTONS, PORTS, DIALS
A. Starting on the left side top of the GC 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. Below the IR switch 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 the included 3 conductor to 3 conductor M-M audio cable,

you can run sound based data logging software.

C. On the lower right side of the GC is the USB power switch. Up for on, and Middle for Off. This is used for powering
the unit for long periods and bypassing the internal Lipo battery. Put the GC Power switch in the middle position before
using this power method. I would also suggest turning off the LCD for long periods just to save the life of the LCD. This is
also used for charging the unit. Switch this to down position with the power switch also in the down position to charge.
D. Above this 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 bottome 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 must download
from this site, and install on your laptop or PC. It is not available for Mac.
http://radiohobbystore.com/radiation-logger/
REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM:
It 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, and push the power
button 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.
After you are done, hit power again to get out of this mode.
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.
CH Down moves to the next menu option
CH Up moves to the previous menu option
VOL Up increments the value already set for the current option or toggles an option
VOL Down decrements the value already set for the current option or toggles an option
ENT 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.
PERIOD enters a decimal point - used when setting the ratio.
MUTING used when out of the menu mutes the speaker when in "tone mode"
RECALL used when out of the menu - switches between the main screen and the scaler screen
Menu Options:
Initially, 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. Here is a brief description of each menu option:
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 When to write the CPM, 'dose', and MCU voltage to the serial output. Zero means logging is turned off.
CPM->[DOSE] RATIO Sets that ratio for the type of GM tube used. Note this ratio will depend on the dose unit being displayed - see DISPLAY UNIT. Use the DEC PNT or AV/TV key to set a decimal point.
ALARM THRESHOLD When the CPM or DOSE units is greater than this value the alarm is triggered. Unlike the button,
any value may be entered.
DOSE UNIT Use the arrow keys to select the name of the unit for the dose value - "uSv/h", "uR/h" or "mR/h".
ALARM UNIT Sets whether the alarm is based off of CPM or the DOSE unit. Use the arrow keys to select.
SCALER PER (MIN) Sets the period for the second scaler.
BARGRAPH MAX CPM Sets the CPM that will give a full scale reading on the bar graph. This also affects tone mode
TONE SENSITIVITY Determines how sensitive the tone is to changing activity. Low numbers are more sensitive.
USE RADLOGGER? When "Yes" serial output is compatible with Radiation Logger application - see Android / PC BT
Graphing page.
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.
DISPLAY BAR GRAPH:
The display has a new bar graph style with placeholders and is much more responsive. It now updates 20 times per second. The tone is also updated at this rate when used.
Auto-precision - decimals are dropped from the displayed dose rate as it gets larger.
Beginning with v10.1 the LOG PERIOD can now be set to intervals of less than 1 minute. Valid settings are OFF, 2s, 3s,
4s, 5s, 6s, 10s, 12s, 15s, 20s, 30s, and 1 minute intervals up to 720 minutes.
"Tube Select" is still supported where grounding I/O pin 9 will use an alternate ratio for CPM to Dose unit. The CPM>DOSE RATIO in the menu will set and save which ever ratio is selected at the time it's used. This allows setting of both
the primary and alternate ratios.
The current state of the the mute button and the scaler mode are saved in EEPROM and the Geiger kit will come up in
those states the next time it's powered on.
A "reset all" #define can be set. When uploaded the EEPROM is reset to all the default values. This may be useful if the
EEPROM contains invalid data from a previous release.
Another #define can put the counter in a test mode. 360 CPM is simulated. Interrupts are not producing the count so it
can be affected if tone mode is on.
Major restructuring of the code base including use of tabs and memory saving techniques.

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->[DOSE] RATIO 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. Therefore, to use the same ratio that was designed for the tube, you would multiply that ratio by 10. You would
enter a CPM->[DOSE] RATIO 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 (used in older instruments) this source states that they are .96 rem in soft tissue. So the CPM->[DOSE] RATIO for actual mR
would be 175.43 x 10 x .96 or 1684.1. (for uR it would be 16.84)
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 10.1
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

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

GEIGER BOT SUGGESTED SETTINGS: (You may have to play with it to get it just right) GO TO: https://sites.google.com/site/geigerbot/
OTHER SOFTWARE LINKS:
http://www.blackcatsystems.com/GM/download.html
HARDWARE
1. DIY Geiger counter kit V5.1 by Brohogan, Running operating system 10.1
2. Hammond 1590S Probe with SBT-10 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.
Geiger Tube: Russian Geiger TUBE Counter SBT-10
GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
Voltage of start of counting
260-320 V
Operating Current each section (uA)
0.5-1.1
Recommended Operating Voltage
380
Plateau Length/ Inclination
80V/0.3%/V
Dead time (U=400V, micro sec)
50
Gamma Sensitivity Cs137 (cps/mR/hr)
240
Own Background (Pulses/s)
4

Working range (mkR/s)

0.003 - 20
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.
A. Seeeduino Lithium Ion battery - 3.7v 3000mAh
http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/lithium-ion-polymer-battery-pack-3a-p-588.html?cPath=178_183
Full recharge in 3 hours, provides approximately 40 hour constant use of geiger counter with backlight off.
Charge with PC/USB will take about 5 hours or more.
B. Sparkfun USB Lithium Polymer battery charger
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10401
D. Sparkfun 5V FTDI Basic Breakout
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9716
E. Pololu 5V Step-Up/Step-Down Voltage Regulator S7V7F5
http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/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 Probe SBT-10 GM Tube, (3) Cables: Geiger bot 3 to 4 conductor, BNC Cable, Mini USB to standard USB2 with
FREE wall charger and cigarette adapter. CD with software and documents, Manual, RAD sticker, and extra faceplate labels.

MODE

POWER

LIGHT

ALARM

SOUND

NULL

ALARM
SELECT
SCALER

ON
OFF/USB
CHARGE

ON
OFF
LED ON

ON
OFF
LED ON

TONE
OFF
CLICK

TONE
MODE
RESET

HIRO+plus
TUBE
CONV
RATE

PROBE

DATA
OUT

PROBE

atomic.dave

PWR
USB
CHRG

RADIATION DETECTOR

LIP
PO
LIPO

O
N
ON
OFF/USB
OFF/
/USB
CHARGE
CHA
ARGE

ALARM
SELECT
SCALER

POW
WER
POWER

MODE

Out
O
ut

In

BOTH ON
BOTH OFF
LED ONL
LY
Y
ONLY

5V Up/Do
Up/Down
Do
Inwn
BOOST

5v in+

Batt+

LCD Diode
Voltage
V
oltage Limiter
Band to left

5v in

300 OHM
RESIST
OR
RESISTOR

Batt

EEVENT
VENT
LED

C
LIGHTS

H
ALA
ARM
ALARM
LED
300 OHM
RESIST
OR
RESISTOR

1
ALARM
PIEZO
PIEZO

J
1K OHM
RESISTOR
RESISTOR

LCD CONTR
RAST
CONTRAST

100 3

M
300 1

.1 uF C
ap
p
Cap

M
56K OHM
RESIST
OR
R
RESISTOR

CONVERSION
SELECT

3.5mm
Socket
Socket

DATA
DA
ATA OUTPUT

BOTH ON
BOTH OFF
LED ONL
LY
Y
ONLY

ALARM

TONE
OFF
CLICK

SOUND

F
1

1
2

TONE
MODE
RESET

NULL

3 4 5

1 2 3

ON
OFF
LED ON
ON
OFF
LED ON

A s GAMM

atom
atomic.da
dave

PR
BE
PROBE

ET

HIR
+plus
HIRO+plus

D
ALARM

C
LIGHT

8
7
6

IR
SENSOR

CHRG
CHRG

OFF

ON

USB
POWER

L K

PPWR
USB
CHRG

TONE
OFF
CLICK

TUBE
CONV
RATE
RA
ATE
T

F
NULL
TONE
MODE
RESET

E
SOUND

RADIATION DETECTOR

FTDI

DATA
OUT

PROBE

POWER
ON
OFF/USB
CHARGE

A
MODE
ALARM
SELECT
SCALER

s X
- R AY

ALPHA

Lead Castle
Please note that this is strictly an experimental and prototypical container. It has
been included with the sale of your
meter as a bonus device. It is not in anyway 100% effective in masking out
background radiation for use in sample

readings. It does however have an effect

on masking and should be noted that it
can create a more consistent level for
use as a sampling container and test
area. I would suggest purchasing blocks
of lead to surround the can to provide

more masking. Please do not place any

samples into the castle without it first
being placed into either a sealed ziplock
baggie, or inside one of the provided
glass sample beakers.

much as needed, but 30 minutes to 1

hour should work pretty well for taking
averages. First place the probe onto the
can and do a timed average without a
sample to get the base background
timed amount to compare your sample

to. Then measure the sample inside the

can with the probe back on top again.
Subtract the background from the sample measured amount and you will see if
there is a climb in the sample.

the remote and you are now setup doing

a timed averaged reading. To get back
to the regular part of the menu/display,
hit the green power button again on the
remote. Once you push the MODE button on the meter, the display changes
again to show
1M ## / 20s
30M ### / 28m

The first line is the 1 minute average

counting down on the right side from 60
down to zero. The ## is the current 1
minute averaged count. The second line
shows the 30 minute average counting
down where the first ### is total counts
until it reaches 30 minutes. Over to the
right is the minutes counting dow from
30 to 0.

Averages in timing
When testing samples, please use the
programmable timer on your meter. (The
starter for the time is the green button
on the far leftside of the meter marked
MODE) The longer the timed amount
the better. The timer can be set for as

Setting the timer amount

With the meter on, and using the included Sony remote control, press the
Green power button on the remote till
you see the display on the meter
change to DISP PERIOD (MS). When
you see this, you are in the menu mode.
hit the channel button till you get to
SCALER PER (MIN) enter any minutes
from 1 to 90 and hit the enter button on

Please check the developer website and also the pdf USER GUIDE on the cd for more information.