[Milsurplus] RBZ vs RBZ Special?

[Mike Morrow]

Al wrote:

> My decades out of calibration CD Victoreen 6B reads 0.1 mr/hr with the 
> probe window closed from the outside of the case, and 0.3 with the 
> window open.

That is somewhat higher than expected for old radios...especially the
reading when the beta-discrimination window is open.  General area
radiation readings are normally performed about a meter from the
item of interest.

Still, those rad levels aren't particularly alarming.  I'd be more
concerned, as I believe we all are, of the paint-flaking particulate
issue.  I avoid contact with the surface of old radio set dials to
minimize that.

Picking up particulate like that could be *very* troublesome for
radiation workers.  At the plant where I worked before retirement,
the portal monitors through which everyone walked (even office workers)
to go home alarm at an extremely small increase in radiation above
background.  Then the rad control people show up and perform slow manual
frisking to pinpoint the source on the body.  After that, there's an
effort to determine where it came from.  If the verdict is that it
possibly came from the subject's home, then a team may be sent to 
survey one's residence.  It's all really nasty to go through, especially
if it was triggered by a paint flake from a 70-year-old radio! 
Fortunately, it never happened to me.  Absorption of radioactive 
particles in the air that come from ground radon gas decay is a far
greater and much more frequent hassle, especially when an atmospheric
temperature inversion is preventing circulation of ground layer radon
gas to higher elevations.  That's the common event that causes almost
everyone the greatest share of radiation exposure, even if they are
surrounded by old radio and instrument panels at home.

Mike / KK5F