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Things to do with "hot rocks"

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EEYORE

Thu Jul 27 2006, 03:39PM

Registered Member #99 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:10PM
Location: florida, usa
Posts: 637

Steve Conner wrote ...

Mattrg2 is starting to remind me of the Radioactive Boy Scout

Muahahahhah!
Naw, i dont need any uranium capable of a chain reaction...I just want a very good spinthariscope...A bit more active so I dont have to go, "I think i saw something?".

Matt

Conundrum

Fri Jul 28 2006, 02:15AM

Registered Member #96 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:37PM
Location: CI, Earth
Posts: 4061

Have you considered trying to build a nuclear power cell (aka Betabattery) using high efficiency solar cells (i had this crazy idea about using carefully modified GaN SMD LED's or Luxeons)
?

:)
-A

EEYORE

Fri Jul 28 2006, 02:36AM

Registered Member #99 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:10PM
Location: florida, usa
Posts: 637

Conundrum wrote ...

Have you considered trying to build a nuclear power cell (aka Betabattery) using high efficiency solar cells (i had this crazy idea about using carefully modified GaN SMD LED's or Luxeons)
?

:)
-A

I did think about it, but dont think any natural forms of this stuff will have enough energy for that..Or would it?

Matt

...

Sat Jul 29 2006, 10:52PM

Registered Member #56 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:02AM
Location: Southern Califorina, USA
Posts: 2445

I have some nice triple junction cells here if you need them

They hit about 30% efficency on the surface or 25% in space (more uv in space, so you get a lower efficency)

Marko

Sun Jul 30 2006, 01:05PM

Registered Member #89 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 02:40PM
Location: Zadar, Croatia
Posts: 3145

Steve Conner wrote ...

Mattrg2 is starting to remind me of the Radioactive Boy Scout

hah, hope nobody here is going to fry himself up for the sake of darwinism.. :p

EEYORE

Sun Jul 30 2006, 05:59PM

Registered Member #99 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:10PM
Location: florida, usa
Posts: 637

... wrote ...

I have some nice triple junction cells here if you need them

They hit about 30% efficency on the surface or 25% in space (more uv in space, so you get a lower efficency)

Hmm...Could you post some pictures of them?
What sort of radiation do they respond to?

(Dont worry, theres no way anyone here could acquire enough hot rocks to hurt them self....)

Matt

...

Sun Jul 30 2006, 06:50PM

Registered Member #56 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:02AM
Location: Southern Califorina, USA
Posts: 2445

I am not sure as to what exactly they respond to, but as the name implies each cell is actually 3 cells stacked on top of each other. I don't have a datasheet for them, although they are basically the same as Spectrolabs (these are Texstars) but most of mine are not concentrators, just a 2" piece designed to be built into a panel on a satelite.

I am unsure if they are sensitive to gamma...

EEYORE

Sun Aug 06 2006, 04:19AM

Registered Member #99 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:10PM
Location: florida, usa
Posts: 637

UPDATE- The thorium oxide (thorianite) works VERY well as in a spinthariscope! I had gotten some "radium luminous powder" on ebay thinking it was real radium powder used in watches, but also it was just same cheap crap. It still works, showing many MANY sparkles with the thorium...The autunite didnt perform nearly as well...The powder makes bright explosions of light when smashed with glass lens'...Any idea why?

Cant wait for my ZnS(Ag) powder to get here now! I will also buy a nice wide angle telescope eyepiece so that I can make a very nice high quality spinthariscope.

BTW-I now have a CDV 700 6A counter!Got it for 49$ when the guy who outbid me, renigged!(Man i love reniggers

)

Probe wire was messed up, so I had to order a new probe housing(5.99$ on ebay) as well as deodorize the counter(inside smells like...POOP!) Gave it a good cleaning (really wasnt dirty though) with some nail polish remover.

Despite the messed up cord, the counter still came to life while I held the wire right, and it made readings consistent with known sources of radiation. (not bad since it was last calibrated in 1996).

Im going to give it a piezo speaker...
So now im set to go to los alamos! Find some hot rocks!

Too bad i live in florida

...

Pics coming very soon!
Matt

McFluffin

Sun Aug 06 2006, 07:06AM

Registered Member #119 Joined: Fri Feb 10 2006, 06:26AM
Location: USA
Posts: 114

Guess this makes my Pb-210 pretty safe in comparison. :) I get around 90CPM with my curdely built counter. I used a HP counter and a simple HV supply with a couple of other random components thrown in(tubes, some resistors, etc). Not very permanent, but was fun. I measured 10 or 15CPM background on average. I got my tube from eBay, and the sample from "..."
Sample:

The tube(its a 108mm Russian built, too bad I can't read what I presume to be its instructions/data sheet):

Counter is a HP 5300A general purpose 60MHz counter. Measured by putting it into counter mode and stopping counter after a mintue and running a few trials.

EEYORE

Sun Aug 06 2006, 07:27AM

Registered Member #99 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:10PM
Location: florida, usa
Posts: 637

Thats pretty neat! I was thinking about building my own geiger counter, but decided id like something collectible, as well as standard(CPM can be compared with other CVD700's).

I just tried using some sandpaper to sand off some thorium oxide, and put the powder into the luminescent powder...Wow, looks neato!Nice to see a little bit goes a long way, as radioactive samples arent cheap!

(which is why i will be wandering in the desert sometime, maybe spring break?Im sure my GF would LOVE to come look for hot rocks with me

)

Also poored in some autunite powder(stuff likes to fall apart!) and its like the 4th of july in there!If this crappy glow in the dark powder works this well, i wonder how much better the ZnS(Ag), which was meant for this thing, will do?

I wonder if radioactive elements can be found in reasonable concentration in Florida?I have heard of central Florida, but what about North Florida?Any Floridians here that may know?My parents live on some land that used to be covered by the ocean eons ago(as told to us by some geologists). I have found numerous fossils and the like...I wonder if something may be hiding out there...

Matt

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