GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter Nuclear Radiation Detector Monitor Dosimeter, White

Very well made. Feels solid. The best value out there. You do not need to use any software if you do not want to. It work fine standalone. If you want to use it with wifi to put data on their mapping server you still do not need software but using the software makes it a little easier putting in long Wifi passwords. The full manual is at their site as a pdf and so is their software if you want use their data logger software to over data to a PC to see and graph or if you want to configure the device from the PC. They have their FREE data logging software and also a Pro version. The free one is GQ Geiger counter Viewer. Their USB driver is the USB Driver for V4, V5 or later. Download and print manual first. You can print the manual and software before you by it from GQElectronics. It is reasonably calibrated, You also have the ability to calibrate yourself with a radioactive sample. No need, if comes calibrated well enough. Only VERY expensive ones come individually exactly calibrated and even those need to be recerified every year. This is all you need, don't get crazy. I had no problem with the software or connecting it to my Wifi and I am logging to their map now. Hint - do not turn on Wifi until you configured it. I feel this new model is way ahead of their lower cost models and worth the little extra.

I was concerned with the price being so reasonable, but this is a well made and functional unit. easy to use, and capable of a wide range of measurements, it is easily able to read normal background radiation without trouble, but can also read much higher fields. Pictured is a reading while flying at altitude - this number comports fully with established rates one should expect at altitude. The programming API is open and easy enough to use, but not necessary for most folks. Battery life is ridiculous long, it will run for days. All in all, this is a fantastic value for anyone with a general interest in understanding the radiation fields they live in. it wont detect radon - that is an alpha particle and this meter reads beta and gamma.

so out of the box this is a pretty decent detector other than the cheap tubes it uses in it being good only for high energy beta gamma and x ray but what really make is shine is the ability to change the voltage to the tubes in software which allows you to modify the detector like i did by putting in a thin window alpha beta gamma tube in my case i am using a small LND712 tube at 510 volts and it works pretty good for my stuff though i plan to get a larger tube that is more sensitive the detector seems to be pretty accurate also as i get the same CPM from it as a certified source so its worth the money as an entry level geiger counter

The 500+ is a great all around unit with a medium sensitivity it's well balanced and won't easily overload. It has two tubes one that is fairly high sensitivity and one that can handle massive readings that would long overload the first tube. You could replace the later tube for a different tube if you so choose. The construction is good, solid, and light. It's styling is a tad conspicuous if you were say trying to take covert readings without drawing attention I hope a GQ GMC-500-Slim is in the works. The battery life is about 7days at background and 4-5 days with occasional high loads like a few feistaware dose measurements or a Cs calibration source stress test. It seams reasonably accurate and measures in the ball park uSv/hr as more expensive units. A beta shield would be another requested improvement but thats picky and you could easily fabricate an aluminum case to do the same. The interface is not as stylish as as some of the other brands how ever it really wins brownie points for being versital. The module they are based on can have functionality added on the fly and can be reprogrammed for use with alt tubes. If you for instance use this for lab work you could set a custom macro to take a timed reading every 4hrs report them to a custom server and monitor them at home. They don't have an app this would have pushed the rating to a 5 star overall and would be welcome even at the sacrifice of wifi for BT. Me what do I do that qualifies me to review this? Nothing more than anyone else. I'm a hobbiest both electronics and radiological. I build RC, I tinker, I do tear downs. I own a lot of Geiger counters. I measure Radeon decay prodigy in air filtration using this and a GQ GMC-600+ on a long term study of air quality and hope to work on project to find alt means of radon detection. I also enjoy radioactive antiquing. I like this product 4/5 is my all considered rating. It's the perfect ratio between the best an the cheapest and for the price I can't find better.

I was expecting a more modern interface. but it works well.

For the price point this is a great Geiger counter. It is more than sensitive enough to warn you of dangerous situations and that it is time to exit the area. However, it is not quite as sensitive as the GQ-600+ which uses a U.S. made "pancake" style Geiger Muller tube (I purchased both to compare the units). The GQ-500+ and 600+ come with a flat top "unprotected" 3.7V 2,600mAh Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries, this is the first thing that I replaced with a 3.7V 3,400mAh Japanese button top "protected" battery. It is a tight squeeze in the GQ500+, but the protected cell fits and provides longer run time (approx. >1/4 battery capacity used over 24 hours once the upgraded battery was installed). The onboard charger had no issues with the battery upgrade and charges it as it should using a USB connection (quite quickly I might add) Software for PC interface and expanded documentation is available at the company's website as well as the option to connect your meter via WiFi to allow regular updates to the worldwide radiation tracking website (address included in the documentation on their site) and included on a plastic card that comes with the meter. Easy to use only got 4 stars as there is a learning curve to the buttons that are poorly labeled. Battery Life only got 4 stars because better batteries could have been used (unprotected batteries vs. protected), and a protected 3,400mAh would be preferable to the 2,600mAh unprotected battery that is provided. Note on "Unprotected" vs. "Protected" batteries. The protected batteries actually have a small microcontroller included in the cell that monitors charge levels and will cut off charging at the battery level if it senses an overcharge condition, unprotected batteries will continue to accept charge current even though they are at full capacity. Goolge the difference in the batteries for confirmation. The charge controller in the 500+ seems to act appropriately by cutting off charge current when it senses the battery has reached the proper charge level, and this is goodness. The protected batteries come into play if you want more than one battery available for use and you have a questionable charger for the extra batteries. In my opinion it is a good safety measure on top of an already good charging system in the meter. I have personally seen "thermal runaway" in a Li-Ion cell and it is a most spectacular, and dangerous, reaction when it happens.

I ordered the GQ GMC-500 PLUS. With my military background I wanted a unit that uses actual Gieger Tubes instead of solid state detectors for sensitivity and accuracy. The included Clicks Per Minute (CPM) card gives safety levels and I was surprised to see my area so high average of 25 CPM. Since I do not have radioactive materials lying around to test I used an expensive compass with Tritium markings and this meter was nicely sensitive to pick up the compass tritium markings. With the compass I was picking up 15 CPM more for a total 40 CPM. The controls are easy to setup and show text, numbers and graphs. Definitely a nice device to own if your safety minded!!

ALL Geiger Muller tubes age. If you are checking rocks, granite counters, and habitations for unusual radiation, this is a great device that will last many years. If you are doing background radiation surveys over time, as I do, it is still a great device as you CAN replace your tube every three to five years. When my older counter read higher than my new one, I called them, they reminded me about tubes aging, (Duh! How could I forget!) so I ordered a replacement tube. They have good tech support and stand behind their products. I have two of their counters. Having worked a bit with the high vacuum of physics, I can say that ALL vacuum tubes age as air diffuses in through the glass, reducing vacuum and providing more atoms to become ionized over time. Whether it takes years, decades, or centuries depends on the thickness of the glass. Geiger Muller tubes have to be thinner to detect particles, so age faster than radio tubes. So if you are interested in cosmic rays over time, you will need to replace your tube every three to five years REGARDLESS OF THE BRAND of your device! This company will support you with replacements. I replaced the tube in my older counter already, and it was very easy to do! Great American company, great product, great support.

Very good experience with the seller. Products just as described, no problems at all. Great costumer service, they wrote to me with an extra question about color, very respectful, helpful, excellent English. Fast delivery. Perfect transaction, thank you very much 😊

On est au delà du gadget pour survivaliste. Possibilité de faire des mesures correctes pour beta et gamma (les particules alpha telles celles émises par le radon demande des sondes très spécialisées et pas des tubes geiger). Bonne ergonomie, bonne autonomie. Les mesures effectuées sont conformes aux prévisions (je ne dispose pas de source calibrée pour affirmer leur justesse). Bon logiciel même s'il est dommage de devoir payer (un peu) pour la version pro, la plus complète. A noter que le fabricant donne sur son site le détail du protocole de communication ce qui est très rare hélas. L'installation des soft sous Linux, une vraie usine à gaz par contre sous Windows, enfantin (je n'ai pas de MAC). Hors mesures sur le terrain (minéralogie), ll est en service permanent chez moi et transmet ses mesures sur le web.

Sulle prime non riuscivo a capire bene come interpretare le letture perché ero abituato ad un vecchio geiger da miniera degli anni 80 ma poi ci ho preso confidenza e ho capito che, più che una misurazione puntuale come quella che si può ottenere con una sonda pancake manuale, questo fornisce una lettura media della radioattività ambientale ed è piuttosto preciso. Comunque questo non vuol dire che non lo si possa semplicemente avvicinare ad un materiale qualsiasi, per esempio una roccia, per farsi rapidamente un'idea della sua radioattività dalla frequenza degli impulsi audio per poi leggere il valore medio dopo qualche minuto. Inoltre permette di misurare la radioattività netta di un oggetto, per esempio della verdura acquistata al supermercato, depurando il dato dalla componente ambientale (si misura l'ambiente per cinque minuti e poi si misura, nello stesso posto, la verdura per altri cinque minuti e lo strumento fornisce la tabellina di valori lordi e netti, tutto guidato passo passo). E poi è leggero, tascabile, ricaricabile, silenziabile in modo da poterlo portare in giro senza creare curiosità, ben leggibile anche in pieno sole e anche l'astuccio che viene fornito è robusto e di buona qualità. Insomma ... un bell'oggetto che vale la pena acquistare se si cerca un geiger moderno, preciso, comodo ed economico. Spero di essere stato utile.

I’m very impressed with the GQ GMC-500+ Geiger Counter. It works exactly as described and measures radiation levels with excellent accuracy. Now I finally understand the real background radiation level around me, and it’s surprising how easy it is to use — just turn it on and it starts monitoring instantly. I especially like that I can compare my readings with radiation maps from other locations, where people use the same model. This gives a much clearer picture of what’s going on not only around my home but also in other regions. The device feels solid, the screen is bright, the data logging is very helpful, and the battery lasts a long time. If you want a reliable radiation detector that actually shows real numbers — this is the one. Highly recommended!

I like it, Specifically for the Battery is removable