RE: When do you switch from a frisker to a dose ratemeter??

["Marthaller, Chris" <ChrisM@wipp.carlsbad.nm.us>]

Mike,
	Over my career I have been at plants/facilities that start using
dose rates at anything from 75 K dpm beta-gamma, to not until the count rate
instrument will no longer indicate.  About the only isotopes of concern I
haven't been associated with are of the medical diagnostic variety.  As was
pointed out earlier, it all depends on what you are trying to quantify.  I
have never come across a "conversion" from cpm/dpm to mR/hr that could be
successfully utilized in the field unless there is just one isotope present
and even then you would have to have some time to interpret the resolving
time to determine the true count rate.  This will let you get the ratio of
gamma to beta if you know the probe's gamma efficiency in order to apply the
conversion.
	Much easier to just grab the dose rate meter if you want to know if
you are seeing a dose rate from the contamination.

"If we keep doing what we're doing, we'll keep getting what we're getting."
Chris A. Marthaller, RRPT
Phone (505) 234-8661
Sr. Training Coordinator - WIPP 
ChrisM@wipp.carlsbad.nm.us
Obviously, these are the author's unofficial views.

-----Original Message-----
From: Winters, Mike [mailto:wintersMS@pgdp.usec.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2000 1:27 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: When do you switch from a frisker to a dose ratemeter??

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