Questionable Survey

["J. Craig Reed" <jreed@utk.edu>]

A visiting technician used a GM pancake probe with a planar correction
factor of 50 beta dpm/100cm^2 per cpm, a RATE METER without digital
integrating capability and scale divisions of 20 cpm in a background of ~40
cpm, WOULD YOU QUESTION a report of "<1,250 beta dpm/100cm^2" for a STATIC
(i.e., NON-scanning) survey?  (Assume the period of measurement is adequate
for the instrument to "fully" respond.)

I'm not convinced that <25 ncpm (i.e., only 1.25 scale divisions) can be
discerned or quantified with the above conditions/technique and that a
report of "<1,250 beta dpm/100cm^2" is not PROVEN by the survey.  Can anyone
relate contrary experience or empirical studies?  Please opine.

Craig Reed
East Tennessee Technology Park (K-25) RADCON
e77@ornl.gov