Polimaster 1208M Gamma Detector Watch

[admin]

Originally posted: Mon Jul 26 2021 10:14:37 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)

I have uploaded Part 1 of the Video Review of this device to the CarCynic YouTube Channel:

www.youtube.com/vi/yWdKyB8fpKI/

This thread will be of discussion of the Polimaster watch dosimeters, including the PM1208, PM1208M, PM1603A,B, as well are the rare vintage/prototype models.


Check back here for:

• Part 2 (Note: There will be a delay in the upload of Part 2, as I have determined that the video must be re-shot.)
• "Have I Found Anything Radio Active?"  -- Reports of things or places that your Gamma Detector Watch has alerted you to.
• Links to other forums (mostly in other languages) relevant to the Polimaster or other Geiger Counter Watches
• Getting the Polimaster devices that use IRDA connected to a PC (especially using Linux)
• General discussion of Gamma Detector/Geiger Counter Watches

To register and participate in this discussion, follow the instructions at the top of this page.

[admin]

Originally posted: Mon Jul 26 2021 10:36:45 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)

"Have I Found Anything Radio Active?"

As mentioned in the Videos, the PM1208M is very slow to react to mildly radioactive items placed near it.  Attempting to us it for -- as an example -- shopping for radioactive antiques leads to frustration, and standing around antique stores looking like an idiot.

So as of this post -- No -- My PM1208 has not alerted me to any place or item that I didn't already know was radioactive.

However, it did verify that something was radioactive.

I was at MRAM Electronics -- a local Surplus Electronics and Appliance Parts store.  The person behind the counter said they had a piece of natural ore that they thought was radioactive -- Much like my "Piece of Hyperactive Nature".  He handed the rock to me, and after several minutes, My PM1208M verified that the stone was radioactive.

The guy seemed to feel at least a bit "validated" by my independent verification that the stone was delectably radioactive.

[admin]

Originally posted: Thu Jul 29 2021 21:41:41 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)

Part 2 of the Video Review has been uploaded.

www.youtube.com/vi/LZbti_WQknQ/

[admin]

Originally posted: Fri Aug 20 2021 20:20:53 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)

For completeness, and discussion, I will include the picture of the PM1208M main circuit board as shown in the review video, part 1:



A few notes:

• This is the actual circuit board from my watch.
• It is interesting to note that the Quartz Watch (Mechanical hands) is powered by a buck supply on the main board.  There is a battery compartment in the Quartz watch, but it is empty.  A spring (similar to the ones shown, but on the other side of the board) makes contact with the battery terminal at the bottom of the quartz watch battery compartment.  The small metal piece that would secure the quartz watch battery in place in the quartz watch is present, but it is secured out of the way.  Ground is provided by another contact.  This is different than on the PM1208, which requires 2 batteries.
• The spring contacts shown on this side (3) are (staring from the lower right, and going counter clockwise):  Battery connection, Case ground, and Alarm (Piezo) drive.
• In addition to the spring contact on the opposite side of the board that connects to the quartz watch, there are two springs that connect to the electroluminescent backlight.  There are also those rubberized contacts that connect the main board to the LCD display.  These can be easily broken, and often very finicky in other devices, but fortunately in this watch, I had no problem re-assembling them, and all display segments work correctly.
• When I received my watch, the EL backlight did not work.  I realized that the two springs were missing.  I made some tiny coiled contacts from copper wire, and inserted them into the appropriate holes on the back of the LCD display.  While my EL backlight is very dim, it does work, and is adequate to see the display in total darkness. It is my suspicion that they were intentionally not there.  They were either not included at the request of the company (or government entity -- perhaps ROSATOM) that purchased PM1208M's, or they were removed later.  I suspect this was done to reduce battery replacement from employees operating the backlight too frequently.

I often think about the person my watch was originally issued to, where he worked, what readings it would have indicated, and his fate. Wherever you are -- whatever realm you find yourself in -- I will endeavor to take care of your watch.

Happy and Safe Rad Hunting!

[admin]

Originally Posted on: Tue Jan 11 2022 16:08:45 GMT-0500 (Eastern Standard Time)


As promised, here is a "Have I Found Anything Radioactive?" report for the Polimaster 1208M Gamma Detector Watch:

I did find something radioactive, but unfortunately, I cannot tell you about it at this time.

What I can say is the following:

• As we know, some buildings are made with materials that contain natural radioactive substances.
• This is not limited to drywall.  Radioactive materials can be found in the cement used to pour a buildings' floors.
• There is no threat at all to the general public from what I found.
• Even for people that could be exposed to the radioactivity that I found, levels are well below any level of concern.  They are far below levels in other places where people work/live continuously.
• There is some evidence that low doses of ionizing radiation can actually be beneficial. See for example: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6149023/
  In this case, the level of radiation above background could be so low as to not have any effect -- even beneficial.

What's the point of posting about something I can't actually report on?

• It shows the advantage of having a continuously wearable device that can alert you to acute radiation dose.
• It also clearly illustrates the difference between the Polimaster 1208M's reaction time, and it's sensitivity.  While it did take the Polimaster 1208M nearly 15 minutes to react to the situation I came across, it clearly showed me I was in an area with a higher than background ionizing radiation level.
• I'm not saying everyone needs to run out an buy a PM1280M, or drop $2K for an MTM Rad Watch. I also do not get any sponsorship from any radiation detector vendor. However, I do suggest that people purchase a basic alpha, beta, gamma detector device, and use it to explore anyplace then spend significant time. This includes homes, hotels, office or work areas, and prospective new homes.

[admin]

I'd like to add a little bit of information to my "Have I Found Anything Radioactive?" report for the Polimaster 1208M Gamma Detector Watch

What follows is a detailed description of exactly how my Polimaster 1208M alerted me.

I was standing in a room in a building I do not normally visit. It is laid out similarly to a conference room, with a large table with chairs and a white board at one end. The table does not extend to the full length of the room, and people, including myself were standing in the open area behind the table. At least 20 people total -- counting those seated at the table, and those standing -- were present. There is a conferencing phone on the table.

At some point, I became aware of a beeping sound. At first, I thought someone had set an alarm (time based) on their watch or phone. I soon became aware that it was my watch that was beeping. I thought that was strange, because I did not remember setting an alarm (time alarm) on my watch.

I (obviously) wasn't thinking about Ionizing Radiation.

It was about this time that my brain started functioning My Polimaster 1208M was in radiation alarm mode. By this time, other people were looking around to see who had an alarm set on there watch, and wasn't reacting to it. I pressed the backlight button to silence the alarm, and checked the display.

My next thought was that someone in the room had recently undergone a medical test. Those of us standing were packed in fairly tightly, so I figured that any one of them could have been the cause of the alarm. I was determined to discreetly find out who.

Once I felt that I no longer had eyes on me from the beeping, I began to subtly move around the room to see if counts increased near any particular individual. About this time, people started to leave. The counts did not increase or decrease. With only a few people left in the room, I discreetly began to "survey" the room. I stood in each corner of the room. I stood near pieces of furniture to see if there was something in a drawer.

Given the crowd of "mostly water" meat radiation shields (the other people) that were in the room when the radiation alarm started, if there was a single object in the room, I would have expected the source to be very obvious with the meat shields gone. However the readings did not increase in any part of the room. Suspecting an possible (and worrisome) external event, I exited the building. By the time I go to the parking lot, my Polimaster 1208M had returned to a normal backround indication.

Take Aways:

• The piezo speaker in the Polimaster 1208M is loud enough to be heard in a room with lots of (again "mostly water") sound absorbers, normal talking, a phone on speaker mode, and other sounds present in a room full of people.
• The piezo speaker in the Polimaster 1208M sounds just like any other vintage watch.
• While I was in the building for approximately 15 minutes before I became aware of the beeping and the sound, it does not mean that the Polimaster 1208M is not sensitive or is slow to react to react to danger. First, there was/is no danger. The radiation level (later verified with other equipment) was well below any hazardous (even for extended occupancy). Second, the 15 minutes includes my becoming aware of the beeping in a crowded room with other noise.