BNC 951 nukeALERT Preventative Early Warning Radiation Detector - Manual (Page 2)

I N T R O D U C T I O N
About Berkeley Nucleonics
Founded in 1963, Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation
(BNC), is a leading manufacturer of precision
electronic instrumentation for test, measurement
and nuclear research. Headquartered in San Rafael,
CA, BNC operates several manufacturing facilities
and sales offices throughout the U.S. BNC’s
nuclear detection products serve industries
involved in environmental monitoring, health
physics, emergency response and power genera-
tion. BNC is committed to maintaining its tradition
of technical excellence by providing responsive
solutions to the rapidly changing nuclear industry
and its customers. BNC products are manufactured
and assembled in the U.S.A.
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
3 General Description of Operation
4 Specifications
5 Operating Instructions for User
7 Accessories
8 Maintenance and Battery Management
9 Calibration Data
10 Warranty
3
n u k e A L E R T M O D E L 9 5 1
Personal Radiation Detector –
General Description of Operation
The nukeALERT is a highly portable, rugged, all-
weather radiation detector that’s small enough to
wear on a belt yet powerful enough to quickly locate
low-level radioactive sources, even in a warehouse full
of boxes. Designed to discreetly monitor any environ-
ment without intrusion or disruption of civilian activities,
the nukeALERT can be set to notify the user by vibra-
tion or audible alarm whenever gamma radiation
exceeds natural background levels. The nukeALERT ‘s
simple operation and highly readable display provide
an automatically updated strength indicator in less than
1 second, allowing a rapid area sweep to identify the
exact location of any radiation source.
When activated, the nukeALERT measures the back-
ground radiation count for 30 seconds, and then uses
that value to establish a noise floor. Any radiological
isotope that comes within range of the nukeALERT
will activate the audio or vibration alarm, and the
nukeALERT display will show a value from “1” to “9”
or “H“ (HOTZONE) to indicate the intensity of the
radiation detected. The intensity corresponding to these
numbers is shown on page 9. The audio and vibration
alarms increase in repetition rate the closer the
nukeALERT is brought to the radiation source. The
source of the radiation can be quickly found by scan-
ning the area and using the alarm as an intensity indica-
tor. The range of detection can vary from hundreds of
meters to just a few, depending on how large and
powerful the radiation source is and how much
material is between the source and the nukeALERT.
Features and Benefits
• All-temperature, all-weather detector
• Self-powered, with 2 year battery life
• Rugged (can survive a 3 foot drop onto concrete)
• Audible alarm or discreet silent operation
• Easy to use; no training required
• Automatic calibration to filter background radiation
• Adaptable for operation near x-ray machines
• Bright display operates in day or night