Technical characteristics. Usage impressions.

That Lviv “Sparing-Vist” is going to release a new device, I first heard at the end of the past 2011 and, in confidence, I saw it on a computer screen, in the design process. And at the end of this summer I was given the finished device – a small black box with a mini-tablet Samsung Galaxy S, for testing.

The “Gamma Sapiens” intellectual gamma radiation detector

The device itself is a plastic box with rounded edges, the size – just over a key trinket. Body made of matte plastic and looks pretty strong. Parts of the case fit well, nothing squeaks. The battery cover looks a bit flimsy and has a small gap (I had the engineering model and the manufacturer has promised to improve the cover). On the front panel there is a start button and LED (in operating mode it flashes green, when the battery discharges – red).

Packaging – the usual white cardboard box.
Delivery set: the “Gamma Sapiens” intellectual gamma radiation detector, leather case, user’s guide and warranty card.

From the appearance I will proceed to the internal content of “Gamma Sapiens”. I did not disassemble the unit, but apparently it is based on a well-established pattern on the detector SBM-20. Simply speaking this is the new Terra MKS-05 without screen, on the other processor firmware (device responds more quickly to changes of EDR) and no ability to measure beta radiation. The latter clearly related to the design features of the devise. As seen in the lower right picture, for reducing the size of the devise, the detector is placed between the two batteries, and as a result, won in outer dimensions, but have lost the opportunity to have a removable beta filter. On the other hand, if there is a need in addition to gamma to measure also beta radiation there are other solutions in the “Sparing-Vist” line of products: Terra MKS-05 and Stora-TU (last version with Bluetooth).

The basic technical characteristics

Let’s proceed to the software “GS Ecotest”. I will not retype here the text from the user manual and just describe the main features and characteristics of “GS Ecotest”.

As I think, everyone already understood, that “Gamma Sapiens” is a part of the measuring system and its work requires a control and display unit, for which is used a smartphone/tablet running on Android (version 2.2 and higher) and Bluetooth. In my case it was a mini-tablet Samsung Galaxy S Wi-Fi 4.0. In the near future, the manufacturer promises also to please owners of iPhone/iPad with a version of the software for iOS.

So what can “Gamma Sapiens” together with this software do? It can measure the power of ambient equivalent dose of gamma radiation (DER); count the gathered dose; store in memory certain measuring points with the date, geographic coordinates and comments; save gathered doses for certain periods (sessions); program any amount of the alarm threshold levels of exceeding of the DER and gathering dose. It can also view saved measurement results with reference to the map (Google Maps). Such features set is quite enough even for professional tasks, not to mention about residential use. Software interface is simple and straightforward. I looked in user manual only after a month of testing, just out of curiosity.

It is possible to choose one of four options of the DER display scale. I liked the circular one. For convenience, it changes the size and colour depending on the level of the measured gamma radiation. The first “green” scale: 0–1 µSv/h, the second “yellow” scale: 0–100 µSv/h, the third “orange” scale: 0–1 mSv/h, the fourth “red” scale: 0–10 mSv/h. Interestingly enough, that although by passport the maximum measurement of DER is 5 mSv/h, “Gamma Sapiens” quite reliably measures even the higher levels. As seen on the photo below, the circular scale is not enough and arrow making a complete revolution, goes on the second round.

The summary..

To be honest, I am a little disconcerted. I really cannot find any flaws or disadvantages in this “measuring system”. Everything works as it should, nothing is buggy or hung. DER measuring range pleasantly gladden by unexpected wide, Bluetooth communication holds up to ten meters (again, more than stated in the technical specifications). I did not measured working time, but I replaced the battery only once in two months. There is no option to measure beta radiation, but the device is not being positioned as a universal, “Gamma Sapiens” is gamma detector. I noted in the cons lack of automatic entry points into memory, by time or by a change of coordinates (as, for example, it implemented in other software product of the “Ecotest”: “RadTrack Mobile”), though this option is hardly a priority.

But still there is a fly in this dosimetric ointment. Indeed, this is not a “Sparing-Vist” fly, but developers’ of the OS Android. Rather high power consumption of the OS Android devises has become a platitude and a source of jokes and anecdotes. With just fully charged battery mini-tablet Samsung Galaxy S when working together with “Gamma Sapiens” hardly hold out up to 4 hours... About what kind of portability we can speak here?

By the way there is good news for owners of the latest Terra MKS-05 and Stora-TU (with Bluetooth), “GS Ecotest” software can work with them, except that the device firmware may be upgraded. I had no possibility to test “GS Ecotest” with the new Terra MKS-05, but I tested it with the new Stora-TU, it works.

According to my personal 10-point scale, I give 9 points to devise. One point is going to reserve, just in case, and because the idea that the ideal device does not exist.

And at the end of the review I want to say about my attitude not as much to this “Gamma Sapiens” intellectual gamma radiation detector, but rather to the idea of so-called “intelligent detectors”. I must say that I’m pretty conservative in matters of instrument engineering and somehow for me is closer and more familiar some DP-5, or SRP. Although I cannot fail to note that smartphones and tablets rather firmly federated into all areas of our lives and use them in conjunction with such detectors opens up brand new opportunities for both end-users and manufacturers of dosimetric/radiometric equipment. “Gamma Sapiens” – is, so to speak, “the touchstone”. This is an attempt to take a fresh look at such fairly conservative area as dosimetry/radiometry. By entrusting the control of detectors, the collection and processing of data to smartphone/tablet, manufacturers can focus on the release of a full line of various detectors (X-rays, gamma, beta, alpha, neutrons), instead of over and over again “reinvent the wheel”, squeezing in every new product the set of similar functions.

So for me the “Gamma Sapiens” intellectual gamma radiation detector and software “GS Ecotest” it is not so much the new device as a new idea. And as for me, the idea is interesting and promising.

Gratitude for providing the device goes to SPPE “Sparing-Vist Centre”.

Author: Yevgen “KRANZ” Goncharenko