bionerd23 | a simple but fully portable sound card gamma spectrometer! @bionerd23 | Uploaded April 2012 | Updated October 2024, 14 hours ago.
for this gamma spectrometer, you only need a computer with a soundcard and a scintillation detector... and the "gamma spectacular" box, or - if you're good with electronics - you can even build the interface yourself (see below).

i tried tapping into my ludlum 3's circuit - but while an oscilloscope saw the proper pulses, my soundcard just saw gibberish. unable to fix this, i decided to finally purchase the "gamma spectacular" - and am more than happy with it! =)

the "gamma spectacular" is made and offered by Steven Sesselmann:
http://beeresearch.com.au/
Steven's youtube channel with lots of helpful videos:
youtube.com/user/beeresearch

the FREE "pulse recorder / analyzer" as well as "intune" software is made by Marek Dolleiser:
http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~marek/

the (not free) software "fitzpeaks" is made by Jim Fitzgerald:
jimfitz.demon.co.uk/fitzpeak.htm

some videos of people who tapped into their detectors, grabbing the signal / pulses directly - cheaper than the "gamma spectacular", but requires knowledge about electronics, apparently:
- youtube.com/watch?v=D2TCVGIZVuU
- youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ6LNt_mAlg

my video about scintillation counters:
youtube.com/watch?v=kRVpm6JPibw

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