Live streaming of radiation monitor in Santa Monica, CA

[Liberal_in_LA]

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/live-radiation-monitoring-from-west-la

[cui bono]

1. Wow. Can't believe the racist chat on there.

:wtf:

Fucking internet a-holes.

Thanks for the link though.

[Liberal_in_LA]

18. Glad I didn't read the comments. Sick of that anonymous internet racist sh*t

[cui bono]

20. Yeah, it was mostly late last night. Not noticing it today. n/t

[2banon]

2. Wish there was a primer on what the meter readings mean

there's a digital number that seems to fluctuate, but have no idea what the numbers mean in terms of radioactive toxicity levels. good to have a link.. now we just need a primer.. :shrug:

[Quixote1818]

3. I think 100 means very low levels of radiation

It got up to around 70 for a few seconds.

[Quixote1818]

4. Actually there is an explanation on that page

Here is what it said:


When should I be worried?

A range of normal background radiation at this location at this time over several days has been determined to be between 40 to 46 CPM. These measurements are similar to background measurements taken in this location over long periods of time prior to the partial meltdowns in Japan.

Should radiation measured by the Inspector begin to rise to double background, we will be concerned. If the measurements go to triple background and above for a sustained period of time in the next few days, we might deduce that this may be coming from the Japan nuclear disaster.


So then sustained numbers around 120 would be from Japan.

[upi402]

6. Doubled numbers = concern. Triple numbers = a deduction

I'm thinking of a deducing something too! lol

[2banon]

21. thank you for the information

sometimes i get a bit blurry eyed.. and sometimes i just get flummoxed with technical data/info. Now we just have to hope that the site managers are not low balling the significance of the readings.. I intend to bookmark that site and remember to regularly monitor for the next several weeks.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Counts per Minute

this is pretty much background

100... that is of concern if it lasts about an hour.

As far as I know they sometimes spike to 100 when they got a nearby source, see your truck with an x-ray core being moved, for example, or a medical truck with medical isotopes and even those are RARE as hell. But rarely they spike for a second or less, as in so rarely they are logged, that's it)

I will be freaked (and it won't) if it reaches 10,000

[flamingdem]

7. The say on the site that when it averages and goes up to 900 that people

freak out so now they cover it with a piece of paper during averaging!

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. And that would be as rare as hell

as I said, if they ever get anything beyond oh 5,000 I will get really nervous. I will cross into officially freaked at 10K.... which reminds me I was screaming at the radio the other day with that from a reporter. She got 10K on her shoes, and was told no problem... just wash shoes with soap and water... granted that is what you do, but... 10K is more than an official freak out number. (It is well in the yellow if memory serves)

[flamingdem]

9. I saw that they just made the reporters scrub their shoes with soap

and no gloves even.. I don't get it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Soap and water, that is how you do gross

decontamination. Gloves... I suspect they are running out of them.

Hell I am sure they are starting to run out of NBC gear.

That yellow suit has a limited service life once you put it on. The same goes for the nitrile gloves and yes duct tape works great for this. As much as people here make fun. You seal your suit with it.

[Hannah Bell]

10. the one on the left, which currently (this moment) reads "40" is the actual radiation reading.

the instrument on the left i believe is one of those digital weather monitors.

temp, time, humidity, etc.

here's more:

http://www.radiationnetwork.com/

Depending on your location within the US, your elevation or altitude, and your model of Geiger counter, this background radiation level might average anywhere from 5 to 60 CPM, and while background radiation levels are random, it would be unusual for those levels to exceed 100 CPM. Thus, the "Alert Level" for the National Radiation Map is 100 CPM, so if you see any Monitoring Stations with CPM value above 100, further indicated by an Alert symbol over those stations, it probably means that some radioactive source above and beyond background radiation is responsible.

[jannyk]

12. What is Normal? nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. That is normal

100 it is a bit high

but nothing to write home about unless it lass for hours on end.

My concerned woud be 5K and freaked would be 10K

[Hannah Bell]

14. explanation on the page:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x687106#687212

also, from another source:

Depending on your location within the US, your elevation or altitude, and your model of Geiger counter, this background radiation level might average anywhere from 5 to 60 CPM, and while background radiation levels are random, it would be unusual for those levels to exceed 100 CPM. Thus, the "Alert Level" for the National Radiation Map is 100 CPM, so if you see any Monitoring Stations with CPM value above 100, further indicated by an Alert symbol over those stations, it probably means that some radioactive source above and beyond background radiation is responsible.

http://www.radiationnetwork.com/


i'm trying to find some explanation of equivalence between sieverts & CPM but not having much luck. this is the best i've found (as far as comprehensibility for laypeople) but have no idea if it's accurate:

http://www.simon-cozens.org/content/radiation-tokyo-how-read-geiger-counter.

[Sirveri]

15. I was always taught, 100CPM ABOVE background is a high rad level.

So long as it remains below that it's just a normal fluctuation. Also other atmospheric effects can tweak the reading. If the guy next door decides to start painting his house, you will see this meter spike into the thousands of CPM.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. Yep, and 100 CPM For a second or less might be

From a medical gear move. If it stays like that for an hour be concerned...

[karnac]

16. here is one in tokyo on a window sill.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/%E3%82%AC%E3%82%A4%E3%82%AC%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AB%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3%E3%82%BF

it averages around 25 cpm or so. about 5 days ago I saw it spike at around 45. actually, there is another on ustream and it averages about 13-15. and NOT near a window.

not sure of course, but i think the santa monica reading is more due to background. just too far away.

[Liberal_in_LA]

19. Thanks. It's about 21 now