Exploranium GR-135 User guide

GR-135
THE IDENTIFIER
SYSTEM MANUAL
Part #87317-1 Rev.3.4
July 2004

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GR-135
THE IDENTIFIER
SYSTEM MANUAL
Table of Contents
1.0 GENERAL SYSTEM DESCRIPTION:....................................................................................6
1.1 GR-135 HARDWARE VERSIONS ....................................................................................6
1.2 GR-135 OPERATIONAL MODES.....................................................................................6
1.3 SOFTWARE RELEASES .................................................................................................6
2.0 SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & FEATURES.................................................................................7
2.1 OPERATIONAL FUNCTIONS..........................................................................................7
2.2 SYSTEM FEATURES......................................................................................................7
3.0 JOYSTICK OPERATION ................................................................................................... 11
4.0 QUICK START – MANUAL MODE..................................................................................... 12
5.0 DETAILED OPERATION GUIDE ....................................................................................... 13
5.1 JOYSTICK..................................................................................................................13
5.2 POWER .....................................................................................................................13
5.3 SWITCHING FROM AUTOMATIC MODE TO MANUAL MODE..........................................15
5.4 DISPLAY CONTRAST ..................................................................................................16
5.5 MAIN MENU ..............................................................................................................16
5.6 STABILIZATION.........................................................................................................17
5.7 EXTERNAL AUDIO......................................................................................................17
6.0 SEARCH+DOSE ...............................................................................................................18
6.1 SEARCH MODE ..........................................................................................................18
6.2 HIGH DOSE...............................................................................................................18
6.3 NEUTRON ALARM ......................................................................................................19
6.4 SEARCH ALARM.........................................................................................................19
6.5 SEARCH - AUDIO.......................................................................................................19
6.6 SEARCH MODE - DATA RECORDING ...........................................................................19
7.0 IDENTIFY........................................................................................................................ 21
7.1 IDENTIFY DISPLAY ....................................................................................................21
7.2 ANALYSIS MENU........................................................................................................22
7.3 STORE SPECTRUM.....................................................................................................22
7.4 START MEAS .............................................................................................................22
7.4.1 DATA OVERFLOW ..........................................................................................23
7.5 SEE SPECTRUM .........................................................................................................23
7.5.1 SEE SPECTRUM...............................................................................................23
7.6 PEAK ANALYSIS.........................................................................................................24
7.7 NUCLIDE IDENT ........................................................................................................25

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7.7.1 NUCLIDE DETAILS............................................................................................25
7.7.2 NEUTRONS.....................................................................................................26
7.7.3 OTHER DISPLAY LABELS .................................................................................26
8.0 STABILIZE....................................................................................................................... 27
8.1 STABILIZATION - GENERAL........................................................................................27
8.2 AUTO-STABILIZATION IN THE DOCKING STATION – AUTOMATIC MODE .....................27
8.3 MANUAL-STABILIZATION IN THE DOCKING STATION .................................................27
8.4 AUTOMATIC CORRECTION WHEN IN USE...................................................................28
9.0 DATA MEMORY ...............................................................................................................29
9.1 STATUS.....................................................................................................................29
9.1.1 MEMORY SPACE..............................................................................................29
9.2 DUMP........................................................................................................................30
9.3 ERASE.......................................................................................................................30
9.4 MEM SCAN ................................................................................................................30
10.0 SETUP ........................................................................................................................... 32
10.1 SEARCH ....................................................................................................................32
10.2 STABILIZE.................................................................................................................34
10.3 IDENTIFY..................................................................................................................35
10.3.1 DETECTOR.....................................................................................................35
10.3.2 NaI................................................................................................................36
10.3.3 CZT ...............................................................................................................38
10.3.4 NEUTRON ......................................................................................................38
10.4 DOSE........................................................................................................................39
10.5 DATE/TIME ...............................................................................................................40
10.6 ROIS.........................................................................................................................40
10.7 MISCELLANEOUS.......................................................................................................40
11.0 MAINTENANCE ............................................................................................................. 42
11.1 MAINTENANCE MENU ................................................................................................42
11.2 LIBRARY ...................................................................................................................42
11.3 CHARGING................................................................................................................42
11.4 REMOTE....................................................................................................................42
11.5 DEFAULTS.................................................................................................................43
11.5 ADC TEST .................................................................................................................43
12.0 SPECIFICATIONS.......................................................................................................... 44
APPENDIX A - AUTOMATIC MODE OPERATION .................................................................... 48
APPENDIX B - IDENTIVIEW SOFTWARE ............................................................................... 57
APPENDIX C - OPERATION WITHOUT THE DOCKING-STATION........................................... 69
APPENDIX D - NUCLIDE LIBRARIES ..................................................................................... 71
APPENDIX F - DOCKING STATION DETAILS ......................................................................... 71
APPENDIX G – RECOMMENDED PARAMETERS...................................................................... 73
APPENDIX H – WIPE TEST (OPTIONAL)................................................................................ 74

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APPENDIX J – SENSOR LOCATIONS....................................................................................... 76
APPENDIX X – WARRANTY..................................................................................................... 77
APPENDIX Z - DOCKING-STATION TEST SOURCE SPECS ...................................................... 79

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GR-135 – THE IDENTIFIER

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GR-135
THE IDENTIFIER
SYSTEM MANUAL
1.0 GENERAL SYSTEM DESCRIPTION:
The GR-135 - THE IDENTIFIER - represents a major breakthrough in the field of
radiation monitoring, offering the user not only the ability to search for and locate radioactive
material but also to automatically identify the radioactive nuclides present. This capability in a
fully portable hand-held unit will permit its use in a wide variety of applications including :
- Hazard identification and risk assessment
- Inspection of incoming and outgoing material for radioactive contamination
- Inspection of radioactive gauges for leaks
- SEARCH of waste sites for radioactive material
- Employee exposure rate and dose monitoring
- Radioactive source monitoring
- Government inspection for material compliance
- Identification of unknown radioactive material
- Regulatory control of radioactive material
- Classification of radioactive material for a wide variety of users
1.1 GR-135 HARDWARE VERSIONS
a) GR-135 – the basic GR-135 model is a 2-detector system – utilizing a Sodium-Iodide detector
for high sensitivity and a G-M detector for extended Dose Rate range. This model replaces the
older GR-130 model
b) GR-135N – a 3-detector system – in addition to the Sodium-Iodide detector and G-M
detector there is an additional NEUTRON detector
c) GR-135CN – a 4 detector system - in addition to the Sodium-Iodide, G-M and NEUTRON
detectors this model incorporates an additional CZT detector for special applications.
d) DOCKING STATION – all of these models can be supplied with a Docking Station, which
permits operation in a special AUTOMATIC mode highly suitable for semi-technical users
(Appendix A).
1.2 GR-135 OPERATIONAL MODES
The GR-135 can be operated in 2 different modes.
a) AUTOMATIC MODE – restricted to SEARCH and IDENTIFY functions only. All other functions
are disabled to simplify system use by non-technical personnel – available only to DOCKING-
STATION users
b) MANUAL MODE – unrestricted system operation
Selection between modes is via a special switch in the battery compartment to restrict
unauthorized adjustments.
1.3 SOFTWARE RELEASES
This manual describes the current software release as defined in the title, all information
regarding system software or hardware changes and improvements are detailed in Appendix Y.

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2.0 SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & FEATURES
This manual fully describes the MANUAL mode so full system functionality is covered
See Appendix A for AUTOMATIC mode operation
2.1 OPERATIONAL FUNCTIONS
The GR-135 may be operated in 2 Primary radiation monitoring functions.
a) SEARCH + DOSE mode
In this mode, the GR-135 acts as SEARCH Meter displaying the current COUNT RATE in
counts/sec. A variable-tone AUDIO will indicate radiation intensity with an automatic audio meter
or user adjusted alarm level. A “chart-record” of the last 100 data points is displayed on the
screen during the SEARCH. This mode is typically used to search for radioactive material or to
carry out Total-Count grid Search.
This mode also displays the current DOSE RATE (in selectable units and quantities) as well as
ACCUMULATED DOSE from the time the mode was enabled. The dose meter is used to
determine the relative hazard level and to assess handling requirements of a radioactive material.
Dose Search of an area can also be carried out in this mode
b) IDENTIFY mode – (Nuclide Identification)
In this mode, the GR-135 accumulates spectral data from a sample and analyses the spectrum in
terms of emitted energy level and net count contribution. The nuclides responsible for producing
the spectrum are identified by comparison to a nuclide library and presented in tabular form.
This essential information can then be used to determine risk assessment. If the optional CZT
detector is used the unit automatically decides on detector use as determined by the source
signature, so this is fully automatic.
2.2 SYSTEM FEATURES
a) INSTRUMENT BODY - The instrument body consists of 2 primary parts, the lower case and top
panel. The lower case is deep-formed aluminum that provides a strong basic structure. The top
panel is specially formed ABS plastic that minimizes weight while maintaining the ruggedness of
the unit. The combination of the two parts provides a high degree of system strength, suitable
for field operations where mechanical abuse may be unavoidable.
b) DETECTOR –
1- NaI - The 4.0 cu. in. (0.065L) Sodium-Iodide [NaI (Tl)] detector assembly is specially
designed for rugged environments. The NaI crystal is enclosed in a specially molded
rubber sleeve to give a high degree of mechanical protection against shock and is fully
enclosed within the instrument body.
2 - GM – the rugged GM tube is mounted just behind the instrument front face and is used
to extend the Dose Rate range to 1R+ for special applications
3 - NEUTRON – this detector is a solid-state non-gaseous detector with high sensitivity and
has no travel restrictions.
4 - CZT - this optional detector is used in special applications to improve the systems Nuclide
ID capability. CZT is a specialized detector with a resolution approx twice that of Sodium-
Iodide thus allowing discrimination of some peaks that are impossible to see on a NaI
detector.
c) HANDLE - The handle is a custom designed molded rubber part with a carefully designed
diameter and special indentations for fingers. The rubber type was selected to give a good
balance between strength and comfort.

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d) JOYSTICK - The GR-135 has only one operating control - the rubber-covered joystick on the
handle. All system functions are controlled by the JOYSTICK that permits very easy instrument
functions EVEN WHEN WEARING GLOVES IN A BIOHAZARD SUIT. The JOYSTICK is a
specially designed switch with five actions – UP, DOWN, LEFT, and RIGHT. The JOYSTICK and
use of menu driven functions makes the GR-135 very easy to operate and avoids the necessity of
“memorizing” complex sequences of action.
OPTIONAL: for AUTOMATIC mode users only – a handle with a single PUSH-BUTTON switch is
available to make user actions as simple as absolutely possible.
e) DISPLAY - An LCD is used for the GR-135 to permit a full range of alphanumeric and graphic
display capabilities. This LCD gives excellent contrast in high light conditions but is not easily
visible in low light conditions.
To solve this problem, the system has a “BACKLITE” function, which provides excellent visibility
in a low light environment. The display contrast may also be manually adjusted depending on
ambient light conditions. The unit also incorporates automatic temperature compensation to
maintain correct contrast even when the temperature substantially changes.
f) BACK-DOOR - The GR-135 has a back door that is removable by a ¼ turn of the integrated
handle. The door may be removed to allow access to the battery compartment to change
batteries and the I/O connectors as required. These connectors are for use when the supplied
Docking-Station is inconvenient. The door is gasketed to provide a high degree of water
protection when in place.
Rear View with Battery Door Removed
COM - RS-232 Communication Connector
AUTOMATIC/MANUAL SWITCH
12 - VDC – Battery Charging Connector
EARPHONEJACK
g) BATTERIES - The GR-135 requires two D-cell batteries. Three types of batteries can be used.
Standard Nickel-Cadmium rechargeable batteries provide 8 hours of normal operation when fully
charged. Nickel-Metal Hydride rechargeable batteries provide 12 hours of operation when fully charged.
Alkaline batteries may also be used. They provide 12 hours of normal operation.

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WARNING: Users are reminded not to place the GR-135 in the Docking Station, or connect
any battery charger to the unit while alkaline batteries are being used, as this will result in
battery leakage and extensive system damage.
While rechargeable batteries are shipped fully charged, they will self-discharge with time when not in
use. It is important to condition new batteries, whether received with the system or purchased
separately. Conditioning is achieved by first totally discharging the batteries in the GR-135 unit outside
the docking station and then fully charging them in the docking station for at least 12 hours.
NOTE: To get reliable performance and full capacity out of the batteries throughout their life, it is
important to let them fully discharge and then fully re-charge for 12 hours at least once every two
months. This will assure that the batteries provide 8 (12) hours of operation.
WARNING: Leaving the GR-135 in the docking station with the backlight activated over a long period of
inactivity may cause the batteries to be totally discharged. It is recommended to turn the backlight off if
the unit is not expected to be used within 4 hours. Alternately, it is advisable to lift the GR-135 from the
docking station and put it back at least once a day. This restores the charging cycle during the
prolonged period of inactivity.
h) BATTERY-CHARGER – in the GR-135 the battery charger is INTERNAL. This feature has been
added as this permits the battery charging system to be fully under software control. With the
increased availability of specialty batteries, this feature means that a wide variety of battery types
can be used in the instrument – the user simply selects battery type and the charger automatically
selects the correct charging parameters for this battery type.
i) DOCKING STATION (DS) – a Docking-Station is normally supplied with the GR-135. This
device is a cradle that the GR-135 unit sits in. The cradle is connected to the AC connection, has
an internal radioactive source (exempt quantity) and may be connected to a PC. 4 “fingers”
on the base of the GR-135 connect to mating 4 fingers on the Docking Station to provide
charging and data connections without opening the rear access data door.
The DOCKING STATION system comprises:
- the DS chassis - a special base that the GR-135 is seated in
- the system Test Source mechanically embedded in the DS
- an AC adaptor
- an RS-232 signal cable
Note that a stick on label (see fig) is on the DS
unit that specifies the fact that the internal test
source requires no licensing and no transport
restrictions apply. See the last page in this
manual for specific details of the applicable
documents to source possession and
transportation.
NON-DS OPERATION - Most users find that the Docking Station internal source makes it easier
to control sources, as small system test sources are easy to lose. For users who find the
Docking-Station operation unsuitable to their application – please advise Exploranium as a special
NON-DS KIT is available as an option that provides special cabling for charging/data I/O and a
test source to permit NON DS operation (see Appendix C)
This unit includes a very low activity radioactive
source. This source has NO license limitations
and NO shipping limitations apply as it is
considered an EXCEPTED PACKAGE as specified in
US NRC 49CFR 173.424 for radioactive material,
excepted package-instruments or articles,
UN2910.

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k) SYSTEM SUPPORT SOFTWARE - Support software named IdentiView is provided with the GR-
135 on a CD-ROM. This is a Windows based program and operates under Windows 95, 98, NT and
2000. The program is described in Appendix B and provides data downloading, data display,
custom library uploading, spectrum display analysis and various other features - as well as ASCII
downloading to produce the data in a format suitable for importing into various Spreadsheet
programs.
l) BOOT - A yellow “boot” is provided with the unit. This boot is custom molded from a
compressive material and, once installed, provides a high level of protection from accidental
mechanical damage. With the boot in place, the unit’s basic rugged design is further improved,
enabling the unit to withstand accidental drops or “knocks” against hard material. The boot also
provides an advantage when the unit is placed on wet or muddy ground by keeping the unit
clean and free from dirt. Note that this boot adds slightly to the system weight and is easily
removed if required, however Exploranium recommends using the unit with the boot in place
whenever possible.
m) VINYL CARRYING CASE - The system is supplied with a soft vinyl carrying case with shoulder
strap for easy transportation of the GR-135. An easy-open zipper flap allows access to the
instrument while providing additional weather protection. The carry-case also has an external
pocket for carrying notebooks, etc.
n) MANUAL - This user manual is supplied with the instrument. A special manual titled USER
MANUAL (AUTOMATIC mode), which covers only the limited AUTOMATIC mode operation
fully described in Appendix A, is available as required.
o) SHIPPING/STORAGE CASE - The GR-135 system is shipped to the customer in a rugged black
polyurethane carrying case that is fully waterproof and highly shock resistant. This case is
intended for shipping and/or storage purposes. It is equipped with a pressure purge valve and is
capable of withstanding air-cargo shipping abuse while offering a high level of protection to the
instrument. On site, most users carry the GR-135 in the vinyl carry-case leaving the storage case
back at the office. However, if the unit is to be transported under conditions where it could be
bumped or dropped, the shipping case is recommended and would prevent other luggage from
damaging the instrument.
NOTE : Even if the user does not intend to use the polyurethane storage case, it should be
kept in storage as Exploranium will only honor the full instrument warranty if the GR-
135 is returned in this (or a similar) case.