If you want to work with radioactive material, a cheap Geiger counter isn’t really what you want. According to [Project 326], what you need is a gamma ray spectrometer.
The video below reviews the Radiacode 110. This channel has reviewed other Radiacode products before, and they haven’t always been impressed. So, is the 110 any better?
The Radiacode 110 is a compact spectrometer that uses a scintillation crystal to perform spectrographic analysis. It comes equipped with a large library of materials, allowing you to point it at a radioactive source and identify both the type of material and its radioactivity level.
While the smartphone app that accompanies the device appears well designed, the Windows application left something to be desired. Even so, the device was able to successfully identify several isotopes.
Interestingly, the Radiacode 110 can pick up some alpha emitters that wouldn’t normally register directly. It does this by identifying some materials through their decomposition products. Unlike some earlier models, this device is touted for being both highly sensitive and high-resolution.
To put these claims to the test, [Project 326] built a lead shielding structure and measured a reference sample. After crunching the numbers, they confirmed that the Radiacode 110’s claimed performance is accurate. It could even detect very low-energy sources, though it did have some limitations.
The ergonomics of the device could be improved, but overall, it delivers solid performance.
Do you need a gamma ray spectrometer? We don’t know. But if you do, chances are you don’t need us to tell you.
https://hackaday.com/2025/10/25/a-nuclear-physics-lab-in-your-pocket/