How to Hack a Simple Geiger Counter for IoT #CitizenScience #radiation #DIY #environment
A Geiger counter is a handy device, but imagine adding its spikes to the internet, making it a super citizen science tool. Surfdmountain, a snowboarder with a passion for Arduino, has done just that. He’s taken a MightyOhm DIY Geiger Counter and combined it with the power of an ESP8266-12E board to get the data to a website. Although he doesn’t have a tutorial yet (he is known by dmainmon on Instructables), he does show most of the work on his two videos. Not only is this build able to get data to the web, but eventually surfdmountain is hoping to have it solar powered, which makes sense given all his outdoor adventuring.
In the first video, you can see the functioning device, as well as the web page with its clear gauges—one for the level of radiation and one for the level of the battery. The second video highlights the cleaner version of wiring using headers with multiple rails to allow for different ESP8266 boards. There is the possibility of piggybacking the ESP8266 on the geiger counter or even adding an OLED display.
This is a neat build for a classroom project or just for individuals interested in taking their own readings and posting them to the net. We happen to carry the MightyOhm Geiger Counter Kit in our store, so feel free to give it a spin. You’ll have fun soldering the parts, and your completed detector will blink and beep, making it a fun way to test things like bananas. Are you worried because it looks a bit bare? Well, we’ve got the case available, too. Make it a new year’s resolution to add more science into your life!
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I hooked a Mighty Ohm geiger counter up to a Raspbery Pi and now it can’t stop tweeting its readings. Every hour on the hour.
https://twitter.com/GeigerTweeter1