GQ GMC-600 Plus Geiger Counter Radiation Detector Dosimeter Alpha Beta Gamma X-ray

Just as the title says, it's an amazing Geiger Counter for the price point. I needed a pancake tube Geiger Counter for alpha detection and this gets the job done wonderfully. It's got a wonderful UI (multiple options on how to display the text and a screen that rotates to fit current orientation), a solid amount of detection customization (including voltage adjustment and accuracy requirements), and even wifi connectivity to upload live data to a server (I don't need it specifically but it's a nice feature to have). You could of course go for something like a Gamma Scout if you need more precision and more detection features. But you'd then be paying double and likely waiting a lot longer to receive it (they were on backorder last time I checked). This however arrived 5 days after I ordered it. Overall, it's a solid detector with a lot of great features, customization, and solid quality for a very affordable price. I'm definitely going to be looking to GQ for any future detector needs.

I had a Geiger counter the 500+, and I decided to upgrade to the 600 though it might be thicker and larger slightly heavier the quality of this machine, and it’s cap capabilities is absolutely absolutely outstanding!!! Where my 500+ would only partial counts on the radiation levels on Uranium glass glass and uranium glaze along with radium, the 600+ shows everything and the numbers increased tenfold!!! It’s unreal to realize how much I was missing and not knowing the count per minute of radiation that I was receiving before I had the counter now I can store everything safely and appropriately! I happen to notice how durable this product is as well. I accidentally dropped my Geiger counter and thought it would truly break, but it held up 4 foot drop to concrete no issues.!!! Very impressive along with the battery life I’ve had this Geiger counter for months and my batteries still not to half!!! it comes with chargers and everything you need with the radiation level chart overall and an amazing product and will definitely recommend this to anybody!!!

The GQ GMC-600+ is a nice unit that's easy to use. The readings are easy to read. It also includes "Low," "Moderate," and "High" warnings based on the CPM reading. It would be nice if they provided a carrying case or protective boot. If you drop it on a hard surface, I doubt the plastic case will survive.I compared the GMC-600+ CPM reading with an S.E. International Ranger Alert reading with both of them flat on a granite countertop. The readings were essentially the same.I bought a uranium ore sample to use for testing/demonstration. It came in a metal container with a certification document from "Images SI Inc." stating that they tested the sample and measured 1,682 CPM using their GCA-07W geiger counter.To avoid contamination, I left the sample in its plastic bag while I tested it with my S.E International Ranger Alert and my GQ GMC-600+. Both the Ranger and the GMC-600+ have open windows with pancake detectors. Here are my results:Ranger readings:Direct contact with the plastic bag = 9,400 CPMSeparated by a piece of paper = 6,400 CPMWith plastic cap covering detector hole = 1,650GQ GMC-600+Direct contact with the plastic bag = 6,700The Ranger has a fine grid over the detector opening. The GMC-600+ has a plastic mesh covering a screen. So the sample was about 5 mm further from the GM tube and partially covered by the plastic grid.My conclusion is that both the GMC-600+ and the Ranger are much more sensitive than the GCA-07W. The Ranger is the most sensitive probably due to the fine mesh protector and the proximity of the grid to the GM tube.

I must say - if your are looking for an alpha-capable, "pancake" type detector with tons of feature - you cant go wrong with GQ-600 Plus. I have a whole bunch of different counters - Gamma Scout, Ludlum Model 3, Eberline ASP-1, Ludlum model 14C, SE International Alert Ranger and to be honest GQ-600+ is my favorite everyday counter!This design and execution has a lot of potential but some small details make it a bit annoying and unpolished.- plastic enclosure is made of thin brittle plastic which cracks VERY easily and feels extremely cheap - my unit cracked after 1 ft. drop onto a thick carpet (!!!)- the enclosure doesn't have the best ergonomics and feels a bit like you are holding a brick- buttons are missing any sort of markings and even for someone quite familiar with the unit, daily usage can be annoying when navigating thru the menu system.- the placement of the tube on the back of the unit is awkward, off-center and no markings on the front to remind of the exact location - this is really annoying when checking specific objects. I had to use a silver Sharpie to mark the tube's location and center on the front , around the display as a reference.- software has some bugs here and there and the whole UI is not quite polished - for an example when you have high reading (with 2 significant digits on the secondary display line) the "HIGH" msg partially covers the first digit making it unreadable. In Food Measurement mode another bug turns off the speaker and so on... They fixed the speaker bug in a new firmware release and didn't miss the chance to introduce a new one in the latest version when the unit will crash and restart, when it Text mode and reading is pretty high.- the company doesn't publish any firmware changelog or even the current version number and you just cant get the latest version from their website - you'll need to deal with their Support department back and forth until they send you an update.- they added a dosimeter function but did not update the manual for it.I love the wealth of information and features, the flexibility and settings and the large and readable display. The potential to be the best digital GM counter out there is definitely present but they need to go the extra mile and polish the UI, firmware and possibly revisit the flimsy enclosure.A protective cap on the back similar to the one of the Radiation Alert Ranger which can be used as an Alpha or Alpha+Beta shield would be a fantastic addition.Its a pity that GQ doesn't react to the feedback provided in their forum but there are enough good features in this counter for me to buy it again if need be.