[aprssig] System Used For Geiger Counter Mobile - WD8ARZ

[WD8ARZ]

Been interesting following the discussion thread.

Items used to do mobile Geiger radiation posting of readings to two 
radiation map sites while mobile by Bill - WD8ARZ

Samsung NP700Z5C-S01UB Laptop i7 64 Bit - Quad core dual threaded 
providing 8 Cpu's. Internal 8 Gig flash drive, 8 Gig Simm, tera byte 
hard drive, three 3.0 Usb ports, Hdmi, 15.6" screen, long life battery. 
Windows 7

Inspector Alert Geiger Counter - First Responder model with pancake 
Halogen quenched Geiger Mueller tube, effective diameter 1.75".

GPS Puck, magnetic stick on roof. Terminates in usb connector.

Spring Smart Phone, Epic 3G - Did not use internet tethering by Sprint.

Klink Internet Tethering Software - Purchased
http://www.faveset.com/klink

Mineralab Geiger Graph software, purchased.
http://www.geigercounters.com/NetworkVersion.htm

Black Cat software, purchased.
http://www.blackcatsystems.com/GM/RadInterface.html

Virtual Serial Port Emulator (VSPE) - Free for 32 Bit, Purchase for 64 Bit
http://www.eterlogic.com/Products.VSPE.html

Black Cat and Mineralab software takes a Geiger counter output fed into 
a usb port, and posts that counts per minute data to its radiation map.  
http://www.blackcatsystems.com/RadMap/map.html  and 
http://www.radiationnetwork.com/

Both programs can be ran at the same time using seperate Geiger counters 
in the simplest setup. In a fixed location, manually input coordinates 
in each program. Connect to internet and it is that simple after 
configuration of each software program.

Each program collects data and stores to the hard drive, along with 
images of the chart display.

Each program can put GPS data into the raw data files.

Only Geiger Graph software will use the GPS data to automatically up 
date coordinates and post the moving data to the radiation map. But 
Black Cat software has a better statistical package, so it very useful 
for collecting data seperate from Geiger Graph.

System I configured used a single Geiger Counter and single GPS unit. 
For each program to use the same Geiger counter feed, and Gps feed, a 
serial port sharing method is needed. Method used here was the software 
called Virtual Serial Port Emulator (VSPE).

Geiger counter was plugged in to one usb port, Com 1.

Gps unit was plugged in to one usb port, Com 2.

VSPE was started and Com 1 was virtualised to Com 3

GPS was virtualised to Com 4.

Each Geiger counter software program would use Com 3 for Geiger counter 
data.

Each Geiger counter software program would use Com 4 for GPS data.

Epic 4g Smart phone used a serial cable from the phone and plugged into 
a serial port on the laptop. Phone was charged from this connection as well.

No other usb ports available, so mouse pad was used .... actually easy 
to use that way. Could have used a usb port expander if wanted. However 
mouse while mobile is not easy to use  :-)

Klink software was started on the phone and laptop, each was started to 
set up the link. Laptop then had internet.

So in a nut shell, needed internet, ran both programs, used single 
Geiger and gps units.

Had no problem sending mail and internet browsing at the same time as 
the radiation data was processed and sent.

By the way, used Kenwood TM-D700A with a mag mount antenna for APRS. GPS 
source was a AvMap Geosat 5 APRS unit. This unit not only is used for 
navigation, but is made to provide GPS data to the D700A, and the D700A 
puts the APRS stations it hears on the map of the G5.
http://www.avmap.us/products/aero/geosat_5_aprs-512/introduction

Used APRS WD8ARZ-9 to ping out Geiger Counter Mobile and a web site for 
those interested.

73 from Bill - WD8ARZ