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Operations Manual
- Introduction
- Powering the Device On
- Switching Between Modes
- Measuring Ionizing Radiation in Logging Mode
- Measuring Ionizing Radiation in Surface Mode
- Uploading Data to the Safecast Database With the Safecast API
- Uploading Data to Other Datasets
- Using Safecast With Mobile Apps
- Troubleshooting
- Warranty Information
- Hardware Cautions
- Resources and Support
The Safecast bGeigie Nano kit is a geo-tagged mobile sensor of ionizing radiation. It is equipped with Internet data sharing capability and optional wireless capability.
The term "radiation" refers to energy emitted by a source. This includes light, heat, microwaves, and other types of energy. Ionizing radiation is a type radiation that has so much energy that it removes electrons from the atoms and molecules that make up air, water, and living tissue. This activity can harm the molecules in our bodies, leading to diseases like cancer. Radiation can come from either natural or human-made sources. Natural sources include radioactive rocks, elements, and a radioactive gas called radon. Human-made sources include nuclear power plants and medical diagnostic tests, such as x-rays.
The bGeigie Nano measures alpha, beta, and gamma radiation.
Alpha Radiation - Alpha particles are charged particles that have a large mass and charge. As a result, they don't penetrate materials as easily as other types of ionizing radiation. They also don't travel very far.
Beta Radiation - Beta particles are similar to electrons. They are lighter than alpha particles and travel farther, up to a few feet through air.
Gamma Radiation - Gamma particles are the most powerful form of ionizing radiation. They travel very far at the speed of light and penetrate most materials easily. Thick layers of concrete, lead, steel, or similar materials are required to stop gamma particles.
The Nano's maximum operating range is about 350,000cpm, or 1mSv/h (1 millisievert per hour dose rate or 1000µSv/h microsieverts per hour) (micro sometimes written with u, uSv=µSv).
The Nano can be mounted on a car window. It can also be used in static or spot radiation detection. Nano users can submit their mobile radiation measurements to Safecast, an online global mapping system developed by Safecast and MIT Media Lab.
In addition, the Safecast Air records location, date, and time. The location data allows Safecast to map the measurements and understand the distribution of ionizing radiation. Safecast uses the date and time information to track how ionizing radiation concentrations change over time. The do-it-yourself kit allows for customization, cost savings, and learning.
The power switch is a sliding switch at the lower right. To turn the unit on, slide it to the up position.
The SAFECAST logo will appear on the display as the splash screen for about one second. The next start-up screen has these the name of model “bGeigie Nano”, the firmware version number, battery charge level, basic settings, and the user’s name (or other customizable information) are indicated.
- The bGeigie Nano has two operating (display and recording) modes, controlled by the toggle switch at upper right. Label on the transparent top panel: (to the right) "bq/m^2; uS/h", (to left) "log; cpm".
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The “up” position (to the right) switches the unit into Geiger counter mode without recording (no logging). Fields displayed on the OLED are indicators for uSv/h dose-rate (Cs137), max dose-rate, dosimeter, Bq/m2 display (Cs137), time stamp and Alarm LED.
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The “down” position puts the Nano into recording (logging, mobile tracking) mode. The OLED displays indicators for CPM and µSv/h, the number of satellites locked, altitude (meters), distance traversed (km), total duration of measurement (h:m), and time stamp (dd:hh:mm:ss). When bGeigie Nano is in recording mode, the display shows whether a micro SD memory card is inserted or not.
- In recording (logging) mode the display also shows a lock GPS indication. When the device locks onto GPS, it show the number of satellites found, and a small red LED will glow. The picture shows the “No GPS” message. In this case, GPS lock can be achieved by placing the device near a window and waiting for a few minutes
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The small Red LED will only glow if the GPS is locked, the SD card is present, the battery has more than 10% charge left, the unit has been on for one minute, and the Geiger tube is providing a pulse. It can be dimmed by putting the DIP switch #2 Off.
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The speaker "clicks" and a small blue LED blinks for each pulse from the Geiger tube. It can be dimmed by putting the DIP switch #1 Off.
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The red LED on GPS unit blinks every 1 second in case the GPS is not locked. After that, it blinks every 10 seconds once locked.
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The date/time is in UTC (formerly called GMT), rather than local time. The date/time stamp refreshes when a log data is written to the card, each line in file. The time stamp is used to create the LOG file name (e.g. "21080716.LOG" example described in DATA LOG section below). The UTC log filename may be +/- one day off from the local date of the measurement given time zones and IDL (International Date Line). The file metadata is not updated as the FAT library is slimmed down/missing features to fit in RAM. (The log's file creation date may read a default date of 01/01/2000. Sort logs by filename and not by date field.) When uploading a log, please enter its metadata in the required fields and submit for approval.
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GPS Reset Procedure (ver 1.3.0 and later): 1) turn off the bGeigie; 2) remove the SD card; 3) turn on the bGeigie; 4) leave it on one minute; 5) turn off again; 6) put in the SD card. During step 4, after about 10 seconds, the display will show a message "NO SD CARD/GPS Reset". (Powering up the unit without the SD card causes an error and a general re-initialization including the GPS controller.)
(using the Nano taken outside of its case for α- and more β-detection)
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removal from its case (with or without the rubber liner)
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photo how to best take unit out of case by using both thumbs to push in and swivel out the unit. (Can be reinserted into case as above or inside the removable rubber liner.)
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in uSv/Bq mode display also shows Peak dose rate (in uSv/h) and total accumulated dose (in uSv) and CPM
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uSv dose rate (put in case, hold 1m above ground, tilt around 45 degrees, wait for 1 minute for stable reading)
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bQ (take out of case, keep within 5cm to 1cm from surface, 1 minute for stable reading, read value on second line in Bq/m2, speaker sound to aid in finding hotspots)
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provides indication but has limitations
Kalin wrote: “The grid on the pancake sensor is only useful when you take the unit out of the Pelican to look for surface contamination (alpha/beta). The grid itself has a very small shielding effect, mostly for alpha/beta and weak gamma. Given the standard +/- 15% accuracy of the unit, you can ignore it.” “Averaging two different Nanos --you should only compare long-term counting (e.g. number of counts for 10 minutes). “
To proceed further, you will need to make sure you've updated the device's firmware.
- A speaker "clicks" and a small blue LED “Count” blinks (pulse flicker) for each pulse from the Geiger tube. It can be dimmed by setting DIP switch #1 to Off.
- A small Red LED “Log/Alarm” flickers on pulse, and remains lit on alarm. It will only glow if the GPS is locked, the SD card is present, the battery has more than 10% charge left, the unit is on for one minute, and the Geiger tube is providing a pulse. It can be dimmed by putting the DIP switch #2 Off.
- The Piezo buzzer has a known bug in which "It gets quieter over time. We're investigating changing the drive frequency of the buzzer which may help make the buzzer louder in general."
In recording mode, the data log file writes to the micro SD card. A key to the fields in the Data Log is available in the bGeigie library README.md by fakufaku.
The data is formatted similarly to the NMEA sentences that GPS uses. It always starts with a $ and ends with a*. A checksum follows the star.
Radiation Data Sentence: This is the basic message containing the geo-located radiation measurement.
EXAMPLE:
$BNRDD,300,2012-12-16T17:58:31Z,30,1,116,A,4618.9612,N,00658.4831,E,443.7,A,5,1.28*6D
KEY
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Header | Device model header | Mini=BMRDD, Nano=BNRDD, NX=BNXRDD. BNRDD |
| Device ID | Device serial number | 300 |
| Date | Date formatted according to iso-8601 standard. Usually uses GMT. | 2012-12-16T17:58:31Z |
| Radiation 1 minute | number of pulses given by the Geiger tube in the last minute | 30 |
| Radiation 5 seconds | number of pulses given by the Geiger tube in the last 5 seconds | 1 |
| Radiation total count | total number of pulses recorded since startup | 116 |
| Radiation count validity flag | 'A' indicates the counter has been running for more than one minute and the 1 minute count is not zero. Otherwise, the flag is 'V' (void) | A |
| Latitude | As given by GPS. The format is ddmm.mmmm where dd is decimal degrees and mm.mmmm is decimal minutes | 4618.9612 |
| Hemisphere | 'N' (north), or 'S' (south) | N |
| Longitude | As given by GPS. The format is ddmm.mmmm where dd is decimal degrees and mm.mmmm is decimal minutes | 00658.4831 |
| East/West | 'W' (west) or 'E' (east) from the Prime Meridian | E |
| Altitude | The distance above sea level, as given by the GPS in meters | 443.7 |
| GPS validity | 'A' ok, 'V' invalid | A |
| Number of satellites | The number of satellites used by the GPS | 5 |
| HDOP | Horizontal Dilution of Precision (HDOP), or relative accuracy of the horizontal position | 1.28 |
| Checksum | *6D |
(For possible updates, see the current README.md in the technical GitHub repository, the source of above data format.)
The data log file name is comprised of three parts: The DID number, the month the log was initiated, and the day the log was initiated. For example, "21080716.LOG" is the data log for the unit 2108 on 16 July. For space constraints, the file date property is 01/01/2000, but every line has UTC time date stamp reading. The log file name may appear out a day because of time zones dateline.
A data log or section starts with several comment lines, which begin with a has sign (#).
EXAMPLE:
# NEW LOG
# format=1.2.9nano
# deadtime=on
$BNRDD,2108,2013-12-06T13:03:58Z,22,2,115,A,3145.7607,N,03510.1975,E,734.90,V,3,908*64
One of the comment lines contains the deadtime. Deadtime is "the time after each event during which the system is not able to record another event". You can find the ENABLE_LND_DEADTIME compensation formula in the bGeigieNano.ino master repository.
Your device is designed to submit data to the Safecast database through the Safecast API. To enable data submission, you’ll need to obtain an API key. The key is a credential that gives you access to the API, much like a username and password give you access to an email account.
You can register on the Safecast site to get an API key.
You can learn about how the Safecast API works by visiting the API documentation.
Nano data can be submitted to other radiation mapping datasets. For example, the free Geiger Bot iOS app allows you to upload data to servers other than the Safecast API dataset. To do so, you'll need to configure the app with the details of your device, the particular sensor, data format, connection, etc.
The official Safecast app for iOS brings our extensive dataset of radiation measurements to your mobile device, and provides a full toolset to help you perform measurements with your own instrument such as a Geiger or scintillation counter (not included). The app functions as a virtual Geiger counter, allowing you to see your location on a map while displaying radiation readings that have been taken nearby. The app is currently for iOS only.
In addition, the Safecast Drive app for iOS and Android enables you to:
- Connect with your bGeigieNano (as long as you have the Bluetooth LE module installed), record data, and upload them to Safecast directly. No need to remove your MicroSD card anymore!
- Access previous logs and update their status.
App author Nick Dolezal wrote on Oct 12:
In principle the app's analog click counting is quite simple; it simply looks for samples in the recording buffer from the OS that exceed threshold X.
But there are many, many factors that can affect it. As a starting point I recommend verifying the output of the pulse with an oscilloscope; make sure the voltage is in the consumer line-level range (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_level) and make sure the pulse width (duration) is at least 2 samples at 44.1 khz. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyquist%E2%80%93Shannon_sampling_theorem). Finally, verify the pin-out is correct -- both at the unit and at the end of the cable. The cable or device must also short mic and ground with a resistor of a certain impedance to be detected by the iPhone. If you overdo that or it's done with the cable and unit you won't see any input at all. (I don't know if the bGeigie does this on the unit like the Onyx does) If you don't have an oscilloscope, a DSO Nano is pretty cheap on eBay or Amazon.
Software factors that may affect input include: app settings, OS settings (such as accessibility features), the iOS 7 microphone permissions, etc. To remove all doubt of software issues, there is at least one free oscilloscope app you can download off the App Store. (it is not a replacement for a hardware oscilloscope though if the signal isn't getting to the iPhone)
Hardware factors include differing impedance in electronics or cables, non-voltage regulated output + low battery, noise from external power (really messes up gamma spectroscopy, actually), etc. There may be configuration settings affecting audio output or level as well; I don't know if the DIP switch for the speaker volume on the Nano affects the line out or not.
The most common issues I've seen from users are:
- Wrong cable (one user had some equivalent of a "null modem" cable which swapped wires internally -- should be straight/passthrough)
- Cable not wired correctly (either pin-wise or the short resistor the iPhone needs)
- Too high of input voltage (results in no audio route available and the audio engine's watchdog timer freaking out)
Note if the mic-ground in the cable isn't shorted correctly, the app will report an audio route change to "Headphones" on the console. The audio route required for a line input cable is "Headset".
Finally, while I have not tested this, it's possible a paired Bluetooth headset could override the line input cable as an input source. I'm honestly not sure offhand how these get prioritized by iOS.<<
Nick Dolezal is working hard on the new version of the Safecast app (which will allow on demand refreshing of the map data) decided to whip up these alternate visualizations of the Safecast data. These maps show the frequency of samples taken – NOT READINGS OF THOSE SAMPLES – just showing how often a specific place has been measured. In this example, a location (like Fukushima) that has been measured repeatedly would show hot. Thought this was a really interesting look at the work Safecast has done over the last 2+ years
{{May 4 * Safecast Device Discussions and Support › Onyx - iPhone Connection Guide [There are instructions for using the app with ONYX, but some might be also relevant to app on NANO?]
2.1 Further, on the main numeric display of the app, you can tap on the top part of the screen to show a console with detailed log messages regarding connection attempts and which input device is selected. If successful, the API upload will return HTTP 201 CREATED.
- Verify Input: A. Tap the min/max arrow button in the lower-right hand corner of the map to resize it into a small window. B. The interface of the app has now changed. It is now split between fixed buttons at the bottom, and four possible display screens at the top, of which the map is 4 of 4. If you've used HP calculators and know what "Pipboy 3000" means, you can probably just stop reading right here. These four screens are: [Main Numeric Display] - [CPS/CPM graph] - [Audio input monitor graph] - [Map]
C. Tap the "<" button next to the white page dots under the map. You are now looking at the audio input monitor.
D. Verify you are correctly seeing counts from the Onyx appear. The black line represents the input. The red line which never moves is the threshold the input volume must exceed for it to be counted. The black line will be colored blue when it has been counted as a pulse.
E. The two problems I've heard about so far preventing this from working are a bad serial cable, and a "Geiger Pulse" setting on the Onyx of something other than 6, which is the default. Confusingly, a bug in the Onyx release firmware prevents the Geiger Pulse from displaying properly. (it will always show 0) TL;DR: the Geiger Pulse setting on the Onyx will be fine unless changed from the default.
- Configure Safecast Settings A. Now tap the "Settings" icon on the fixed button panel, which is a machine gear. Scroll to the bottom of the list and select "Safecast". B. Enter your API key. Change the upload interval as desired, but you shouldn't change the Safecast device.<< back to nano
According to the app author Nick Dolezal, the porting of Geiger Bot into Android is unlikely. See “Android / Platform Support Mini-FAQ” in https://sites.google.com/site/geigerbot/docs, "The majority of what Geiger Bot does is heavily tied to iOS-specific frameworks. It would almost all have to be rewritten." However, on 3 Dec 2013 on Safecast Google groups, Peter Franken posted a link to https://www.facebook.com/safecast4android, "Safecast for Android is a client-server orientated environment to visualize radioactive data on interactive maps." Also "[this is] a ground up rebuild for Android. Instead of in-app rendering, it will use a server to do it outside of the app. So it is not a port [of Geiger Bot]." On 7 Feb 2014, Safecast announced that "The first version of the Safecast app for Android is out!" (Reportedly it does visualization of the Safecast dataset mapping, but does not yet do API uploads or Geiger Bot functions.)
Reportedly there is an issues page for the Safecast GitHub technical team. Volunteer users report problems and bugs in the devices discussion group.
A reported possible bug: Piezo electric buzzer gets quieter over time.
Display problems: >"Please check all solder joints carefully - you must have missed a joint or have a cold solder joint. It can cause the display to act unpredictably."
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For the current version of the firmware, see the the .hex file in the bGeigieNanoKit repository.
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To learn how to update the firmware of the Fio via FTDI, see the "How to Update the Firmware" page of this wiki.
- Remove the nano from the case. Never wet the Nano's interior.
- Use a soft brush and air blower on the Nano, carefully. A vacuum may be another option (electronics labs use unheated air blowers for dusting off parts.)
- Rinse the liner in clean water, if necessary.
- The case may be rinsed with clean slightly damp microfiber cloth. [Last rinse preferably in filtered or even distilled water-??]
- To wipe the LEDs., work with the screen display turned off and cool. Wipe the screen using light pressure. Use clean, lint-free cotton, microfiber cloths or low-lint wipes.
For warranty information, see the kit fulfillment in the Nano Manual Kit Assembly, or email [email protected].
“The nano itself will go through official certification for gamma reading inside and outside of the pelican case. Once this has been done and we find any variance, the nano allows for easy recalibration in the parameter file that's on the nano's SD card. ; the Onyx certification we found accuracy within 2% over a wide range of radiation. itself (like the Onyx with the same GM pancake sensor) Source” Information, Misinformation, Disinformation (or, these aren’t the droids you’re looking for) Part 1 December 29, 2012, which blog article compares different kinds of radiation detectors, radiation units, etc.
Calibration
User Jam wrote the following:
“The sensor is pre-calibrated so nothing needs to be done on that end. The calibration of the unit for Bq for Cs assumes the grid is in front of the pancake. The difference is around 5%. For gamma only, the grid has negligibly effect on the measured value.
“The uSv/h conversion from CPM is calibrated assuming the grid is on the tube. As all Safecast measurements are done with the pancake WITH grid, please keep the grid on the tube. The grid itself will not block alpha or beta, but reduces the sensitivity a little bit as the grid covers a small portion of the sensor. In practice the difference with and without grid will be around 4-5% for a beta source, and less for a gamma source.
“Geiger counters are very simple devices, the tube detects the particles flying through and counts them - this is the raw CPM count. The software we have preloaded the device with takes into account the sensor type and calibrates readings for Cs137 so all bGeigie Nano's have the same configuration and can be compared against each other.
“So basically the only reason other devices like the inspector, has a calibration pot on them is to adjust for other type of isotopes accurately. Most devices are calibrated for Cs137. If you were interested in an accurate account of a different isotopes, then calibrating would be needed. The nano is set up to yes read for everything in CPM, but when talking about sieverts the math for the conversion only works for Cs137, Like most other units. Sieverts is the concentration of ionizing radiation absorbed per unit of a material's mass. Comparable to units of specific energy. If you wanted to know the amount of energy you are being blasted with of say, Sr90. The individual would have to find an accurate check source to recalibrate the device and input the correct math for the conversion.
“In the bad old days of analog Geiger counters, the pulses coming from the tube were fed to an integrator and that was used to generate a proportional current that would deflect the needle on the unit's display. As you might imagine, there were several ways that might not scale perfectly. Each integrator and amplifier was different as was the spring in the meter. And, they could change with time or temperature. Consequently, it was necessary to regularly feed them a pulse train of a known frequency and then adjust something until the needle pointed to the proper reading.
“Digital technology alleviates all that. We count every pulse with a microprocessor and calculate the corresponding dose rate mathematically. The sensitivity of the sensors themselves is very consistent and stable. As is the time base for the processor. Unless something gets broken, a bGeigie Nano's calibration should never change. And if it does get broken, it is very likely to be obvious.
“Old analog clocks had a way to adjust their regulator too, but when have you ever heard of a digital quartz wristwatch needing adjustment? Never? Me neither.” - jam
That said, see the example from the University of Maryland's Radiation Instrumentation, Chapter II.
GM counters are usually calibrated against a specified reference standard at a fixed distance from the detector (usually 1 centimeter) and a variable pulse generator. Efficiencies for instruments expressing results in terms of counts rates can be calculated from the following formula,: Divide the observed sample count rate by the detector efficiency to obtain the actual disintegration rate, when efficiency is calculated: Efficiency = Observed Standard Count Rate (cpm) Known standard Disintegration Rate (dpm) <<
Data interpretation, data sharing, interpretation, reliability, robustness, presentation, mapping, analysis, validity, reliability (learn to use correctly)…
On Radiation Units
(Borrowing from Kalin comparing bGeigie against droids): >”…there’s a reasonable degree of variation that can be caused by the slight differences in the specs of the various devices. Though grays (Gy) are the technically correct unit to use for measuring activity in terms of “absorbed” dose, sieverts (Sv), which represent a conversion of this to “equivalent” dose, are more familiar to most people. When we are looking at gamma or beta activity, grays and sieverts are essentially equivalent numerically, despite their different meanings (much like how 1 liter of water weighs 1 kilo), and the labeling of the droid’s display might be confusing to some citizens. …accuracy range of 20% and a detection range of from 0.01 microsievert/hr to 5.0 Sievert/hr, uses Geiger-Muller sensors placed at 1 meter height, displaying averaged samples updated every 60 seconds, etc.. It also states clearly that the readings are intended as a general guideline only.
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The Pelican micro case is shockproof and water-resistant. However, it is not waterproof and it cannot be used underwater. Condensation can build up in the case due to temperature differences. This condensation will evaporate with time, or can simply be removed by opening the unit and drying it {with fibrefree cloth}. Closed-up inside its case the Nano can be used on bicycles without problem.
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Do not use the unit outside of its water resistant case with wet hands, when in the rain, or where too close to a dripping tap.
- The MICRO SD CARD cannot be read over the USB port [??]. Use a micro SD card reader instead.
Batttery Cautions:
Charge via the micro USB cable. The yellow LED will dim once fully charged. A full charge takes 5-6 hours. bGeigie nano runs approx 35-40 hours on a full charge in LOG mode.
The main battery indicator is the icon at the bottom right of the display. The percent of battery charged appears on the startup screen.
NEVER charge the bGeigie while the unit is in ON. The power MUST be turned OFF before charging to avoid permanent damage to the charge circuit.
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Replace a broken (detached wire) battery with the same rating (2000mAh 3.7V Lithium Polymer (Li-Po, Li-Poly). The Nano charge circuit may overheat if larger batteries are used.
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A Li-Po battery can be hazardous if mylar membrane is punctured. Handle carefully!
SENSOR Cautions:
Although the Nano sensor inside its closed Pelican micro-case is well protected from shock and from pressure transients, sudden changes in pressure, like slamming a car door, can possibly damage the sensor. The pressure inside the tube is very low. The membrane is under constant tension from atmospheric pressure. Being at altitude reduces the strain on it. The membrane is basically extremely thin glass, mica to be precise; it's low density and very brittle. Any sharp shock can shatter it. Anything that pokes it will pop it like a party balloon.
- NEVER touch the membrane of the pancake sensor! (It can damage the sensor!)
Air Travel and Air Freight
Inside its tightly closed case the nano is safe in luggage and cargo holds (except from baggage delay, loss, etc.) Carry-on is preferred. See the thread travel advice, Pieter wrote, "I always carry the nano on board with me for the simple reason that I use the nano to Safecast at 10,000m height. It only works if you have a window seat... the nano is safest when in the cabin, but as long as the nano is in the Pelican case it should be perfectly safe to check it in as well. The Pelican case protects the nano very well. In fact LND ships the raw tubes in sealed cans, which much do the same as the Pelican case will."
Some of Onyx hardware precautions , relevant for Nano??:
Precautions To keep the Onyx™ in good condition, handle it with care, and observe the following precautions:
Do not contaminate the Onyx™ by touching it to radioactive surfaces or materials. Instead, hold it just above the surface that is suspected of contamination to take readings.
Do not leave the Onyx™ in temperatures over 122° F (50° C) or in direct sunlight for extended periods of time.
If the surface of the mica on your pancake detector becomes scratched or loses its coating, avoid making measurements with the detector window in direct sunlight; this could affect the readings.
Do not put the Onyx™ in a microwave oven. It cannot measure microwaves, and you may damage it or the oven.
Measuring and learning about radiation is interesting. Please remember to not treat radiation sources casually. Exposure to even relatively low levels of radiation can result in negative health effects over time
-Nano catch-all landing page: http://blog.safecast.org/bgeigie-nano/
The Safecast website has articles, news, notices, API upload and open download of crowd-sourced radiation data and visualized mapping, etc
Join the Safecast Devices Discussions and Support group.
Nano pages: any nano user can edit these Nano wiki pages (in various stages of community drafting):
- Features/specifications
- How to setup build environment on Mac OS X (+Nano firmware upgrade on MS-Windows)
- Nano Wiki Home (index page in the NanoKit wiki folder)
- NANO MANUAL (Kit assembly, connecting the pieces)
- Nano Operation Manual (this page)
- Parts and accessories (including tools and options)
- Safety in radiation detection
Appropriate use of the Nano has a modest learning curve. Fortunately, the end user doesn’t have to master the fields of radiation safety, health physics, and environmental sciences, which in contrast are huge studies. Spot and mobile monitoring and crowd data-sharing projects require an orientation and a little practice.
The Safecast end user, the volunteer civilian monitor, the citizen scientist is helping to collect data, environmental information, for the public and for scientists. Scientists may use this data in their research methods, possibly making science, possibly discovering new knowledge in their fields. With Nano use and contribution of data logs to web datasets, Nano users learn and teach about radiation detection, safety and many issues.