How Alarms Work
How the device warns about radiation hazards
Alarm sources: current count rate value, current dose rate value, and accumulated dose value. Three alarm thresholds are defined for each of these sources.
If the current count rate, dose rate, or dose value crosses any threshold from below, an Alarm Event is triggered: first threshold — Alarm 1; second threshold — Alarm 2; upper scale limit — Out of Scale.
The first and second threshold values for each source are set in the device settings and can be changed at the user’s discretion. The third threshold — the upper scale limit — cannot be changed via the menu.
The device continuously checks current values against the thresholds. Exceeding any threshold puts the device into an Alarm State.
Each Alarm Source determines one of 4 states:
- Normal — value below the first threshold (no alarm)
- Alarm 1 — value above the first threshold but not above the second
- Alarm 2 — value above the second threshold but not above the third
- Out of Scale — value above the third threshold, beyond the measurement range
Exceeding the upper count rate threshold causes unreliable dose rate estimation. In this case, the upper dose rate threshold is also considered exceeded.
When any alarm threshold is exceeded, the corresponding alert is activated. With vibration and sound enabled in settings, the device will vibrate and emit a siren sound. To stop the sound and vibration, briefly press the round button to acknowledge the alarm signal. The device will continue to indicate the threshold exceedance with a flashing icon. If the buttons were locked and the lock icon 
was displayed, the full list of triggered alarms will appear in the top panel. The alarm panel can be cleared with a long press of the round button. To dismiss a dose alarm, reset the dose or change the corresponding alarm threshold.
Each Alarm Event has associated Alarm Signals: an audible signal and a vibration signal. Audible and vibration Alarm Signals can be independently enabled/disabled in Radiacode ZERO settings for each level of each alarm source. On an Alarm Event, the device activates the signals permitted in settings. Playback can be stopped with a short press of the round button. On the next Alarm Event, the corresponding signal will sound again.
Alarm State indication includes:
- Red LED flashes (Range 1 only)
- Alarm icons on the display status bar
- Unacknowledged alarm status line
| Icon | Description |
|---|---|
| Count rate Alarm 1 |
| Count rate Alarm 2 |
| Count rate out of scale |
| Dose rate Alarm 1 |
| Dose rate Alarm 2 |
| Dose rate out of scale |
| Dose Alarm 1 |
| Dose Alarm 2 |
| Dose out of scale |
| Low temperature threshold alarm |
| High temperature threshold alarm |
LED signals can be toggled on/off in settings (Range 1 only).
Behavior when buttons are locked:
When the buttons are locked, the status bar shows "Alarms:" and icons of the maximum unacknowledged alarm levels since the buttons were locked. A long press of the round button acknowledges the alarms and unlocks the buttons.
If Alarm Events occur while the menu is displayed, the alarm summary will be shown upon exiting the menu. The rocker buttons will then be locked.
If the rocker buttons are unlocked and a measurement display mode is active, the status bar shows the current alarm level icons for each source, cycling through them in sequence.
Aktualisiert: 14. Juli 2026