Hello, I was wondering if anything besides "rays" x,b etc... could set off a geiger counter or confuse it? If there was a strong electric field, or if it was next to or in strong changing magnetic field or both. Or is the only thing that will trigger the muller tube ionizing radiation?

 

It can be adapted to detect neutrons. From the wiki:

It is a gaseous ionization detector and uses the Townsend avalanche phenomenon to produce an easily detectable electronic pulse from as little as a single ionizing event due to a radiation particle. It is used for the detection of gamma radiation, X-rays, and alpha and beta particles. It can also be adapted to detect neutrons.​

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geiger–Müller_tube

 

Hello, I was wondering if anything besides "rays" x,b etc... could set off a geiger counter or confuse it? If there was a strong electric field, or if it was next to or in strong changing magnetic field or both. Or is the only thing that will trigger the muller tube ionizing radiation?

Ionizing radiation - you'll typically need to remove the outer foil/film to detect relatively large and slow alpha particles.
Static discharges to the detector will likely trigger it but one discharge may produce just one count (click). A flame, like the quick pass of a propane torch, may produce some clicks if the foil is removed as there are plenty of free radicle near a combustion source.

What's the reason for asking?

 

It can be adapted to detect neutrons. From the wiki:

It is a gaseous ionization detector and uses the Townsend avalanche phenomenon to produce an easily detectable electronic pulse from as little as a single ionizing event due to a radiation particle. It is used for the detection of gamma radiation, X-rays, and alpha and beta particles. It can also be adapted to detect neutrons.​

​

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geiger–Müller_tube

How could it be adapted to detect neutrons?

 

How could it be adapted to detect neutrons?

Did you read the article that I linked to?

G–M tubes will not detect neutrons since these do not ionize the gas. However, neutron-sensitive tubes can be produced which either have the inside of the tube coated with boron, or the tube contains boron trifluoride or helium-3 as the fill gas, or the tube is wrapped in about 0.5 mm (1⁄50 in) thick cadmium foil.[6] The neutrons interact with the boron nuclei, producing alpha particles, or directly with the helium-3 nuclei producing hydrogen and tritium ions and electrons, or with the cadmium, producing gamma rays. These charged particles resp. gammas then trigger the normal avalanche process.​

 

Ionizing radiation - you'll typically need to remove the outer foil/film to detect relatively large and slow alpha particles.
Static discharges to the detector will likely trigger it but one discharge may produce just one count (click). A flame, like the quick pass of a propane torch, may produce some clicks if the foil is removed as there are plenty of free radicle near a combustion source.

What's the reason for asking?

I'm asking because I am making something, that uses a sparker with high voltage going across the contacts, when the electricity arcs the geiger counter is triggering anywhere from 1000 -2500 CPM @ 5uSV. Its not just a "ping" the readings are constant. So I was curious if anything besides the "rays" could cause it to trigger. Or did I get a bunk unit?

 

The geiger tube has a HV operating range. If the HV is set too high it can avalanche too easily.

 

Hello,

Have a look at the graphs on the wiki page related to the applied voltage on the geigertube:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geiger–Müller_tube

Bertus