Exploring Uranium Mining Area with FPV Drone 

Glad I could make you laugh a little.

Nice to meet you and your husband as well. Glad I got to show you some of what the area offers.

It’s great that people can still meet and get along these days. We just need to hang out.

I've been reading "Uranium Frenzy" by Raye C, Ringgholz. Goes into some pretty good detail on the uranium mining in the area. Your friends were really nice. Great people to talk with.

Sounds like fun...I'll keep that all in mind next time I'm out there.

Is the H2S a problem in the whole area, or just if you go inside the mines? I’ve always been interested in going to these radioactive mine areas, but not if I have to worry about poison gas.

I'm right with you on this. I put a comment of caution in myself but wasn't sure how to exactly word it.

Thanks for the super thanks. I have a gas monitor now that I will be wearing when going into mines. As far as radon is concerned, I’m not that concerned. If you keep your time down to a minimum in environments like this it’s nothing to worry about.

@@juliusmazzarella9711 Your H2S mask won't be reliable unless you have ampoules of gas to test it with every day. They have to be calibrated on the sensing meter otherwise you don't know how dangerous the level you are exposed to actually is. H2S can put you unconscious with two inhales, and from there you die unless somebody is around to drag you to safety.

@@RadioactiveDrew Talk to a big city sewer inspector. They use H2S masks every day and can give you pointers to make sure yours is calibrated correctly and actually working. If you make a mistake, only two whiffs and you are unconscious.

The people that enjoy this content are nothing short of amazing. It’s awesome to have people excited about a subject I enjoy sharing.

@@RadioactiveDrew Your passion of the subject matches us Rad-Nurds. lol

​@@RadioactiveDrew Your videos are super educational and very fun to watch. Over time you had been improving the value of your videos. Thank you so much for making the world a better place by sharing genuine education!

Thanks. I take chances but I try and keep them to a manageable level...or as manageable as risks can be.

My wife used to take care of one of them. It was horrific the condition he was in. Bald. Frail. Missing both legs. Cancer ravaged several organ systems. He died not too long after we moved away. He worked one of the mines near Moab.

I know in the beginning when uranium mining started, the uranium miners were getting overexposed to radon. They started ventilating the uranium mines to cut down on exposure and it worked.

This would be an interesting study for sure.

The fungi around the elephants foot is fascinating too. Pretty sure that is being researched for clean ups etc

That's awesome. That area is one of my favorite places to explore and find uranium. Sounds like an interesting place to study nuclear physics...USAFA.

Curious, we left a small fire ring of rocks there. Did you see it?

Not that I remember seeing.

I find so much petrified wood out at uranium deposits. I've heard of people finding dinosaur fossils as well.

@@RadioactiveDrew very cool! I'd love to dig through some of that shale, particularly the thinner layers (0.5-4 inches).

No problem, glad you enjoyed it.

Glad you enjoyed the video. The whole radon contamination thing was new to me as well when I started doing this. First time I went to the MiVida mine I went there with my puppy. We both got contaminated and my wife was very angry that I did this to our puppy. I ended up getting a hotel in the area and giving my dog a bath to get the contamination off of him. I also took apart my Radeye B20 and cleaned it up the best I could. Lots to learn while exploring these areas.

Thanks...I try and make it the best.

FPV is such an interesting perspective. I wish the Avata 2 had 24fps. I'm trying not to format all my videos to 30fps with my A7S3 24fps dumped in there. But I might have to do that to keep the footage looking smooth.

Yeah it is limited in the fps it can record. I use a GoPro on a custom built 3.5 inch drone and 5 inch drone. That may be another avenue for you if you need 24 fps

Its in the works.

She got over it…but I try not to bring it up. Not the first time it’s happened. When you go into remote areas you can’t always let people know what’s going on.

I'm hoping to go back out there maybe towards the end of the summer.

Thanks. Hope you get one. I use mine everyday…basically any time I go out.

Thanks...I try and make the videos fun to watch.

They sometimes read the comments on sponsored videos. I’m glad to hear you picked one up.

Thanks...I can't wait to go back out there.

That's so awesome to hear. Its great when people find enough of an interest in what I'm doing to see what's in the world around them. There is always something to find and learn about.

No problem...thanks for watching.

Glad you enjoyed it.

So awesome...thanks.

No problem.

Thanks...its a beautiful place. So it makes my job a little easier.

@@RadioactiveDrew Hope u will have more subs and views.

Thanks.

Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll make a note about it for my next visit to the area.

I didn’t see any that were edible…for humans.

Its an idea that I've been thinking of for a while now. Might do some videos of the testing process.

Thanks.

Thanks.

Thanks. Drones offer such a unique perspective.

Its nice hearing the clicks...gives you a sense of what's around.

Thanks.

I haven't run across an radioactive scorpions. I have come across a radioactive ant hill.

Yeah, they're a different kind of spicy

​@@RadioactiveDrew I find that interesting and wonder if there are any studies on radiation and it's effects on insects and especially ants. We all hear the joke about roaches being the last thing left if D-day happened.

... but don't invest in it... of course!

Glad the videos are interesting enough to give you the spark of curiosity. The UV lights I use are in the 365nm range with a UV pass filter.

@@RadioactiveDrew so I've heard from some people that longer wavelengths are more desirable for mineral illumination somewhere around 400 to 410 nanometers if memory serves correctly

It is for me and my use.

The easiest are the Oyler mines in Capitol Reef National Park. They are right off the road...maybe 300 feet. That National Park is pretty awesome as well. Camping there is a trick because the camp sites fill up extremely fast. There is an area at the West entrance to the park that has free open camping. Lots of people stay there.

Thanks for the tip. I’ll have to try that out.

Really? Is that because of the movie “Nope”?

@@RadioactiveDrew Maybe normal there, but us Easterners don't see that. Is Nope about aliens? There is a theory they mask as a cloud.

That's what other people say. I've smelled that rotten egg smell at some hot springs...not sure if its the same thing.

I have been in there yet. Hopefully it isn't blocked right inside.

The Radiacode I always have with me acts as a dosimeter. Thanks for the concern and the compliments.

If I go in there I’ll be wearing a mask just to cut down on dust and isotopes getting into my lungs. It won’t completely block that contamination but it might help a little. I’ve seen pictures from inside the MiVida and it looks pretty big.

@@RadioactiveDrew yeah that’s definitely not a bad idea. I’d be interested to see how crazy your meter goes off in there. You can still see some uranium ore in a couple places. Lights up green under the black light

@@RadioactiveDrew yeah that’s definitely not a bad idea. I’d be interested to see how crazy your meter goes off in there. You can still see some uranium ore in a couple places. Lights up green under the black light

I'm happy to answer questions when I have the time. The miners would have a helmet for PPE and that's about it. The mines were ventilated, which cut down on radon exposure and uranium dust. The daughters of radon...along with radon, can damage your lungs if its in a high enough dose and you are constantly in that environment. I did have a solar panel on my windshield charging my battery that I use to power my cooler and charge camera batteries.

THANKS MAN!!!

No problem.

Thanks...some kind words there. I've had NatGeo try and buy footage from me in the past (before I started this channel). There are extremely cheap. I would love to plan a meet up. I was planning on going to the April open house at Trinity but it was cancelled for some reason. I've never been in October, I always do April. But maybe I should give October in New Mexico a chance. I have friends that do photo workshops and they seem like a great way to earn some money. I would rather just hang out and not have a workshop type setting. I just looked up my schedule for the next Trinity open house and I already have plans. So it might turn into trying for April again. If I change my mind on the workshop idea, or maybe a meet up I'll post it here on my channel. I want to send the drone into some of the mines. I have the Avata 2 now and apparently that does better at maintaining position when it loses GPS lock, which I will lose flying into a mine. But I want to have the proper equipment with me just incase I have to recover the drone from inside the mine. So Next time I'm out in a spot like this I'll send the drone in. Just need to get some lights I can mount for the drone.

Hi Drew: thanks for being so responsive. You had responded before to me regarding a possible meet-up at the last April Trinity public access and I too was planning to attend again, but was shocked as well to see it abruptly cancelled without much notice or explanation. Also, they indicated at that time the convoy across the breadth of WSMR from the Alamogordo side has been cancelled in perpetuity. What a major shame that is. It was an incredible drive and view of unspoiled vistas. Re a photog workshop, it wouldn’t need to be as formal (or expensive) as the commercial ones, but provide an opportunity to compensate some of your travel expenses in exchange for some show and tell, plus insights and knowledge transfer to us imaging mortals. I’d be happy to informally and more privately assist in developing what that might look like, a venue (with beer), etc. for a more casual evening type discussion vs a lecture hall 2 day conference affair, like the big boys do and at a unaffordable price. Think of it as more of a “Special interest group” type meeting if you’ve been to one of those. In any case, it’d be great for a separate Trinity meetup for show and tell with you and other channel radio-nerds (that was a great term posted last night by another follower) to see what equipment folks have. I’d be happy to show my collection including NOS victoreen detectors, my Mil radiac set and other G-M detectors I have, plus we can see how many 102s and 103s we can get together at one location. Your sponsor might like to weigh in on that one - kinda like a user group…. Please let me know if you’d like any assistance in planning that and/or coordinating. Cheers!

Its on my list of things to do. I would really like to get into proper FPV...when I have the time.

@@RadioactiveDrew Ya it's a whole thing, it's definitely got easier in the past few years though.

That DJI FPV is such a fun drone to fly around. I want to get some lights on it and send it into some dangerous mining areas that I would rather not go. The A7S3 has been a work horse for the channel. I'm also really digging the A7R5 but I mainly like using that for timelapse shots or B cam stuff. I also upgraded the FPV to the Avata 2...much better camera. Sold the other Avata to my brother.

@@RadioactiveDrew be careful with going into area where no GPS is received. not sure how the DJI FPV works when GPS is lost. Things like Altitude hold or Position Hold might drift a lot

There is an incredible amount of uranium in the US. Plenty of deposits.

Most of the Texas Gulf coast is a vein of Uranium... I only know this because I got sent to work at a wellsite that happened to be an old open pit mine south of San Antonio about 10 years ago. It was about as sketchy as one can expect in a state with a power grid as sketchy as ours is.

It’s a fun place to explore.

When I find them I usually list them on the uraniumstore.com site. I have some glowing rocks that need to get listed.

@@RadioactiveDrew Right on. 🤙

I usually do a search for mine in thediggings.com and on the USGS site.

Thanks...I'll keep that in mind next time I'm out there.

I've been thinking about this and talking about it with friends. The biggest problem would be keeping uniform hight over the area. Or logging the hight difference and recalculating dose rates based on hight difference.

@@RadioactiveDrew I don't think you need to worry about hight if the goal is to scout an area to quickly find wich way to go. The constant hight issue come if you want to do scientific survey of the area. Strap that Radiacode to the drone and shorten your trip👍🏻

Yes...

The tent I was using in this video was the Frontrunner Rooftop Tent. I just upgraded to the iKamper Skycamp Mini 3. Planning on doing a little video talking about the differences between the two tents. I had over 500 days in that Frontrunner one and have about 10 days in the new one. The iKamper is about 3x the price as the Frontrunner but its a bit easier to setup and take down. There are quite a few differences that I'll show in the video.

I think I've been out to the Big Buck mine. That might have been the one the EPA buried. There is also the Nixon Shaft right around there...its a little weird. I'll have to go further on that road next time looking for that other mine.

@RadioactiveDrew I meant to say little beaver is west of mi vida, you can look it up on mindat, it might be open. I plan to explore the mines you showed in this video next month, I got a Respirator and some full body tyvek suites

Yeah, I'm sure. I sometimes do trips with my photography friends.

Nothing a change of clothes an a shower wouldn't fix. I'm sure some of the contamination would follow miners home. But nothing at a level to be a problem. The contamination would have been from radon and its decay products along with uranium dust and bits in the hair. Radon is a decay product of uranium so you could say its all uranium contamination, just at a different point in the decay chain.

We also have a museum on Ambrosia Lake the mines closed in the 80s

I've been out to Grants a couple of times and explored the Poison Canyon area. I need to go back out there.

You can contact me through the contact info for my channel or through Instagram.

I'm working on a video comparing the 102, 103 and 103G. I have to say I'm impressed with what I'm seeing from the 103G. I think that new sensor might be the future for all scintillation detectors moving forward.

@@RadioactiveDrew Wow, can't thank you enough for that quick review. Will wait for the video to come out.

That would be much faster. I would like to show off an electric bike on the channel. But walking works for now.

No, I try and share some of my maps on Patreon. Have to make it worthwhile for people.

@@RadioactiveDrew that's an awesome benefit.

That would be nice...but I don't mind a little hike.

@@RadioactiveDrew neither do I, but doctors recommend that you vary the type of exercise that you get. I mean I'm only looking out for your best health. My 11-year-old loves this video, by the way. He keeps talking about becoming a nuclear engineer. He's also my son and a Boy Scout, so of course he loves wanding around in the mountains and woods. Looking for stuff like this.

If its in a confined space, yes. Out in the open I'm not that concerned.

I know allergies and they had been bothering me on this trip. They are still bothering me now back at home.

you'd get quite the nasty irritations from it and it'd be HELLA stinky. It smells of rotten eggs pretty badly at concentrations that'd give you mild sulfide exposures. Source: I've been to volcanic vents that spew those and you absolutely notice xD

The video has been live on my Patreon for the last 12 hours or so. That might explain the earlier comments.

he done good.

Not really...at least not in that environment. If I was digging some uranium out of a rock wall I would want to wear a mask.

@@RadioactiveDrew Thank you! ;)

I've researched that story a bit and shot some video for it. Personally I don't think the fallout they encountered caused those problems. I know John Wayne was a huge smoker and liked to drink...a lot. Those factors would have a much greater chance of giving him cancer than exposure to nuclear fallout.

That's what I've been told but I don't want to mess around. I like being alive.

Yes and no. At low concentrations, you're correct. At high (dangerous) concentrations you can go "nose blind" to it in seconds.

Sort of. You very, very quickly lose the ability to smell H2S once exposed to it. Just because you stop smelling it doesn't mean it hasn't gone away. That's why an air monitor is so important to have on hand whenever you're around it.

​@@RadioactiveDrew The biggest danger of H2S is its ability to deaden your sense of smell to it. Once exposed to it you can very, VERY quickly lose the ability to smell it. Without an air monitor you can easily end up it a lethal pocket of it and not even know.

@@RadioactiveDrew been around volcanic vents that spew that stuff. It's very noticeable in lower conditions and it has a smell somewhere in between bad uncooked eggs, sulphurous flatulence and pure disgusting rot. Slightly higher concentrations produce a very nasty and unpleasant sweet-ish smell. Those were ventilated areas though, so it had a chance to mix with fresh air to produce concentration gradients. As H²S is only slightly heavier than air, it can get carried away by air currents, so in areas with decent air current you should be able to detect it by smell if you went step by step. Stale air areas are to be avoided though, as it can overpower your sense of smell quite quickly (within seconds) in high doses.

That would be nice.

Its good for a beginner FPV pilot. Plus doing really tight flights in mines is more something for the DJI Avata 2, not a normal FPV drone. Or at least that's how I feel with my skill level ;)

@@RadioactiveDrew I can't disagree with that. The Avata has got a few people in our local group into FPV. It's a great gateway drug. Lol Wait until you fly a actual FPV drone, you will be in love. The ability to go places that wont is incredible. Not to mention the movements you can make with a "real" one that you just can not with that. The geofencing and proximity sensors keep you from your full potential. Get yourself a SIM (Velocidrone for racing, Uncrashed for killer graphics) and spend like 20 hours learning. You wont regret it! And regardless of what some say, a BNF drone is fine. Yes, at some point yo will have to learn repair, but you can take it out of the box and go. They are great for that.

Others have let me know about this. I try and keep it to a minimum but when you are talking to a camera that we are holding at arms length you kind of want to move...or at least I do.

I'm not thrilled about it but I'm sure something will be worked out. DJI is huge here in the US...really worldwide I guess.

​@@RadioactiveDrew the "china bad, murica good" folks really do need to ruin everything. Idk why someone would even comment that haha. Why are they even being banned? They have GPS (or the Chinese equivalent)? Anyways, you're a radiation channel, not a politics channel, and you've done a good job of keeping politics out of your videos!

@RadioactiveDrew there's been talk of grandfathering, but I think it's just speculation. Hopefully, it won't be like Huawei, where they start with the drones and then ban everything from the company. The fact that public safety organizations are speaking up gives me a little hope.

Yeah as soon as I heard that I thought of Radioactive Drew.

No, why?