Two threads hit r/ArcRaiders back to back this week: one asking whether Flow Controllers are "insanely rare now", the other asking where on earth Geiger Counters are. They're the same problem. Both items are Exodus-themed recyclables that drop almost only on Stella Montis, so if you've been farming Pendola Pass for Frozen Trail materials, you've basically stopped seeing them. This guide covers where they drop, the containers to open, a four-stop Stella Montis route and a keep, recycle or sell call for each one.
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Quick answer (TL;DR): The Flow Controller (Rare, sells for 3,000) and the Geiger Counter (Epic, sells for 3,500) both come from scavenging on Stella Montis, according to the ARC Raiders Wiki. ARC Tracker's crowd-sourced drop data has Stella Montis giving up Flow Controllers roughly 60 times as often as Pendola Pass and Geiger Counters roughly 40 times as often. A Night Raid on Stella Montis pushes the Flow Controller rate from 6.5% to 11.8%. Open medical containers (lab consoles, lab workbenches, medical cabinets, carts and lockers), security crates and lockers, and office desks. Keep one Flow Controller for Tian Wen's Snap And Salvage quest and three Geiger Counters for Trophy Display phase 5, which pays out an Aphelion. Recycle Geiger Counters after that, and sell spare Flow Controllers unless you're short on Advanced Mechanical Components.
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What are Flow Controllers and Geiger Counters in ARC Raiders?
Both are recyclables added in update 1.2.0 with the same tooltip, "Can be recycled into crafting materials." Their item profile is in the Flow Controller and Geiger Counter wiki entries, which match ARC Tracker's item database.
| Item | Rarity | Loot theme | Weight | Stack | Sell value | Recycles into | Salvages into |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flow Controller | Rare | Exodus | 1.5 kg | 3 | 3,000 | 1 Advanced Mechanical Components + 1 Sensors | 2 Mechanical Components |
| Geiger Counter | Epic | Exodus | 1.5 kg | 3 | 3,500 | 3 Battery + 1 Exodus Modules | 3 Battery |
You can't get either one by recycling something else. The wiki's "Recycled from" section for the Geiger Counter reads "Not obtainable through salvaging or recycling." That leaves raids as the only source, so where you raid decides how many you find.
Are Flow Controllers rarer after the Frozen Trail patches?
No patch note says so. Both items were always tied to one map, and that map stopped being where a lot of people raid. Neither wiki page lists any change since 1.2.0. The 2.3.0 notes moved loot around inside the Emperor and on Pendola Pass but don't mention either item, and the 2.4.0 store update and the 2.4.1 hotfix don't touch loot at all.
Hidden loot tables can change without a note, so we can't rule that out. But there's a simpler explanation for most players. Frozen Trail 2.0 pulled a lot of raiders onto Pendola Pass for Amplification Modules, Emperor loot and the Frigate, and ARC Tracker's map breakdown shows what that does to your Flow Controller supply:
| Map | Flow Controller drop rate | Geiger Counter drop rate |
|---|---|---|
| Stella Montis | 6.37% | 6.50% |
| Pendola Pass | 0.11% | 0.16% |
| Riven Tides | 0.06% | 0.11% |
| The Blue Gate | under 0.02% | 0.03% |
| Dam Battlegrounds | 0.01% | 0.03% |
| Buried City | 0.01% | 0.02% |
| Spaceport | 0.01% | 0.01% |
Source: ARC Tracker crowd-sourced drop statistics, high-confidence samples only, pulled 2026-11-09. ARC Tracker doesn't publish what each rate is counted against, so treat the numbers as relative between maps, not as a chance per raid or per container.
That's a cliff, not a curve. On Stella Montis the Flow Controller turns up roughly 60 times as often as on Pendola Pass (6.369% against 0.108% unrounded), and the Geiger Counter roughly 40 times as often (6.502% against 0.164%). Everywhere else, finding one is luck.
Which map conditions give the best drop rate?
Night Raid on Stella Montis is the one that matters. ARC Tracker logs these jumps against the map's normal rate:
| Condition | Flow Controller | Geiger Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Stella Montis, normal | 6.5% | 6.7% |
| Stella Montis, Night Raid | 11.8% | 9.5% |
That's roughly 1.8 times the Flow Controller rate and 1.4 times the Geiger Counter rate. If Stella Montis is showing Night Raid when you queue, take it. Other conditions bump the numbers on other maps, like Matriarch on The Blue Gate or Prospecting Probes on Spaceport, but they still sit well under 1%. They're nice if you're there anyway, and not worth a dedicated run.
Stella Montis unlocks after 24 rounds played (Stella Montis, ARC Raiders Wiki). If it isn't in your map list yet, that's why.
Which containers drop Flow Controllers and Geiger Counters?
Both items share the same nine container types, per ARC Tracker's game-version 2.03 loot data. They can also lie in the open on shelves, tables, seats and in cars.
| Container | Loot category |
|---|---|
| Lab Console | Medical |
| Lab Workbench | Medical |
| Medical Cabinet | Medical |
| Medical Cart | Medical |
| Medical Lockers | Medical |
| Medical Waste Bin | Medical |
| Office Desk | Commercial |
| Security Locker (some need a breach) | Other lootables |
| Security Crate | Security |
Six of the nine are medical containers. That one fact drives the route below: on Stella Montis, you go where the medical and security loot is, then you sweep the Exodus-tagged areas.
What is the best Stella Montis route for both items?
The map at the top of this page is Cartotect's community map of the Stella Montis upper level, hosted on the wiki, which tags each named area with its loot categories. We pinned the four stops that line up with the containers in the table.
- Medical Research (west side). Tagged Medical and Technological, and it's the area ARC Tracker names for these items. Clear every lab console, lab workbench, cabinet, cart and waste bin. ARC Tracker rates its loot amount light, so sweep it fast and move on instead of camping it. The Stella Montis Medical Storage Key room is in the same block, so if you carry that key, open it on the way (our Medical Storage Key guide).
- Assembly (north-west). Tagged Technological and Exodus. Both items carry the Exodus loot theme, so desks, lockers and loose shelves here are worth a pass.
- Lobby (north-east). Tagged Security. This is your security crate and security locker stop. It's also where Snap And Salvage sends you to search the papers in the Security Checkpoint room, so you can do the quest step and the loot run in one pass.
- Business Center (east). Tagged Exodus and Commercial, which means Exodus-theme loot plus office desks. Finish here, then take the nearest extract you've scouted. The Eastern Tunnel Hatch sits just south of it if you're carrying a Raider Hatch Key.
Squads can split the loop: one player takes Medical Research, one takes Assembly, and both meet at the Lobby. Each item weighs 1.5 kg, so three Geiger Counters cost you 4.5 kg. If your safe pocket has room, bank them there as you find them, because dying at Business Center with three Geigers stings.
What not to do: don't farm these on Pendola Pass and hope. At 0.11% to 0.16%, you're relying on a rate dozens of times lower than Stella Montis. Run Pendola for what Pendola is good at, like Pneumatic Actuators and Pressure Regulators, and run Stella Montis for these two.
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Do you need Flow Controllers or Geiger Counters for quests or projects?
Yes: one quest and one project, and both pay well.
Flow Controller: Tian Wen's Snap And Salvage quest (×1). It's a Stella Montis quest that unlocks after Cold Storage, and Tian Wen opens it with: "All of Speranza is buzzing about Stella Montis right now, and I admit it's caught my attention. Let the others sort the whats and hows; I'm interested in the tech inside." The objectives, per the quest's wiki entry:
- Take a photo of any of the Rovers in the Sandbox (lower level)
- Search the papers in the Security Checkpoint room by the Lobby
- Deliver a Flow Controller to Tian Wen
- Deliver a Magnetron to Tian Wen
Rewards: Burletta III, Silencer II, Extended Light Mag II, 100 Light Ammo and 2,500 XP. It leads into With A View and On Deaf Ears, so a missing Flow Controller stalls the whole chain. Magnetron is also an Epic Exodus-theme item, so it can turn up on the same route.
Geiger Counter: Trophy Display phase 5 (×3). Phase 5 of the Trophy Display project, Imposing Behemoths, has four rows (Trophy Display, ARC Raiders Wiki):
| Hand in | Reward |
|---|---|
| 5 Exodus Modules | 2 Snap Hook |
| 3 Geiger Counter | 1 Aphelion |
| 8 Bombardier Cell | 50 Raider Tokens |
| 3 Matriarch Reactor | 1 Snap Hook Blueprint |
Three Geiger Counters for a Legendary Aphelion is one of the best trades in the project system. If you're planning to amplify it later, our Aphelion amplification guide covers what comes next. Still deciding which projects to fund at all? See which ARC Raiders projects to fund first.
Should you keep, recycle or sell them?
This is where most players lose value. Here's the math using ARC Tracker's item values:
| Item | Sell for | Recycle value | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flow Controller | 3,000 | 2,250 (1,750 Advanced Mechanical Components + 500 Sensors) | Keep 1 for Snap And Salvage. Then sell, unless you're short on Advanced Mechanical Components |
| Geiger Counter | 3,500 | 3,500 (3 × 250 Battery + 2,750 Exodus Modules) | Keep 3 for Trophy Display. Then recycle: same value, and Exodus Modules are a crafting bottleneck |
Why recycle Geiger Counters: recycling loses you nothing in value, and you get an Exodus Module, an Epic material that gates real crafts. The Snap Hook everyone on the subreddit refuses to leave Speranza without this week costs 2 Power Rod + 2 Steel Cable + 1 Exodus Modules at Utility Station 3 (blueprint required). Exodus Modules also go into Bobcat I and Tempest I (2 each) and Hullcracker I and Vulcano I (1 each), plus the 5 that Trophy Display phase 5 asks for. Selling a Geiger Counter throws all of that away for zero extra coins. If you don't have the Snap Hook blueprint yet, here's how to get it.
Why Flow Controllers are a closer call: recycling one is 750 coins worse than selling it. But Advanced Mechanical Components are an upgrade and repair material for 11 weapon lines. They're in the craft recipe for Anvil, Bettina, Canto, Osprey, Rascal, Renegade, Torrente and Venator, and in the Magnetic Accelerator (2 per craft). The wiki also lists them in the II to IV upgrades and the repairs of Anvil, Bettina, Bobcat, Hullcracker, Osprey, Rascal, Renegade, Tempest, Torrente, Venator and Vulcano. The Canto is the odd one out, since its upgrades use regular Mechanical Components. An Anvil II repair alone costs 2 Advanced Mechanical Components + 2 Heavy Gun Parts. If you're running amplified guns and watching durability melt, you'll burn through these fast, and recycling Flow Controllers is a clean way to top up. If your stash already has a stack, take the 3,000 coins.
Don't salvage either one unless you're out of space topside and need the slot. Salvaging gives you only the base parts: 2 Mechanical Components (about 1,280 in value) for a Flow Controller, and 3 Battery (750) for a Geiger Counter. Use a recycler or sell. For the bigger picture on what to break down, see our ARC Raiders keep, sell and recycle list.
How many do you actually need?
For a full-progress account, the minimum is small:
- Flow Controller: 1 for Snap And Salvage. Everything after that is coins or Advanced Mechanical Components.
- Geiger Counter: 3 for Trophy Display phase 5. Everything after that is Exodus Modules (1 each).
The minimum is small. The farm only becomes a grind if you're turning Geiger Counters into Exodus Modules for Snap Hooks and Epic weapon crafts. At one module per counter, five Snap Hook crafts need five Geiger Counters on top of the three you hand in.
Want to skip the Stella Montis grind?
Short on Geiger Counters or Exodus Modules? timesaver.gg delivers ARC Raiders crafting materials straight to your stash, so you can finish Trophy Display or craft a Snap Hook today instead of after ten Stella Montis runs.
- Geiger Counter: the Trophy Display phase 5 hand-in
- Exodus Modules: for Snap Hook, Bobcat, Tempest, Hullcracker and Vulcano crafts
- Advanced Mechanical Components: weapon upgrades and repairs
- Magnetron: the other half of Snap And Salvage
- All ARC Raiders materials
FAQ
Can I buy this loadout instead of farming it? Yes: this loadout costs $4.27 on Timesaver, and a Timesaver pro hands it over to you in-raid within 30 min. How handover works and what happens if something goes wrong: account safety.
Is it safe to buy ARC Raiders items from Timesaver? Every order is done by hand by verified Timesaver pros, with no cheats, bots or third-party software, and item orders need no access to your account. Embark's rules prohibit real-money trading, so the risk is not zero: since 2024 about 0.01% of our orders have led to sanctions. If your account is sanctioned because of our work, the Account Safety Guarantee refunds 100% of the order price. Account safety: how handover works and what happens if something goes wrong
Where is the best place to find Flow Controllers in ARC Raiders? Stella Montis. ARC Tracker's drop data has it at roughly 60 times the Pendola Pass rate. Loot medical containers in Medical Research, security crates and lockers around the Lobby, and office desks in the Business Center. Queue a Night Raid when you can, since it nearly doubles the rate.
Where do Geiger Counters spawn? Same map, same containers. Geiger Counters drop from the same nine container types as Flow Controllers on Stella Montis. They're an Epic item, though, and you need three for Trophy Display phase 5.
Did Embark nerf Flow Controllers? No patch note says so, and the wiki lists no change since update 1.2.0. The likelier reason they feel rarer is that a lot of raiders moved to Pendola Pass, where the drop rate is a tiny fraction of Stella Montis.
What is the Flow Controller used for? It's one of two hand-ins for Tian Wen's Snap And Salvage quest, along with a Magnetron. Otherwise it's a recyclable that breaks down into 1 Advanced Mechanical Components and 1 Sensors.
Should I recycle or sell Geiger Counters? Once you have three set aside for Trophy Display, recycle them. You get 3 Battery and 1 Exodus Modules, which equals the 3,500 sell value, and the Exodus Module is what Snap Hook and several Epic weapon crafts need.
Why can't I see Stella Montis in my map list? It unlocks after 24 rounds played. Until then, Flow Controllers and Geiger Counters are rare drops from other maps, mostly Pendola Pass and Riven Tides.
