Amidst the long-unused equipment in our stock room, we have a Union
Carbide Minigenerator Nuclear Rate Meter. This is a small,
battery-operated unit in a yellow and blue case that detects decays
and reports them both with clicks on the internal speaker and in
Counts per Minute on an analog meter.
I am preparing to lead a group of Boy Scouts through their Nuclear
Science merit badge and thought that this little meter would be much
better suited to the task than our fancier (and more valuable) Geiger
counters, but unfortunately, the manual for this little meter is no
longer to be found.
The battery is no longer in the meter (fortunately, since it would
surely have leaked and probably ruined the meter). The battery is
accessible by removing the lower back cover. It appears to have been
about the diameter of a AA battery, but longer -- about 3 inches (7.8
cm) long.
Do any of you know anything about these meters? At the very least, I
would like to know the specifications of the original battery, so I
can look for a replacement. Even better, if any of you happen to
have a manual and could send or fax a photocopy, that would be even
better.
I hooked up a variable DC power supply, put a source near the
detector, and gradually increased the voltage; the meter started
detecting decays at about 6-7 volts. Thus, if all else fails, I
could probably solder in a 9 volt battery clip so as to run the meter
on a "modern" and more easily available battery.
Thanks in advance for any info you can provide.
Charles Crook
Charles R. Crook
Instructor of Chemistry and Physics
Rappahannock Community College
12745 Campus Drive 52 Campus Drive
Glenns, VA 22573 Warsaw, VA 22572
804-758-6883 804-333-6883
FAX: 804-758-3852