[ RadSafe ] Victoreen 450

[Dimiter Popoff]

>Fluke does not release most of the schematics for its instruments.  Their
>reasoning is that it discourages people from trying to obtain service other
>than by the factory.  

Don't know about their motivation but we also do not release
such information.
Not because we would get badly mistreated untis - those who order
just to try to reverse engineer our technology do it anyway (a lost
cause but it is their life), and genuine customers simply
get in touch with us.

Todays technology has just outgrown the "do it yourself" age,
so there is not much of a point to show your competitors
more details than necessary.

Come to think of it it might be a good idea to send them chasing
some more ghosts by revealing the schematics, there is *a lot* more
detail involved, I may opt to do it one of these days after all :D .

To a customer the schmatics is generally useless - at least at
the level of complexity of our products.

What can a "normal" technician do say with that board:

http://tgi-sci.com/misc/nmc3top.gif .

Other than ruining it, that is.

Then again, when customers have had genuine questions regarding
the internals from a user point of view obviously we do give the
information. It is easy to see when someone asks a user question
and when a manufacturing one.

Dimiter

------------------------------------------------------
Dimiter Popoff               Transgalactic Instruments

http://www.tgi-sci.com
------------------------------------------------------
http://www.flickr.com/photos/didi_tgi/sets/72157600228621276/


>Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2012 12:22:21 -0400
>From: Chris Alston <achris1999 at gmail.com>
>To: "The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List"
>	<radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu>
>Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Victoreen 450
>
>Folks
>
>Those batteries are the power source for the meter's electronics (unless I
>misremember badly).  I think that there is an additional space in the
>handle for the batteries for the little lamp.  The chamber bias voltage
>batteries (5 x 10 V, probably silver oxide) are soldered to a board inside
>the meter, so you would have to open the case, by removing the screws, to
>get a look at them.
>
>Fluke does not release most of the schematics for its instruments.  Their
>reasoning is that it discourages people from trying to obtain service other
>than by the factory.  I guess that they have seen some pretty ugly
>soldering, etc., over the years, or had instruments returned to them
>malfunctioning because someone had misunderstood a schematic.  Whatever one
>might think about that policy, while they are supporting an instrument,
>once they d/c support, by obsoleting an instrument, it makes maintenance
>very hard for owners.  By contrast, Ludlum does not have either of these
>policies (lack of support for alternate service centers and obsoleting
>instruments).  You might try calling the Global Calibration Lab, and asking
>them for schematics; all they can say is "sorry, but we cannot do it".  Jim
>Sipos is a great guy in tech support there.
>
>It is really too bad about the end of the Model 450.  It was the best
>ion-chambered instrument i ever used for beta dose rates, and low-E photon
>exposure rates, especially in relatively confined areas (e.g., laboratory
>benchs).
>
>Cheers
>cja
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>From: Peter Fear <fearp at upstate.edu>
>Date: Thu, Jul 5, 2012 at 8:30 AM
>Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Victoreen 450
>To: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
>
>
>In ours there are 2 9 volt batteries in the handle. The ends are held in
>place by metal pins. Lift them out using a small screwdriver, replace
>the battery, hold the end in place and then replace the pin. There is on
>on each end.
>
>
>Pete
>
>Peter Fear
>Health Physics Technologist
>SUNY Upstate Medical University
>Radiation Safety Office
>636 UH
>750 E. Adams St.
>Syracuse, NY 13210
>
>Phone: (315)464-6510
>FAX:     (315)464-5095
>fearp at upstate.edu
>
>
>>>> Pedro Argolo Piedade  07/04/12 11:02 AM >>>
>Anyone happen to have a diagram of where the HV batteries hook up on a
>Victoreen 450 or a photo of same. The battery holder is missing.
>
>I need to fix the Victoreen 450!
>
>Dusting off the shelves and found the Victoreen 450 I bought a while
>back.
>I'm looking for a schematic to troubleshoot the thing. Can anyone help?
>
>Thanks
>--
>Pedro Argôlo Piedade
>Físico Médico
>+55-048-91672105
>pedroargolopie at gmail.com
>skype: pedroargolopie
>