[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Portable Survey Equipmen



        Reply to:   RE>Portable Survey Equipment Longevity

We have a number of old health physics survey instruments.  Most of them still
work fine.  Their longevity stems mostly from proper care.  If you take care of
them they will last a long time.  

We still use in our program a Victoreen Thyac III , Serial No. 1493, Eberline
E-120G SN 3220, two E-530's SN's 789 &949, a E-520 SN's 2886 and a RAD OWL 1
(RO-1) SN 535.  All of these portable survey instruments are in daily use by
nuclear medicine, therapeutic radiology and nursing personnel.  They are all 20
- 30 years old and still are within calibration spec's on all scales.

In addition, We use a Ludlum Model 22 Scaler/Ratemeter, which is at least 20
years old, to perform daily package wipe tests and I-131 therapy room release
surveys.  We also use a Picker Spectroscaler 4 Single Channel Analyzer for our
wipe test program.  This is also a vintage piece of equipment salvaged from our
radioimmuno assay lab.  I'd like to get new equipment with all the fancy bells
and whistles, but I can't kill this old equipment!   

In addition, We have a Rank Nucleonics electrometer which must be at least 30
years old which is connected to a well ionization chamber which is exactly the
same model as the one which appears in Fig. 95 on pg. 259 of NCRP report No. 58.
 I found this in a storage cabinet ten years ago put it back together and found
a reference to it's original calibration with a NBS Radium source which dated
from the 60's.  I placed the same source into it 30 years later and was amazed
to see the same result.

When I recommend survey equipment to a user and they balk at the price, I tell
them that if they take reasonable care of them, they will last for a career.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
Michael J. Bohan, RSO   |  e-mail: mike.bohan@yale.edu
Yale-New Haven Hospital |    Tele: (203) 785-2950
Radiological Physics    |     FAX: (203) 737-4252
20 York St. - WWW 204   |    As usual, everything I say may be plausibly
New Haven, CT    06504  |    denied at my employer's convenience ...
><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>