U.S. Navy/WW II - Infra Red

["Mike Bohan" <mike.bohan@yale.edu>]

Hi RADSAFERS!

I was contacted today by a volunteer at our hospital about a "radioactive"
device he found in his father-in-law's garage.  His in-law apparently bought it
as war surplus and has now passes it on to the volunteer as a heirloom.  

I surveyed it with a pancake GM and get a reading of ~ 1 mR/hr at 2.54 cm.  I
wipe tested it with a 2 x 2 NaI SCA system with a window from 100 - 1000 keV
with a negative result.  The radiation appears to be high energy gamma, (little
attenuation with 3.2 mm lead), so I'm assuming it has a Radium-226 source in it.
 If there are any "Old Navy" types out there or anyone else for that matter who
could provide me with some more info, I'd be beholden!

This is the available information from the device's casing:

Infra-Red Light Receiver
Type US/AM
Serial No. 12957
Navy No. Nan. R-1400
Navy Cont. No.  NOBS 20418
Lewyt, Corp.
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Thanks for your support!!!



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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 ...
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