Balzers HLG2 leak detector - any use?

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Maciek Szymanski
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Real name: Maciek Szymański
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Balzers HLG2 leak detector - any use?

Post by Maciek Szymanski »

I’ve got Balzers halogen leak detector HLG2. Unfortunately I’ve only the control unit and the sniffer pistol not the detector head. Does anybody know something about those? Any idea what do with it? Practically no info on the web.


The control unit is in very nice and extremely tough case:
162CE3D0-6BE6-48DB-AA49-FB488F53E4FF.jpeg

Inside the case however there is not much. Just two transformers and an amplifier (probably - it may be also heater current stabilizer) with one double triode ECC82:
A8CF7795-173C-4F09-B260-DB00692B4B23.jpeg

The sniffer pistol has a small nozzle with button controlled valve and a micro ammeter build in:
83115E32-1379-4D3C-8877-223FFEDDBCF5.jpeg

As far as I know the detector was used with a special heated platinum electrode detector head connected to the vacuum system while the joints were sprayed with halogen gas. Strong ion emission form hot electrode when hit with halogen molecules was indicated by the current flowing through the sensor.
I’m wondering if it’s possible to replace the sensor with a semiconductor gas detector of this kind:

https://www.figarosensor.com/product/en ... 0-c00.html

and use propane as the indicator gas?
“Begin at the beginning," the King said, very gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
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