Greetings from Bristol, UK

[Yannick Verbelen]

Hello everyone,

Thank you for granting me access to this forum.

I am an engineer with a degree in electronics, and have been interested in radiation detection for quite a while. I started building Geiger-Müller counters, and built prototypes with several Soviet-era GM-tubes and neutron tubes (He-3 and BN). I also built gamma spectrometers with NaI and plastic scintillators.
I've recently been donated a vacuum vessel by the family of befriended physicist who sadly passed away. I'd like to put it to good use and turn it into an IEC fusor, and test my radiation detectors with the X-rays and neutrons it produces.

I would say I have a solid understanding of engineering and electronics but have amateur level physics knowledge, and know absolutely nothing about vacuum technology. So I will be spending quite some time on there reading experiences of others and figuring out which parts are needed to turn a vacuum vessel into a fusor. Many of my questions will probably be very trivial or practical, such as identifying parts in the vacuum vessel I have been donated, or figuring out how to make connections air-tight.

Warm regards,

Yannick

[Richard Hull]

Welcome! Make sure to read the forum specific FAQs sections at the top of each forum as in the 22 years of this forum, all newbie questions have been asked and answered within the FAQs. I am a retired electronics engineer and circuit designer. I am especially well versed in making nuclear instruments. As of 2014 I have been making nuclear instruments with the Arduino microprocessor at the core.

Richard Hull