Tektronix X-Ray Survey Meter

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Jerry Biehler
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Tektronix X-Ray Survey Meter

Post by Jerry Biehler »

Found this at the Tektronix company store today for $20, looks like it was made for internal use, there is nothing on the internet about it. The module slides into one of the TM500 or TM5000 racks. The probe looks to be a scintillator with a magnetic shield over it and came with a plastic cover to protect it. When I popped it open I noticed a yellow glass piece attached to the side cover with a sticker. Turns out its some sort of check source, I am guessing thoriated glass. It's actually one of the hotter sources I have now. I peeled the top layer of the little cal sticker off and it shows first cal 31st week of 84 and used till 92. I am guessing they were using it for detecting x-rays from CRTs or something. The switch is labeled 15, 20, 25, and 30kv, I am wondering if this is set for the acceleration voltage of the CRT, since the internal power supply is limited to 1500v and they have the tube set to ~750v

I dont have a TM500 rack so I dont have a way to test it. Ill probably take one of my other power supplies and power it up and check it with a scope.
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Richard Hull
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Re: Tektronix X-Ray Survey Meter

Post by Richard Hull »

I think you have guessed its purpose. I have one of those Tek instrument racks with small scope, power supply, freq gen, and DVM installed. (hamfest buy years ago). I can't figure the source though being inside the instrument facing down at the electronics?? Might just be a check for PMT operation

Thorium has a particularly penetrating gamma at over 2.5 MeV due to one of its daughters that is there as soon as 35years after being refined from the ore. Thoriated glass is a distinct shade of yellow as I have a couple of heavily doped lens here. My gamma spec shows they are Thorium.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
Jerry Biehler
Posts: 975
Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2009 3:08 am
Real name:
Location: Beaverton, OR

Re: Tektronix X-Ray Survey Meter

Post by Jerry Biehler »

Yeah, I may have to grab one of the frames the next time I hit the store. I thought it would be easy to replicate it but the frame provides some odd voltages which it looks like this module actually uses, +11.5v, and +/-33.5v as well as has npn and pnp power transistor connected to the backplane which the modules can use if they need them. But I have a bunch of ultravolt HV power supplies and dedicated PMT supplies I can use instead.

Im guessing they just didnt want to lose the source so they bolted it to the side. Its definitely detectable though the thin aluminum side panel. If I can get this running with a MCA of some sort Ill see if I can figure out what it is, either that throw it in the SEM with the edx detector, but I need to get LN2 for that.
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