Pressure and Neutron Metering Equipment

[Maxwell_Epstein]

Hello All!

After a semi-brief hiatus due to school and exams, I have returned with vigor to my fusion project and am finally ready to make the push to attaining real fusion. As a high school senior, I am fast approaching a deadline where I must head off to college and pack my gear into storage (at least until I can find a way to continue my project there). Because of this, I am passionate and excited about achieving fusion within the upcoming months.

What I am looking for now is:

1. A vacuum gauge and controller (or less ideally a gauge for which I could build a controller myself) capable of metering at x10^-4 torr or below. Ideally, this would have either a KF-25 or 2.75" conflat connection.

2. Some form of neutron detection system. As a long shot, I would ideally be looking for a Ludlum proportional neutron counter with a controller or something similar, but any sort of neutron detection system or parts with which to build one would be fantastic! My experience with electronics is probably not good enough to design my own system around an He3 tube alone, but I am confident that I could follow the design of a proven system if sold components.

As of now, my budget to take my system from its current state to one that is fully fusing is $1000. This includes money for deuterium gas and an injection system, though, so my effective budget for a gauge and a neutron detector is lower.


I am planning on selling some unused conflat hardware on eBay as well as the Items for Sale forum to increase my budget. I would also, of course, love to sell or trade with anyone in possession of a vacuum or neutron system to help me afford it. Additionally, I am in possession of a high quality MKC-1 E geiger counter/dosimeter system that comes with full documentation, a pancake alpha measurement tube, and a beta/gamma tube. I am currently using this system to measure x-ray radiation out of my chamber. It is a Ukrainian detector with all documentation and digital menus in the Ukrainian language, but I have written a basic translated operations manual. This system is a little bit advanced for my needs so I have been considering selling it to help finance the purchase of a different system for radiation metering that may be able to interface with my neutron metering needs (for instance, buying one Ludlum controller to go with both a beta/gamma probe and a neutron probe). If I am able to find a suitable radiation metering system and neutron system either here or on eBay, I plan to include this meter in my items for sale post or to sell it on eBay. I include this information here because I would also be happy to trade some or all of this gear to cover part or all of the price of the two items that I am looking for above. I am unsure if this is something that is commonly done, but I thought I would include the offer here just in case.

For offers or more information, please either respond to this post or contact me at maxe731@gmail.com.

Thanks!
Max E.

[Andrew Seltzman]

For a vacuum gauge I would strongly suggest the MKS-901p. It has both digital (rs232) and analog output, different gas calibrations (including hydrogen) that can be set digitally, and measured down to 1e-5 torr. You can get them on ebay for ~$50-100, and they are well worth it.

[Maxwell_Epstein]

Thank you for your response, Mr. Seltzman!

I have acquired a suitable gauge and am now only in need of a neutron detector.