[Milsurplus] Radioactive OA2 tubes?

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

I think that's probably correct.  Anyone actually concerned about it should 
(a) immediately ship me all of their 810's, 811's, 811A's, etc. for proper 
disposal, and (b) avoid going to Denver.


In a message dated 9/26/2010 5:42:19 PM Central Daylight Time, 
w7qho at aol.com writes: 
> Ran into a warning like that on some JAN 811A tubes a while ago.  
> Something to do with the thorium in the filaments maybe?
> Dennis D. W7QHO
> Glendale, CA
> 
> 
> ********************
> 
> On Sep 26, 2010, at 1:22 PM, WA5CAB at cs.com wrote:
> 
> >> Actually the warnings are a 60's thing.  A small percentage of the gas 
>> in 
>> the tube is the or one of the radioactive isotopes of that gas.  I never 
>> did 
>> understand the logic of the comment about cuts in the warning.  What you 
>> wouldn't want to do would be to inhale right over a tube that had just 
>> been 
>> broken.
>> 
>> In a message dated 9/26/2010 1:48:45 PM Central Daylight Time, 
>> jfor at quik.com writes: 
>> >>> My guess is that all gas tubes, including Regulators, indicators, and 
>>> T/R
>>> 
>> >>> Tubes, have radioactive solids or gas in them in small quantities.  
>>> There
>>> 
>> >>> may well have been differences between manufacturers.
>>> 
>> >>> 
>>> 
>> >>> I suspect the manual cautions were a post WW II caution, when concern
>>> 
>> >>> about radioactivity grew.
>>> 
>> >>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> 
> 
> 
> 

Robert Downs - Houston
wa5cab dot com (Web Store)
MVPA 9480