The AM Forum

Once in a while I come across something really interesting that tickles my fancy. A friend stopped over a few weeks ago and dumped off some massive transformers, a few "boatanchor" type transmitters, and something called a "ionization gage".

It's made by "Varian" (model 0563-K2466-302) and as far as I can tell by doing a "Google" search it's a hot cathode type.

I really don't know what the hell to do with the thing, but it resembles a vacuum tube with an exposed cathode, grid and plate structure. Apparently they're used to measure the amount of vacuum in certain devices and for aerospace work.

What's particularly interesting about the thing is it's really an exposed (to the atmosphere) triode type vacuum tube, and uses common electron bombardment to test vacuum in small spaces. The plate is negative, so I'd have to assume the grid swings positive to a corresponding amount of negative electron bombardment from the plate to the (hot) cathode. Kind of like a "Barkhausen-Kurz" oscillator.

Can anyone tell me if there are any other uses for it other than to measure vacuum? I really don't have anything around here for that type of application (unless I want to re-vacuum gassy tubes - hi!)

It would be interesting to turn it into some sort of oscillator or electron emitting gizmo purely for my own edification!

Any advice will be appreciated.

Regards,
Joe Cro N3IBX

Might be able to rig it to keep cats from peeing under the porch.

Dave said:
Gee Davey, (said Goliath)

Hell, that's liable to MAKE[/i] them pee under the porch! ;)

Perhaps the positive charged cathode would keep my cats from "pissing on the tube", but what about using it as a "Barkhausen-Kurz" oscillator to drive something bigger?

Maybe a huge over the horzon radar system to flush our US weather system elsewhere. They can have the pissing cats as a bonus.

Hi Joe,

My previous salt mine had a quadrapole mass spectrometer with an ion gage attached as you describe.  In that application, I doubt if they handle more than a few microamperes.  It was very interesting to look at.

As I recall, the filament glowed just orange when in use. 

You would have to vacuum pump it out to run it.

I would just keep it for looks.

Tom said:
Right on the money, Tom! I was trying to remember where I had seen one of those and when I read your input it tipped the cart. We have one on our Prima 6000 Mass-spectrometer that we use up in our fermentation facility. Intrestingly enough, its primarily used with a drug for combatting childhood Leukemia. They ferment a batch of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and isolate the bacterium's protien shell. This is what is used to make Asparaganiase or the trade name Elspar®. So in essence, we ferment a big batch of crap! :D

Tom,
      It is a "kewl" looking thing. I guess it'll become a shelf queen instead of "singing for it's supper". I would however like to get the specs to it to "lite it off" and see the filament glow and maybe measure plate and grid resistance to see if they change in respect to the amount of voltage applied to the filament.

Regards,
           Joe Cro N3IBX