In this weekend's Radio Amateur Information Network (R.A.I.N.) audio
news, they featured Michael Crestohl, W1RC, at the 2000 Dayton Ham-
Vention. Michael was deeply involved at the time in working with the
U.S. government to remove or reclassify collectible surplus radio
gear from its demilitarization list.

In the interview, Michael mentions that the meter needles in the R390A
were "radio active" and had to be removed before the equipment could
be demilitarized by the government. (It was not clear if this pertained
to all of the R390As or certain models.)

Just a FYI to R390A owners. The broadcast can be heard at:
http://www.rrsta.com/rain/ (The statement about the meter needles
comes in around 11:15 minutes into the approximate 15 minute audio
news.)

Just how radio active the needles are was not mentioned. Also I
suspect that some R390A went to MARS members and may not have been
demilitarized. I had one for many years and this was the first I
heard about the needles.

I think thay had radium paint on the meters and some were removed when
demiliterized.

Murray Green, K3BEQ wrote:

In this weekend's Radio Amateur Information Network (R.A.I.N.) audio
news, they featured Michael Crestohl, W1RC, at the 2000 Dayton Ham-
Vention. Michael was deeply involved at the time in working with the
U.S. government to remove or reclassify collectible surplus radio
gear from its demilitarization list.

In the interview, Michael mentions that the meter needles in the R390A
were "radio active" and had to be removed before the equipment could
be demilitarized by the government. (It was not clear if this pertained
to all of the R390As or certain models.)

Just a FYI to R390A owners. The broadcast can be heard at:
http://www.rrsta.com/rain/ (The statement about the meter needles
comes in around 11:15 minutes into the approximate 15 minute audio
news.)

Just how radio active the needles are was not mentioned. Also I
suspect that some R390A went to MARS members and may not have been
demilitarized. I had one for many years and this was the first I
heard about the needles.



--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT
"The RFI-EMI-GUY"

"Follow The Money"

"Murray Green, K3BEQ" wrote in message
...

In this weekend's Radio Amateur Information Network (R.A.I.N.) audio
news, they featured Michael Crestohl, W1RC, at the 2000 Dayton Ham-
Vention. Michael was deeply involved at the time in working with the
U.S. government to remove or reclassify collectible surplus radio
gear from its demilitarization list.

In the interview, Michael mentions that the meter needles in the R390A
were "radio active" and had to be removed before the equipment could
be demilitarized by the government. (It was not clear if this pertained
to all of the R390As or certain models.)

Just a FYI to R390A owners. The broadcast can be heard at:
http://www.rrsta.com/rain/ (The statement about the meter needles
comes in around 11:15 minutes into the approximate 15 minute audio
news.)

Just how radio active the needles are was not mentioned. Also I
suspect that some R390A went to MARS members and may not have been
demilitarized. I had one for many years and this was the first I
heard about the needles.

The R-390 meter needles, and a number of other equipment models, were
painted with a Radium compound that made them glow in the dark. The intent
was to allow the radio shack to be operated in low-light environments. The
idea didn't last very long, because although the needles would give off a
faint glow, the meter dials weren't illuminated enough to make them
readable.
--
Dave M
MasonDG44 at comcast dot net (Just substitute the appropriate characters in
the address)

Never take a laxative and a sleeping pill at the same time!!

Murray Green, K3BEQ wrote:
In this weekend's Radio Amateur Information Network (R.A.I.N.) audio
news, they featured Michael Crestohl, W1RC, at the 2000 Dayton Ham-
Vention. Michael was deeply involved at the time in working with the
U.S. government to remove or reclassify collectible surplus radio
gear from its demilitarization list.

In the interview, Michael mentions that the meter needles in the R390A
were "radio active" and had to be removed before the equipment could
be demilitarized by the government. (It was not clear if this pertained
to all of the R390As or certain models.)

Just a FYI to R390A owners. The broadcast can be heard at:
http://www.rrsta.com/rain/ (The statement about the meter needles
comes in around 11:15 minutes into the approximate 15 minute audio
news.)

Just how radio active the needles are was not mentioned. Also I
suspect that some R390A went to MARS members and may not have been
demilitarized. I had one for many years and this was the first I
heard about the needles.
The need to have glow in the dark dials etc. caused them to use radium
salts in phosphorus-compound paint to make the phosphorus glow from the
beta particles (I think) emitted by the radium salts.

A watch company in Southern Illinois (Olney) had people paintiong this
stuff on their dials and people wet the paintbrush tips to make them
sharper with their lips and many people were (over time) poisoned

Yodar

The radio activity is caused by the glow in the dark meter markings. More
tree hugger bull crap.


"Murray Green, K3BEQ" wrote in message
...

In this weekend's Radio Amateur Information Network (R.A.I.N.) audio
news, they featured Michael Crestohl, W1RC, at the 2000 Dayton Ham-
Vention. Michael was deeply involved at the time in working with the
U.S. government to remove or reclassify collectible surplus radio
gear from its demilitarization list.

In the interview, Michael mentions that the meter needles in the R390A
were "radio active" and had to be removed before the equipment could
be demilitarized by the government. (It was not clear if this pertained
to all of the R390As or certain models.)

Just a FYI to R390A owners. The broadcast can be heard at:
http://www.rrsta.com/rain/ (The statement about the meter needles
comes in around 11:15 minutes into the approximate 15 minute audio
news.)

Just how radio active the needles are was not mentioned. Also I
suspect that some R390A went to MARS members and may not have been
demilitarized. I had one for many years and this was the first I
heard about the needles.

Just how radio active the needles are was not mentioned. Also I

It's nothing to worry about. They are no different than the "glow in
the dark" clock and radio dials from back in the 40's 50's and maybe
60's. There was a small amount of radio active material mixed in with
the phorphour causing it to glow.

suspect that some R390A went to MARS members and may not have been
demilitarized. I had one for many years and this was the first I
heard about the needles.

I'd guess this is just a CYA by the government after some lawyer
realized the stuff was still out there. The material is *very* low
level" and could be hazardous IF you get it in your mouth or a cut"
and in today's sue happy society I can see why they might panic.
However the stuff is basically harmless unless you provoke it.

I once broke a device in my hands with enough radioactive Cesium in
it to really light up the counters. The hazmat team found the device
in the lab under a metal pail, a string of clothes down the hall, and
me standing in the shower. Again they said as long as I had not put
my hands near my mouth, nose, or eyes or gotten the material in some
cuts (the counter confirmed I hadn't) they said I did the right thing.
BTW, I even got my clothes back. :-))

Back in the days when they were making the dials, word has it that
some of the women doing the painting were getting sick. They'd twirl
the end of the brush on their tongues to keep a point on the brush and
were ingesting the material.


For any one who has been around a while, look at how they treat
mercury now and how we used to treat it 50 and 60 years ago. Break a
thermomenter and they close a lab while the hazmat team cleans up. We
used to "silver" coins and rigs with the stuff and carry it around.
I'd guess the Mercury is far more dangerous than any radioactivity
from those dials and markings.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

In article ,
"Fred W4JLE" wrote:

The radio activity is caused by the glow in the dark meter markings. More
tree hugger bull crap.



A few years back I put a Geiger counter within inches of an old Timex
watch with a "radium dial" and it pegged out the meter. It was a
significant amount of radiation if worn on your wrist. Worth the risk?
Not for me.

Anyway have fun with your R390 and it's "radium dial" meter.










"Murray Green, K3BEQ" wrote in message
...

In this weekend's Radio Amateur Information Network (R.A.I.N.) audio
news, they featured Michael Crestohl, W1RC, at the 2000 Dayton Ham-
Vention. Michael was deeply involved at the time in working with the
U.S. government to remove or reclassify collectible surplus radio
gear from its demilitarization list.

In the interview, Michael mentions that the meter needles in the R390A
were "radio active" and had to be removed before the equipment could
be demilitarized by the government. (It was not clear if this pertained
to all of the R390As or certain models.)

Just a FYI to R390A owners. The broadcast can be heard at:
http://www.rrsta.com/rain/ (The statement about the meter needles
comes in around 11:15 minutes into the approximate 15 minute audio
news.)

Just how radio active the needles are was not mentioned. Also I
suspect that some R390A went to MARS members and may not have been
demilitarized. I had one for many years and this was the first I
heard about the needles.

In article ,
Roger wrote:


Just how radio active the needles are was not mentioned. Also I

It's nothing to worry about. They are no different than the "glow in
the dark" clock and radio dials from back in the 40's 50's and maybe
60's. There was a small amount of radio active material mixed in with
the phorphour causing it to glow.

suspect that some R390A went to MARS members and may not have been
demilitarized. I had one for many years and this was the first I
heard about the needles.

I'd guess this is just a CYA by the government after some lawyer
realized the stuff was still out there. The material is *very* low
level" and could be hazardous IF you get it in your mouth or a cut"
and in today's sue happy society I can see why they might panic.
However the stuff is basically harmless unless you provoke it.

I once broke a device in my hands with enough radioactive Cesium in
it to really light up the counters. The hazmat team found the device
in the lab under a metal pail, a string of clothes down the hall, and
me standing in the shower. Again they said as long as I had not put
my hands near my mouth, nose, or eyes or gotten the material in some
cuts (the counter confirmed I hadn't) they said I did the right thing.
BTW, I even got my clothes back. :-))

Back in the days when they were making the dials, word has it that
some of the women doing the painting were getting sick. They'd twirl
the end of the brush on their tongues to keep a point on the brush and
were ingesting the material.


For any one who has been around a while, look at how they treat
mercury now and how we used to treat it 50 and 60 years ago. Break a
thermomenter and they close a lab while the hazmat team cleans up. We
used to "silver" coins and rigs with the stuff and carry it around.
I'd guess the Mercury is far more dangerous than any radioactivity
from those dials and markings.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

Short term, no effect. Long term, years, decades...unknown. Good luck.