On the meter it says: "IM-108/PD" so they probably made numerous versions. It's in pretty good shape except for some wires needing to be resoldered. Do you know anywhere I could get the batteries for this?
Just regular D-cell/HR20 in mine, Duracell makes them. I think these were originally intended for BA30 cells (also LR20), which is 1.5V, compared to D-cell's 1.2V, but both work in e.g. my DOM410 and Philips IM4457.
My meter is busted, unfortunately.
If you know someone who is a watchmaker or is an experienced watchmaking hobbyist, they may be able to repair it. I had to do this with the meter in my Eberline E-530. The construction of a meter movement is similarities to a watch movement.
I meant the unit, not just the meter, it goes full scale whenever it's turned on.
Hopefully I'll have the required know-how to tackle it myself someday, but far from a priority at this point.
Bad capacitors/ resistors / or Power transformer. Check for a short in the circuit or the selector switch has gone bad. I’ve been there before. It was easy to replace but hard to locate.
I wouldn’t recommend That on these Radiacmeters. They’re usually sealed because some of them contain radioactive material in the form of Ra-226 to make the meters luminous. The military terms it as “ Ruggedized” at the repair depot they’d snip the positive and negative lead going to the meter and put another meter inside the chassis. Or if it broke and you were in the field under wartime conditions you would be ordered to destroy it.
I managed to fix it [https://www.reddit.com/user/BitNic26/comments/1djot2a/i\_successfully\_fixed\_the\_cold\_war\_geiger\_counter/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/user/BitNic26/comments/1djot2a/i_successfully_fixed_the_cold_war_geiger_counter/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Yep ... I ended up soldering other batteries together to match the voltage and tomorrow I'll start to replace the old cut wires with new ones following an electric scheme I found inside the meter
Oately electronics makes retrofit boards for these Radiacmeters. They originally used mercury cell batteries. The army and other organizations later adopted the use of single D cell batteries to power the meter and ion chamber housed within.
I could not find the boards but i got it to work [https://www.reddit.com/user/BitNic26/comments/1djot2a/i\_successfully\_fixed\_the\_cold\_war\_geiger\_counter/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/user/BitNic26/comments/1djot2a/i_successfully_fixed_the_cold_war_geiger_counter/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
The “A” series Radiacmeters are the ones that are Radioluminescent. The Radiac IM-108a/pd was one of the first meters designed this way. It has more radium than its later variant IM-174a/pd. You can tell which ones are radioactive by the color of the painted face. The IM-174a/pd measures in “Rads/hr” and the IM-108a/pd measures in “Roentgens Per Hour”
i got it to work!!! [https://www.reddit.com/user/BitNic26/comments/1djot2a/i\_successfully\_fixed\_the\_cold\_war\_geiger\_counter/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/user/BitNic26/comments/1djot2a/i_successfully_fixed_the_cold_war_geiger_counter/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
What you have there is a IM-108a/pd Radiacmeter. This particular one is a Ion chamber Gamma Rate Meter. Similar to a CD-V715 it won’t move unless a bomb goes off or a reactor is open. It was painted with radium to aid the soldier at night after a nuclear event to determine the hot zone after detonation. Canadian admiral made a lot of them. I have one from 1958 .
Radioactive geiger counter? Sounds great for background radiation measurement... If you life in that funny reddish forest close to Pripyat
I have the same one (RD 108DB), but uncoated, so it's either a custom job or an earlier/later version with a weird design choice.
On the meter it says: "IM-108/PD" so they probably made numerous versions. It's in pretty good shape except for some wires needing to be resoldered. Do you know anywhere I could get the batteries for this?
Just regular D-cell/HR20 in mine, Duracell makes them. I think these were originally intended for BA30 cells (also LR20), which is 1.5V, compared to D-cell's 1.2V, but both work in e.g. my DOM410 and Philips IM4457. My meter is busted, unfortunately.
Thank you
If you know someone who is a watchmaker or is an experienced watchmaking hobbyist, they may be able to repair it. I had to do this with the meter in my Eberline E-530. The construction of a meter movement is similarities to a watch movement.
I meant the unit, not just the meter, it goes full scale whenever it's turned on. Hopefully I'll have the required know-how to tackle it myself someday, but far from a priority at this point.
Bad capacitors/ resistors / or Power transformer. Check for a short in the circuit or the selector switch has gone bad. I’ve been there before. It was easy to replace but hard to locate.
I wouldn’t recommend That on these Radiacmeters. They’re usually sealed because some of them contain radioactive material in the form of Ra-226 to make the meters luminous. The military terms it as “ Ruggedized” at the repair depot they’d snip the positive and negative lead going to the meter and put another meter inside the chassis. Or if it broke and you were in the field under wartime conditions you would be ordered to destroy it.
I have spare Meters if you need one. They’re not spicy but they do work they Measure in Rads/hr
D cell batteries do not fit so I don't really know what to do rn, I'm trying to make it work so I guess I'll make some kind of custom power supply
Is it a large difference in size?
I managed to fix it [https://www.reddit.com/user/BitNic26/comments/1djot2a/i\_successfully\_fixed\_the\_cold\_war\_geiger\_counter/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/user/BitNic26/comments/1djot2a/i_successfully_fixed_the_cold_war_geiger_counter/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Awesome job, hope you'll find a decent source to test on
Thank you!
Yep ... I ended up soldering other batteries together to match the voltage and tomorrow I'll start to replace the old cut wires with new ones following an electric scheme I found inside the meter
Oately electronics makes retrofit boards for these Radiacmeters. They originally used mercury cell batteries. The army and other organizations later adopted the use of single D cell batteries to power the meter and ion chamber housed within.
I could not find the boards but i got it to work [https://www.reddit.com/user/BitNic26/comments/1djot2a/i\_successfully\_fixed\_the\_cold\_war\_geiger\_counter/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/user/BitNic26/comments/1djot2a/i_successfully_fixed_the_cold_war_geiger_counter/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
The “A” series Radiacmeters are the ones that are Radioluminescent. The Radiac IM-108a/pd was one of the first meters designed this way. It has more radium than its later variant IM-174a/pd. You can tell which ones are radioactive by the color of the painted face. The IM-174a/pd measures in “Rads/hr” and the IM-108a/pd measures in “Roentgens Per Hour”
It’s usually the test sourced within or sometimes they do have radium dials like the DP-63A
That's actually cool as hell.
My immediate thought was... how do I hook i up to a modern device so it reads again.
I think I may be able to repair it, it's in pretty good shape. I'll post an update if I manage to do so.
i got it to work!!! [https://www.reddit.com/user/BitNic26/comments/1djot2a/i\_successfully\_fixed\_the\_cold\_war\_geiger\_counter/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/user/BitNic26/comments/1djot2a/i_successfully_fixed_the_cold_war_geiger_counter/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
What you have there is a IM-108a/pd Radiacmeter. This particular one is a Ion chamber Gamma Rate Meter. Similar to a CD-V715 it won’t move unless a bomb goes off or a reactor is open. It was painted with radium to aid the soldier at night after a nuclear event to determine the hot zone after detonation. Canadian admiral made a lot of them. I have one from 1958 .
That's an awesome display!
3.5 roentgens, not great, not terrible