Amperex Model 52N GM Tube (ca. 1950s)

This metal wall GM tube, a Model 52N, was manufactured by Amperex Electronic Corporation of Brooklyn, New York. Since the wall is very thin, it is ribbed to provide extra strength. The ends of the tube, which serve as insulators, are made of glass that has been painted black. The tube's main purpose would have been to count beta particles and gamma rays.

Amperex Model 52N

Size: ca. 8” long and 5/8” diameter

Operating voltage: 700 volts

Cathode: Stainless steel, ca. 3" long, 30 to 40 mg/cm²

Gas: Neon, halogen quenched

References

  • Atomic Energy Commission Radiation Instrument Catalog, Date July 1, 1950, page BG-2B10A.
  • Nucleonics, December 1949, page 82.