Before you buy that cool old 1950's counter

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Richard Hull
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Before you buy that cool old 1950's counter

Post by Richard Hull »

I collect old GM counters from the U boom. I restore them to full functionality. The best of them always used 2 - 67.5 volt everready 467 batteries to tickle the 50 henry choke into coughing up a good solid 1000 volts for the GM tube. Everyready still makes these puppys and they are listing at ~$90.00 each! Bargains at only $60 bucks exist online.

http://www.batteriesinaflash.com/specia ... -iec-45f40

There are a ton of work arounds to this of course that involve modern homemade 1 kv boost switchers using a stiff 6 or 9 volt auxilliary battery to go in the large cavity for the old 467's. The other alternative that I use is to make a stock switching effort to obtain only the 125 volts needed to just replace the original battery group.

I will update this posting with images of a classic Technical Associates meter built in 1953.

As promised images of the old counter by Technical Associates circa 1953. This counter is featured in two closeups in the 1955 movie "Uranium Boom".

Also are images of the two batteries mentioned above that I bought in 2004 and are still good having been in my fridge for the last 5 years. in 1953 they were $1.70 each. In 2004, I paid $21.05 each. Now they are $90.00 each and are special order from batteries plus.

An image of my solution. A tiny 1" x 1" board to generate the needed 125 volts DC to work the vacuum tube plate voltages. Power is supplied by two series connected Li-Ion 2800 mah batteries. Cost- Zero - batteries free from old PC battery, also, junk and salvaged parts for all the electronics.

Counter now works great and has a very deep bass click. Uses ubiquitous 1B85 victoreen GM tube in probe.

Richard Hull
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Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
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Bob Callis
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Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2016 7:41 pm
Real name: Bob Callis

Re: Before you buy that cool old 1950's counter

Post by Bob Callis »

Nice counter there. I have been using some 2v-24v MT3608 DC-DC Step Up Power Boosters I found on Fleebay very cheaply. I string a few of them together to get the voltage needed using a 9 volt battery for each. I fit the whole package in a couple of plastic project boxes about the size of the 67.5 cells. Add a sticker with printed art of a vintage battery and they look great.

Bob
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