Tritium source for the amateur ????

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guest

Tritium source for the amateur ????

Post by guest »

Is it possible that one could obtain enough Tritium from the cylinders in a military issue wrist watch dial for one of our fusors ?

I was thinking it may be possible that the Tritium paste from the cylinders could be collected and placed in a fusor chamber. Once the vacuum is introduced, the Tritium would "gass out" from the paste and into the chamber.

Obviously, it would be next to impossible to determine exactly how much is obtained. However, I suppose it could be measured in terms of neutron output compared to a pure Duterium charge.

FYI: A government issue GI wrist watch contains 14 micro glass cylinders of Tritium.
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Richard Hull
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Re: Tritium source for the amateur ????

Post by Richard Hull »

The answer is yes and no.

YES.... There is physically enough tritium in the watch hands for use in the fusor for a single shot.

NO.... You should not do it. IT IS ILLEGAL and a federal crime to transfer tritium from any manufacturered device to any other device without a NRC license in hand.

Also...NO you cannot obtain a license to do so either.

I am firm on this issue. Under no circumstance would I recommend, suggest, or advise the use of illictly obtained tritium for use in an amateur fusion device, whatsoever.

It is bad enough that they might one day limit the availability of deuterium. Let's not get them micromanaging our D2 stuff, trying to shut down all amateur fusion efforts just because a radioactive boy scout decides to dump tritium from a manufactured item into his or her fusor.

Tritium is really a nasty item anyhow. It insidiously gets locked into THO or only tritiated water molecules and enters the body that way where it can do damage via inhalation or skin absorption. Yes, it is excreted fast, but internally, 100% of the decaying betas do maximum tissue damage.

Nuff said, I hope.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
guest

Re: Tritium source for the amateur ????

Post by guest »

Jail Time Kids .... An infraction like this can put you in jail for a minimum of ten years.
Don't even try it.
They will confiscate all your stuff too.

Larry Leins
Physics Teacher
Richard Hull wrote:
> The answer is yes and no.
>
> YES.... There is physically enough tritium in the watch hands for use in the fusor for a single shot.
>
> NO.... You should not do it. IT IS ILLEGAL and a federal crime to transfer tritium from any manufacturered device to any other device without a NRC license in hand.
>
> Also...NO you cannot obtain a license to do so either.
>
> I am firm on this issue. Under no circumstance would I recommend, suggest, or advise the use of illictly obtained tritium for use in an amateur fusion device, whatsoever.
>
> It is bad enough that they might one day limit the availability of deuterium. Let's not get them micromanaging our D2 stuff, trying to shut down all amateur fusion efforts just because a radioactive boy scout decides to dump tritium from a manufactured item into his or her fusor.
>
> Tritium is really a nasty item anyhow. It insidiously gets locked into THO or only tritiated water molecules and enters the body that way where it can do damage via inhalation or skin absorption. Yes, it is excreted fast, but internally, 100% of the decaying betas do maximum tissue damage.
>
> Nuff said, I hope.
>
> Richard Hull
guest

"Legal Issues" section for the board.

Post by guest »

Is it possible that we could have a "Legal Issues" section on this Consortium? It would be very bad if someone unknowingly crossed the line and got in trouble.

Being realistic, most people will read this board rather than get a US Federal Statute book or NRC law book. Furthermore, it is clear that this board has some very knowledgeable members on this topic. The input on such a section would be invaluable.
guest

Re: "Legal Issues" section for the board.

Post by guest »

This is the only seriously bad area for the amateur.
Tritium falls under the Atomic Energy Act provisions.
Any posession ,manufacture , handling of any restricted material will be seen as an act of espionage.
That includes all actinides too.
That rules out natural lithium blankets,SNUBS,and any radioactive manufacture for sale
.
Only small amounts are allowed such as mineral samples of ore.
Not a cool thing to do after 911.
It's a throw away the key issue. (10 years to life,loss of property,loss of American citizenship with a posibility of deportation.)

Without ITT's backing even Philo Fansworth would not even been able to get it.

Don't blame California too much though about regulations... Aerospace Companies abused heavily in the early forties and fifties.... Washington state either
...One of my good friends was killed during the Hanford cleanup.

If one uses their head about the x-ray business,you can still do it as long as you are not a clear and present danger to yourself or the neighborhood.

If you read my posts you will see my disclaimer.

The great mass of uniformed people out there is enormous, they are panicky, dangerous and opinionated. It is your job to see that the sleeping giant is not awaked by making everything safe and secure.
It is common sense. The "rules" are mostly to prevent damages to citizenry at large and yourself too. If your locall forbids this stuff , find an out of town buddy and do it there. City folks don't give a damn about your interests ... so do it outside the city.





Larry Leins
Science Teacher ( I have to create physics students first)
guest

Re: "Legal Issues" section for the board.

Post by guest »

What about tritium naturally breed from reactions in the fusor. It may be a small amount but if fusor efficiency is increased.....?
guest

Re: "Legal Issues" section for the board.

Post by guest »

I was also thinking the same thing. "EFFICIENCY" However it seems that once you start to think too efficient, you get roadblocked by laws.

After the replies I received earlier this afternoon, I began to conduct a little research of my own in the legal department. According to Federal Law, ANY X-Ray producing device MUST be licensed. Thats not including state and local regulations. Here in California, we have a bundle of them.

So anything we build above a low power demo-fusor is unlawful. That is..... unless your licensed. I am not licensed. Are any of you ?

We all know what were doing. Strong-worded legal advisements will do nothing but scare people away. We all know that this board needs as many people as it can get. Thats why a permanently posted block on legal issues would be good somewhere on this consortium.
guest

Re: "Legal Issues" section for the board.

Post by guest »

At this time it is not illegal to build any size fusor.
The licencing proceedure does not exist at this time.

Proper design will blow away the radiation issue.
If an installation is unmanned but observed during
a test run the radiological standards are very lax.
But introduce people thats when it be comes tricky
ALL Physical science teachers take a course in radiation physics in order to show crookes tube and other high voltage vacuum devices.

Larry Leins
Science Teacher
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Richard Hull
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Posts: 14991
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2001 9:44 am
Real name: Richard Hull

Re: Tritium source for the amateur ????

Post by Richard Hull »

The x-rays from our devices are no-issues provided the tiniest bit of caution is taken.

The problems of operating a soft x-ray producing device pails by comparison, so far as the authorities are concerned, to taking a licensed, sealed tritium source released to the public domain, opening it, and transfering a large fraction of a curie to some amateur device.

Don't mess with sealed tritium devices!

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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