Jordan Model AGB-50-SR “Radector” (ca. 1954 - 1957)

Produced by Jordan Electronic Mfg. Co. Inc., of Pasadena California, the Radector was a miniature wide-range survey meter employing a Neher-White ionization chamber. This chamber had several interesting features: its current drove the meter directly (in a logarithmic mode) without any type of amplification; the electrometer tube was sealed inside the chamber; the chamber was of all steel construction; a lead filter was used to reduce an over-response at low energies; and it was filled with argon at high pressure (Neher’s principal field of study was cosmic radiation, a field in which the use of high pressure ion chambers was commonplace).  Since the Radector used a low voltage circuit, it didn’t require a transformer or vibrator to step up the voltage. This helped keep the size of the unit small.

The SR at the end of the model number refers to the unit’s internal Sr-90 check source, something its predecessor, the AG-50, lacked.

Detector: high pressure (10 atmospheres), argon filled ion chamber with a 20 mg/cm² window on the bottom of the unit..

Ranges:  Log scale,     

    AGB-50-SR      0.05 –  50 mR/h and 0.05 – 50 R/h

    AGB-500-SR              0.5 – 500 mR/h and 0.5 – 500 R/hr  

Dimensions:      5” x 3.5” x 4”

Weight:   3 pounds

Batteries:          two 1.35 volt batteries

Price:                $167.50 in 1954

The assigned date of 1954 – 1957 is partly based on the fact that in 1957, the Models AGB-50-SR and AGB-500-SR were replaced by the AGB-50B-SR and AGB-500B-SR.

The Models AG-50P and AG-500P came with an external ion chamber and 25 foot cable. Since they lacked the check source, the SR was dropped from the model number.

References  

Model AGB-50-SR, Nucleonics January 1954 p 76; Nucleonics July 1954 p 104;

Model AGB-50-SR survey meter, AEC Radiation Measuring Instruments, RIB-8 (supplement 2) July 1, 1954 ;

Model AGB-500-SR advertisements, Nucleonics January 1954 p 76; Nucleonics July 1954 p 104; Nucleonics March 1954 p 84; details Nucleonics November 1957 p 201; AEC Radiation Measuring Instruments, RIB-8 (supplement 2) July 1, 1954;

Model AGB-50B-SR, Victoreen brochure Survey Meters, Dosimeters, Form 3038-61, 1961;

Model AGB-500B-SR, Victoreen brochure Survey Meters, Dosimeters, Form 3038-61, 1961;

Model AG-50-P, Victoreen brochure Survey Meters, Dosimeters, Form 3038-61, 1961;

Model AG-500-P, Victoreen brochure Survey Meters, Dosimeters, Form 3038-61, 1961;

Museum Directory               Survey Instruments