Trochotron

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Ingenium, 2008.0510.001
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OBJECT TYPE: N/A
DATE: 1950–1960
ARTIFACT NUMBER: 2008.0510.001

MANUFACTURER: Ericsson Telephones Ltd.
MODEL: VS10G
LOCATION: London, England

More Information

General Information

Serial #: N/A
Part Number: 1
Total Parts: 4
AKA: N/A
Patents: N/A
General Description: Glass tube/ Metal magnet and prongs/ Synthetic cover/ Ceramic? part/ Paper label

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length: N/A
Width: N/A
Height: 7.1 cm
Thickness: N/A
Weight: N/A
Diameter: 4.4 cm
Volume: N/A

Lexicon

Group: Physics
Category: Electronics
Sub-Category: N/A

Manufacturer

AKA: Ericsson
Country: England
State/Province: Unknown
City: London

Context

Country: Canada
State/Province: Unknown
Period: 1950s +
Canada: Used by John Bower Lewis who graduated from electrical engineering at McGill University in 1954. He did some work for Suburban Roads prior to working at the NRC. At NRC he worked in the Hertzberg Institute of Astrophysics. He used to build circuitry for some of the rockets that would study the Aurora Borealis and other upper atmosphere effects. Mr. Lewis worked at the Montreal Road campus of NRC prior to being transferred to the Sussex Road campus (opposite External Affairs). Some of his research entailed trips to Churchill (perhaps related to studies with Black Brant rockets). He also went to a field station at Springhill (just behind the Springhill cemetery on Bank/Hwy 31).
Function: A beam-switching glass tube which functioned as a digital counter.
Technical: A developmental model of a magnetic beam switching tube used as a digital counting device. The collection of the Museum Victoria in Australia contains a very similar (red) production model ETL VS10G trochotron described as "Electronic counting valve. Manufactured by Ericsson Telephones Ltd. Used in Geiger counters and scintillation counters. Could count up to a rate of 1MHz, 50 times faster than the fastest neon types. 6.3 V indirectly heated cathode. April 1960 list price: £12 (Stg.). Manufacturer Ericsson Telephones Limited, Tube Division, Beeston, Nottingham, England, circa 1960." [Ref. 3] Ericsson was a Swedish manufacturer of telephone equipment which established a factory in Beeston, England in 1903 as the British L. M. Ericsson Mfr. Co. The company became Ericsson Telephones Ltd. in 1926. In 1948 Ericsson sold its share of the company. [Ref. 4]
Area Notes: Unknown

Details

Markings: Black lettering on label reads 'TYPE VS10G/ No.', 'DEV LAB SAMPLE/ TROCHOTRON/ MADE IN ENGLAND' and 'WARNING/ THIS TUBE SHOULD NOT/ BE PLACED LESS THAN/ 4 INS. (10 CMS.) AWAY/ FROM A SIMILAR TUBE,/ OR LESS THAN 2 INS./ (5 CMS.) FROM ANY/ MAGNETIC MATERIAL.'
Missing: Appears complete
Finish: Colourless transparent glass tube/ Black magnet housing/ White label/ White ceramic?
Decoration: Logo reading 'T E L/ ENGLAND' on label.

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If you choose to share our information about this collection object, please cite:

Ericsson Telephones Ltd., Trochotron, circa 1950–1960, Artifact no. 2008.0510, Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation, http://collection.ingeniumcanada.org/en/id/2008.0510.001/

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