| Ericsson GC10/2P Dekatron Tube | |
| Written by AnubisTTP on 2010-01-28 |
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Ericsson's sole entry into the miniature counting tube arena, the GC10/2P is a rather unusual device. This tube uses a unique construction style in which cathode and guide rings are constructed from single sheets of folded sheet metal, similar to the method employed by the 'Wales Counter' described above. The cathodes are held in a ceramic sandwich that confines the glow to the top portion of the tube, taken together the entire counting ring is much easier to manufacture than the complex arrays of welded cathode pins seen in many tubes. This tube is a bidirectional double pulse device, with a full 30 cathodes and a neon fill gas. The tube's 1khz counting speed puts it squarely at the bottom of the pack compared to other miniature counting tubes, though to be fair, many of those tubes are much less versatile unidirectional devices. The GC10/2P was a rather short-lived tube, and it is fairly rare as a result.
ETL GC10/2P Datasheet (PDF)
Ericsson GC10/2P miniature 'Dekatron' glow transfer counting tube.
The GC10/2P is constructed using a unique system of folded sheet metal plates and ceramic castings, designed to improve assembly time of these complex devices.
Cross-sectional diagram of the GC10/2P internal construction.
Return to Dekatron Glow Transfer Counting Tubes
