[Rockhounds] Ice question ?

[Axel Emmermann]

I don't think it's the tritium that glows but rather a radio-luminescent
substance that responds to the decay of the tritium.
If so, the luminosity of the glowing part of the sight would be functioning
far beyond the half life span of 12 years. 
Far beyond the intended use of a gun sight too ...

Cheers
Axel 

> -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> Van: rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com
[mailto:rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com]
> Namens J Bryan Kramer
> Verzonden: maandag 19 januari 2009 20:12
> Aan: Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors
> Onderwerp: Re: [Rockhounds] Ice question ?
> 
> I wasn't sure if it was a serious question, but the answer is that Tritium
> has a 12 yr half life so you have to replace the glowing part of the sight
> when it starts to dim. I'd guess that it would be good for 6-12 years.
> 
> BK
> 
> On Mon, Jan 19, 2009 at 12:08, Rik Dillen <rik.dillen at skynet.be> wrote:
> 
> > Hi JR, I'm sorry, but I don't know nothing about tritium gun sights (or
> > other parts of any kind of weapons...), so I won't be able to answer
your
> > question...
> > Wish you good luck with all those splendid ice crystals that are ready
to
> > be
> > collected at your place !
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Rik DILLEN
> > E-mail rik.dillen at skynet.be
> > Homepage : http://users.skynet.be/rik.dillen
> >
> > MINERANT 2009
> > 9-10/5/2009
> > Antwerp Expo - Antwerpen - Belgium
> > www.minerant.org
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com
> > [mailto:rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of J. R. Hodel
> > Sent: maandag 19 januari 2009 13:11
> > To: rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com
> > Subject: [Rockhounds] Ice question ?
> >
> > Hi Rik:
> >
> > I have thousands of millions of ice crystals now, 4 inches of them all
over
> > about 100(+/-) acres of WV hillside.  Maybe the rock-hounding aspects of
> > ice
> > are almost exhausted, now.
> > But if the Tritium-based heavy water is highly radioactive with a short
> > half-life, as mentioned recently by one of our highly educated
> > contributors,
> > how can so-called tritium gun sights (which I used just a couple of
weeks
> > ago - we visited a very professionally operated indoor pistol range
while
> > on
> > vacation... ) be manufactured and used for years?
> > It didn't LOOK radioactive!  ;-)  on the pistol...  I know, just saying.
> > Well, I've got to get going now, 3 or 4 more inches coming, but I have
an
> > appointment to get the hubs packed.
> > Axel, Little Liza wasn't as obscure as I thought, if Harry Belafonte AND
> > Burl Ives did versions.  It was also in my wife's Girl Scout song book.
I
> > was a Cub Scout, but we didn't use a song book...  if I recall correctly
> > Keep on rockin'!
> > JR
> >
> >
> >
> > --
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> >
> 
> 
> 
> --
> 
> ""It often seems to me that the night is much more alive and richly
colored
> than the day."
> 
>                       Vincent van Gogh
> J Bryan Krämer
> North Florida, USA
> photos at:
> http://pbase.com/photoburner
> 
> 
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