Select Vehicles on Hold GL WHAT? - Page 17 - Steel Soldiers::Military Vehicles Supersite

velociT · 10-31-2009, 17:41

My thought is that if this is not an exucse (which I'm all but convinced it is) then I guess they're not worried about national guardsmen getting cancer, just us?

stumps · 10-31-2009, 19:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by velociT

My thought is that if this is not an exucse (which I'm all but convinced it is) then I guess they're not worried about national guardsmen getting cancer, just us?

Perhaps, but we haven't yet determined that radium was used on any of the gauges. My '69 is both glow, and radium free. It has no measurable gamma or beta emissions. It has none of the apparatus needed to have tritium dials...

A lot of what is purported to be radium dials are actually promethium dials. They are made the same way, and both are glow in the dark paints, but promethium has a much shorter half life of about 17 years, and is mostly a beta emitter.

I have a certain amount of trouble understanding why "radium" dials would be used in a deuce anyway. If the deuce is running, it is going to be glowing like a turkey in a variety of places, and its audio signature is going to be obvious for miles away. There really isn't going to be a problem with a little red electric light action lighting up the dials. If the deuce is turned off, exactly which dial do you really need to read? Fuel and battery are the only ones that come to mind.

-Chuck

TIGERFANS2 · 10-31-2009, 19:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by todds112

I worried about this carrying a handgun with night sights almost everyday for the 20 years at waist level. Everything still seems to work OK.

............ and if not as good as 20 years ago you have a great excuse .........

drgreg · 10-31-2009, 19:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by stumps

Perhaps, but we haven't yet determined that radium was used on any of the gauges. My '69 is both glow, and radium free. It has no measurable gamma or beta emissions. It has none of the apparatus needed to have tritium dials...
-Chuck

Chuck,
Your truck came from Wisconsin so the gauge dials would be made of cheeseium, it is not known for any measurable emissions, but too much exposure may cause constipation.

A3superdeuce · 10-31-2009, 20:13

Roscoe,
Yep, Picked them up 2 weeks ago. already changed over the lights on the one and now I'm on the "LIST" like everyone else just waiting.

x-ray · 10-31-2009, 20:54

"Perhaps, but we haven't yet determined that radium was used on any of the gauges. My '69 is both glow, and radium free. It has no measurable gamma or beta emissions. It has none of the apparatus needed to have tritium dials... "

Early Tritium wasn't in any apparatus- it was tritiated solvent mixed with phosphorescent paint to glow so it would not have the vial--type apparatus of night sights or modern watches. It is hard to distinguish from normal whitish-green paint.

You can't detect tritium easily with a normal geiger counter, the low energy 18 keV beta particles from it aren't strong enought to go through the walls of a geiger counter gas wall detector or the gauge glass window.

I suspect, IF anything is radioactive, its likely with tritium. I think these trucks are too new for radium. I'm certain older vehicles likely had some radium, but I doubt into the 1970s it was continued. I could be wrong though.

papabear · 10-31-2009, 21:52

Shoot...I'm still confused...are my teeth and hair falling out from XYTritium from the gauges of the older trucks...or is it old age

I'm sorry to make light of this and I feel for you fellers who have money tied up and can't get your trucks...really I do.

I'm just not one to speculate...unless I have personal or credible knowledge about what I'm speculating about.

Seems to me that no one has a clue why things are tied up and we won't until DOD or GL or who ever lets us know

I hereby speculate / predict that by next Friday..November 6 2009, some light will be shed on the subject

OldDominionIron · 10-31-2009, 22:12

Okay, don't have time to read all the messages, I have to go back to work in a couple of days. With the price I paid, I'm going to wait this out, because I don't think I can get another deuce for around $1000. I've looked at mine and know what to expect. If it takes an extra month or so, that's just a little more time to put some $$$$ away to get ready to work on my truck. I might have to move new gauges higher up the list of things to replace (like to #2). EUC day #44 is over.

greenjeepster · 10-31-2009, 22:30

I am not convinced this is about the gauges. It is a relatively small number of trucks on the "hold list" when you compared to the numbers of the same trucks that they have sold over the past few years that are not on the hold list. If it was a radiation issue they were concerned about they would be recalling 1000s of trucks not just this couple of hundred. But given the pass that the DOD works at I guess that could be coming down the pike yet too.

It did only take them 40 years to decide that agent orange did in fact cause leukemia in service personnel. Lucky for them, by the time they decided that the research was conclusive, the service people they would have had to compensate were mostly dead.

drgreg · 10-31-2009, 22:38

The other thing that makes it unlikely is the hold is only for M35A2s, but the same gauges are used in several more truck series. If all truck sales were on hold the gauge concept may hold more water.