LUMINOUS AC M-38A1 INSTRUMENTS

1952 - 1968, M38A1, M170, questions, discussions, regarding anything related to the M38a1 series.
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Joe Gopan
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LUMINOUS AC M-38A1 INSTRUMENTS

Post by Joe Gopan » Thu Sep 23, 2010 5:32 pm

They may not glow now but they did for the first 10 years or so. It was kind of neat to be seated in M-38 and M-38A1 Jeeps in pitch black and see the glowing needles, and flick on the Ign Switch and see the smaller needles move.
Does not sound like a big thing, but very few of the original guages from the 50's still glow.
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raymond
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Re: LUMINOUS AC M-38A1 INSTRUMENTS

Post by raymond » Thu Sep 23, 2010 6:09 pm

Radium paint. I remember clocks and watches painted with the stuff when I was a kid back in the late 60's and early 70's. I remember that you could use a radium dial clock or watch to demonstrate a geiger counter. Radium has a long half life, so it is not likely that the radium has worn out. It is more likely the luminescent material that the radium causes to glow. Many dial painters died of radiation sickness. There were several plants that did this work across the river from me in the state of Illinois. One or another of the news channels does a story about them once a year or so. I agree that it looks cool, but the painters paid a terrible price. :(

Raymond
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Joe Gopan
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Re: LUMINOUS AC M-38A1 INSTRUMENTS

Post by Joe Gopan » Thu Sep 23, 2010 6:23 pm

That's right and your comment reminded me that DRMO had a demill requirement for MV's to be sold without instruments for a while in the eighties. They also required the meters in radio sets be removed.
I just opened a sealed box containing a NOS AC Speedometer that is dated in the early 50s, the dial and pointer will not glow even after holding the instrument close to a bright light.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

Joe Gopan
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Re: LUMINOUS AC M-38A1 INSTRUMENTS

Post by Joe Gopan » Sun Mar 21, 2021 5:33 am

Do not be disappointed if your NOS Instruments do not glow after 65 years.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

70th Division
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Re: LUMINOUS AC M-38A1 INSTRUMENTS

Post by 70th Division » Wed Mar 31, 2021 8:02 pm

Hello,

But you better be very careful as they are still 100 percent radioactive and will be forever.
Glowing or not, put a Geiger counter on them and it will click right up !!!
The WW2, and European VDO MB replacement speedos, all radioactive still, and the M series, they have the most radioactive paint of them all and all their gauges are generally radioactive.
Keep them sealed . Respect the radioactive paint and dust that are inside the bezels !

Best Regards,
Ray


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