Multicathode gas-tube counters

The history of counting with gas tubes in briefly surveyed. A new type of multicathode (10-point) counter is described. This tube, the S.T.C. G10/240E, differs from the Remtron [Abstr. 1950B00750] and the Dekatron [Abstr. 1950B03000] by virtue of (a) higher speed, 25 kc/s max., (b)constraining the discharge to rotate in a fixed sense by the geometry of the tube and the use of priming from one gap to the next, instead of by circuit means. The tube works from a 330plusmn30 V supply and gives an output current of 5 mA in 15 kOmega. It is operated by a sequence of negative pulses applied to a transfer electrode.