VICTOREEN Dosimeter/Charger Kit

Circa Mid 1960's

Cold War-era Civil Defense equipment, specifically designed for personal radiation monitoring. The relationship between the charger and the dosimeters is essentially that of a power source to an electrostatic battery.

Components:

• CD V-750 Charger (shown as a Bendix Model 906 - x1).

• CD V-742 Pen Dosimeters (x4).

Use Cases:

These kits were primarily intended for Civil Defense shelters and emergency workers. They allowed personnel to measure their accumulated radiation exposure in high-risk environments, such as during nuclear fallout.

Step-by-Step Procedure for Zeroing (charging) the Dosimeters:

Step 1: Prepare

Remove the dust cap from the charging contact on the charger.

Step 2: Position

Place the bottom end of the pen dosimeter onto the charging contact.

Step 3: Align Scale

Look through the dosimeter eyepiece toward a light source to view the internal crosshair and scale.

Step 4: Zero

Press down firmly on the dosimeter to engage the contact. While looking through the eyepiece, rotate the charger knob until the internal crosshair aligns perfectly with the zero mark on the scale.

Step 5: Verify

Release pressure and remove the pen; the crosshair should remain at zero, ready for monitoring.

Historical Significance:

These kits represent the widespread U.S. government effort following the Civil Defense Act of 1950 to prepare citizens for a potential nuclear attack. The CD V-742 is historically significant as the most common dosimeter of the era, issued to fire departments and emergency services nationwide to help manage personnel safety during the height of the Cold War.