Drennan isotopes

dorsetsteve · Sep 13, 2018

Ok silly question. Bit embarrassed to ask but how the hell do they work? I brought a set because I keep forgetting the glow sticks and these are apparently a fit and forget item. I’m looking at them in the pack, which has next to no information amd thinking well, what turns them on. Now obviously I’m not expecting a switch! But covering them into my hands in the dark they don’t illuminate? What exactly am I missing here? I’ve google but not found much...

Mark Wintle · Sep 13, 2018

They contain a radioactive gas that activates the light emission. Typically the half life of the gas is about 10 years so that after a decade they'll be half as bright and after 20 years not much good at all.

dorsetsteve · Sep 13, 2018

So how do you “turn them on” as such?

Mark Wintle · Sep 13, 2018

You don't. They should just work as the little glass tube is sealed for life. It's possible the ones you have are 'old' so the effect is poor as the gas has already lost much of its radioactive effect. Find a pitch black room (airing cupboard?) and see if you can see a glow. The effect is much more subdued than a chemical starlight. Back in the late 70s/early 80s we used betalights in the tips of floats but hard to see beyond 5 yards, even the expensive ones (£7 each back in 1980!) and when starlights came along later they were far, far better.

Keith M · Sep 13, 2018

You shouldn’t need to do anything to make them glow, they glow for around 20 odd years or more, slowly reducing in brightness as they get older.

Just wait until it’s dark before looking for the glow as they are not as bright as the glo-lites (the ones you have to snap to make glow); and the isotopes don’t look like Blackpool illuminations and are fine for glueing onto buzzers and net arms. But if you need brighter ones then the cheaper glo-lites which only glow for a few hours are better.

The green coloured isotopes seem to glow the brightest, and the blue coloured ones don’t show up nearly as much.

If yours don’t glow in the dark at all then they are duff.

I seem to remember that in the old days (circa the late 70’s) they used to measure the light strength in ‘micro-lamberts’ (or something similar) and ‘500 micro-lambert’ ones were the ones we used the most with the smaller ‘300 micro-lambert’ ones being much cheaper and smaller.

Keith

thecrow · Sep 13, 2018

If they don't glow they are knackered, get your money back from whoever sold them to you.

Best isotopes were the ones used in motorway emergency phone boxes, big bright and free, not that I ever took any :angel:

Roger Johnson 2 · Sep 13, 2018

thecrow said:
If they don't glow they are knackered, get your money back from whoever sold them to you.

Best isotopes were the ones used in motorway emergency phone boxes, big bright and free, not that I ever took any :angel:

Yes I remember in my floppy hat and camouflage jacket days of the late 70s being very envious of the very bright isotopes used by some of the well known Coventry Angler’s. I didn’t have a full driving license then so couldn’t collect any myself.

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tigger · Sep 13, 2018

Make sure you wear rubber gloves if handling them out of their plastic case.....they are dangerous as they're radio active. I think one poor angler handled one during a night session and he grew an extra finger within two weeks !

binka · Sep 14, 2018

I've all but given up on isotopes, the last time I used one was on the end of a 10' bomb rod where I was struggling to make it out.

I prefer the Starlights, far better imo and cheap as chips these days. If anything I find them a little too bright to begin with so i'll often crack one into life a couple of hours before I intend to use it...

dorsetsteve · Sep 14, 2018

Well come actual night time darkness they worked, nice and bright. Little more patience and darkness required.

Keith M · Sep 14, 2018

tigger said:
Make sure you wear rubber gloves if handling them out of their plastic case.....they are dangerous as they're radio active. I think one poor angler handled one during a night session and he grew an extra finger within two weeks !

Apparently there’s more natural backgound radiation around us than the tiny amount that these emit so there’s little chance of suffering from radiation sickness.
I remember reading this while I was waiting for my third eye to be checked out

uke:

Keith

108831 · Sep 15, 2018

I use them on the rod top on my rare occasions out in the dark,8-9 times a year tops,a centrepin works well where usable,the clicking makes you aware of berties presence...

tigger · Sep 15, 2018

Keith M said:
Apparently there’s more natural backgound radiation around us than the tiny amount that these emit so there’s little chance of suffering from radiation sickness.
I remember reading this while I was waiting for my third eye to be checked out uke:

Keith

Curious where your third eye had sprouted from, or do you mean your japs eye, or brown eye LOL.

Drennan isotopes

dorsetsteve

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Mark Wintle

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dorsetsteve

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Mark Wintle

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Keith M

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thecrow

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binka

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dorsetsteve

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