A message from the President

As schools begin to open, and calls from academia increase, I am reminded of the satisfaction our organization takes in our specialized fields. We have been focused for many years in the markets we serve today. Our goal is to give our customers the very best service and provide great value in the equipment we sell.

As a leader in the community we’ve served for over 45 years, I feel much of our goodwill has been derived from the countless hours of phone and onsite support we have provided. Our application engineers, some who have been with the company 30-35 years, continue to work together with industry insiders on signal timing, waveform creation, isotopic identification and detector materials issues. I am thankful to have inherited a competent technical staff. Colleagues like John Yee and John Monks, for example, are leaders and mentors in our organization who provide customers with terrific technical support, and encourage newer employees to embrace this philosophy. Combined, Yee and Monks have been at BNC serving the T&M and Nuclear industries for 61 years…that is a lot of happy users.

If you have questions or concerns about any of our products, I welcome your call directly.

David Brown

New High Power and Polarization Maintaining Laser Modules

New Optical Pulse Generators allow a range of new applications to be addressed using the Berkeley Nucleonics Model 6040 Universal Pulse Generator. “End users may upgrade or purchase new plug-in designs without replacing their mainframe. BNC is able to incorporate higher power lasers and polarization maintaining fibers in our new modules for the 6040 mainframe”, explains John Yee, Applications Manager. All laser systems from Berkeley Nucleoncs comply with FDA Radiological Health regulations; and laser class indicators accompany the modules and user documentation. For more information on laser classes click here

Expanding our Applications Team

Late in 2006, Steve Cale joined Berkeley Nucleonics. Steve, a Chicago native, moved to the Bay Area in 2004 and brings with him a customers-first, service-oriented attitude towards users. His high-energy personality is well received by colleagues and customers alike. Cale’s East Coast familiarity was an immediate asset for the company since his primary focus is the development of benchtop applications in the Northeast. When asked what has set him apart in his application support role, Cale calmly answered, “The rule of 2 – follow up and follow through!”. The lure of a warmer climate, outdoor activities and the Sonoma County landscapes are considerable. Cale joins several other Berkeley Nucleonics employees residing in the Sonoma Valley, a tourist destination known for it’s vineyard landscapes, rolling hills and wine country experiences. If you are visiting BNC, or the Bay Area, he’d be happy to arrange a tasting tour.

Second Annual Rad and Nuke Conference

In the emerging field of nuclear detection for Homeland Security, Berkeley Nucleonics was pleased to support the Richmond, VA conference early in March. During the conference, which was attended by a cross section of domestic and international specialists in the nuclear field, Berkeley Nucleonics unveiled a new RIID, radiation isotope identifier. The new design, called SAM Revealer, offers an impressive 2.8% resolution (662 keV), in a highly ergonomic package.

Agencies and manufactures alike shared information on ANSI standards, DNDO’s (Domestic Nuclear Detection Office) mission and state and local activities in Homeland Security. A growing interest in nuclear detection is apparent at the Federal level and that interest flows down to state and local government agencies also.

Virtual Trainer

With several new utilities, including a web-based high frequency oscilloscope, Berkeley Nucleonics is again taking a customer-centric, lead role in user training. “We have a pulse generator and scope online, so we can show new users what to expect in real time”, comments Marcio Arantes. “What software companies were able to illustrate online with a demonstration previously, we can now do with our hardware.” Marcio is part of the BNC T&M Applications team, and supports end users in Europe, the US and Canada. New web-based training programs for the SAM Defender, BNC’s new Radio-Isotope Identifier, are planned for the Fall of 2007. Contact Marcio at (800)-234-7858 x 200 or by email to get started.

Command Center Application Software

As part of a new business development effort, Berkeley Nucleonics is exploring software utilities to provide a server-based provide a server-based command center for tracking of radiation detection instrumentation. The command center concept gives end users and management the ability to access critical situations in real time. A network approach to radiation detection represents the next generation in Homeland Security nuclear detection systems.

Products compatible with server applications include the award winning SAM isotope identifier, spectroscopic portals manufactured by Textron-IST, and a variety of PRD’s (personal radiation detector) and SPRD’s (spectroscopic personal radiation detector). “Our goal is to develop a platform that can give the reachback community real time spectroscopic information to assess a variety of events”, comments Robert Corsetti, Nuclear Product Regional Manager. “We are planning to expand the software platform to include gear from several additional manufacturers.”

Application Corner

See the BNC applications corner for handy ideas and useful help on your BNC instrumentation. We offer a range of application support documents through our online support center. This month’s new additions are below:

Selectable Trigger Sources – A versatile Pulse / Delay Generator allows selectable sync / trigger sources for each channel.
Click to Download
Click for All Application Support

Upcoming Events

• 26 Oct - 03 Nov 2007 - BNC will exhibit at the 2007 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference in Honolulu… http://www.nss-mic.org/2007/
• Sept 10-13, 2007 - We will be attending the Euro-Mediterranean Symposium on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy in Paris. We will be there on Sept 10 and 11. See you in Paris, and thank you to our European customers.
• Sept 11-14, 2007 - We will be atteneding the International Symposium Particle Image Velocimetry in Rome. We will be there Sept 12,13 and 14. See you in Rome.

Celebrating 10 years as members of the Health Physics Society

Radiation Detection Training Upcoming training events, accredited by several organizations for CEU, include:

Denver Colarado – Sold Out, Thank You !!!
Larkspur, California – Nov 08 / 09, 2007
Check our website soon for the 2008 Training Calendar, or email Carol