Message from the President

Company President balances
performance and price

In the current global economic crisis, it may be comforting to know that business cycles soar and plummet with regularity if viewed from the perspective of decades. It was during one of those plummets that I joined Berkeley Nucleonics in the late 1980s. The company was hurt by Federal R&D budget cuts and the consequent constraints in DOD, DOE and university spending. International markets provided some compensation, but the true “global economy” was still a decade off. To make matters worse, we were finding that our precision electronic products lacked a crucial specification that was increasingly essential for financial survival: price.

Our high-performance product lines came with higher prices—too high for many in the industry. We decided the sales drop could be turned around by adapting to the demands of the marketplace. In the ensuing years, we did just that. We worked closely with engineers and subcontractors to launch several new lines of lower-cost, value-oriented products. Our Model 400A and 400D, for example, were acclaimed multi-channel, digital delay/pulse generators that sold for under $1,000. Today, we carry more than 25 models priced below $2,000 and continue to develop our budget line of products with target prices that represent savings as high as 40 percent.

As economies struggle and companies, universities and government agencies again find the need to scrutinize budgets and capital equipment plans, we at Berkeley Nucleonics are optimistic about our ability to deliver a range of products comprehensive enough for even the most constricted budget. Our development team will launch several outstanding new products in our 2009 Instrumentation Catalog, with impressive specifications--and price is among them.

David Brown

Canberra, Thermo/Target and Berkeley Nucleonics

Canberra, Thermo/Target
and Berkeley Nucleonics

An organization in the homeland security and first response markets has assembled a useful guideline for selecting an isotope identifier for nuclear materials detection and classification. CBRNE Technology, Western Springs, Illinois has posted a report on the top three industry-leading isotope identifiers. This report presents an unbiased summary of the strengths of each model. While our colleagues at Canberra and Thermo/Target have developed an identifier suited for specific applications, we were excited to be recognized for our world-class performance across the broadest range of applications. We attribute the success of the SAM family of identifiers to our focus and long-term commitment to the handheld isotope identifier market.  Click here:

Conference and Training Schedule

BNC Trainer in Classroom Exercise

We have expanded our conference schedule to include the exhibitions where we will be represented by our agents around the globe. The calendar at gives you ample notice of where to meet our application engineers and see our standard and custom products. Or, perhaps you’d like to attend a Berkeley Nucleonics-accredited training course: No time to travel or you need to train a large group? Call us at (800) 234-7858 or use our contact form and we will arrange a visit to your organization.

Some Like it Simple, Some Like it Complex

Foreign language datasheets are
available online

With our new digital delay/pulse generators, setup and configuration options are endless. The software-driven bench-top Model 725 has 16 connectors on the rear panel which allows up to eight simultaneous input and output signals. We’ve packed eight timing chips on board and a cross-referencing front-end controller. This means you can map trigger outputs and clocks in many complex configurations that are sure to meet any experiment setup. Use a virtual front panel or your PC with logic statements like AND, OR, NOT and IF to set up a test. Save the setups for future tests or modifications. The 725 is priced under $5,000.00 and is now in stock. Click here

Website Offers Live Help

Berkeley Nucleonics offers Live Help on it's website

Each year we pack as many useful features, support documents and user tools into our website as we can. When we launch a revamped website, everyone in the company is buzzing with excitement. We have taken great pains (focus groups, careful editing, PHP, flash programming, etc.) to give the site’s visitors a personal, time-efficient experience. As we evolve with you, the scientific community, we are invariably presented with new needs, which we always seek to fill. So check out our new product introduction videos and foreign language Web pages, all at BNC website.

Application Corner

We’ve added some user notes to our library.

A note on particle image velocimetry (PIV).Click Here
A note identification of sensitive nuclear materials (SNM). Click Here
View and search our entire application support library! Click Here:
Need engineering support and can’t find it on our website - let us know! Click Here:
Solved a problem, we’d love to know! Submit your success story to our application team. Click Here:

Upcoming Events

• Jan 27 – Jan 29, 2009 - BNC will exhibit at the 2009 Photonics West conference in San Jose, CA
• Jan 31 – Feb 3, 2009 - BNC will exhibit at the 2009 Health Physics Society Midyear conference in San Antonio, TX
• March 16 – March 20, 2009 - BNC will exhibit at the 2009 European Nuclear Physics Conference in Bochum, Germany

Radiation Detection Training Schedule

• March 19 – March 20, 2009 - BNC will provide a 2-day seminar in Washington, DC. (CEU 12 units)
• July 17, 2009 - will provide a 1-day seminar in Minneapolis, MN (CEU 6 units)
• Aug 27 – Aug 28, 2009 - BNC will provide a 2-day seminar in Las Vegas, NV (CEU 12 units)
• Oct 26 – Oct 27, 2009 - BNC will provide a 2-day seminar in San Francisco, CA (CEU 12 units)

• For on-site training, give us a call or email Elaine