{"id":719,"date":"2010-12-01T09:35:59","date_gmt":"2010-11-30T23:35:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.dbohs.com\/?p=719"},"modified":"2010-12-01T09:49:00","modified_gmt":"2010-11-30T23:49:00","slug":"robertson-berger-ultraviolet-meter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.dbohs.com\/?p=719","title":{"rendered":"Robertson Berger Ultraviolet meter"},"content":{"rendered":"

I developed an interest in ultraviolet when I was given the role of University Radiation Officer at the University of Queensland<\/strong>. A \u00a0previous URO, Dr Don Robertson <\/strong>(1914-2006) <\/strong>was part of the Department of Physics<\/strong> and looked after the (unmarked) sandstone\u00a0Radon Lab <\/strong> on the Great Court at the university.<\/p>\n

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The UQ Radon Lab today - gutted and made into a pavilion<\/p><\/div>\n

The door in the wall at the near end was made through the end wall of the walk-in radiation safe.<\/p>\n

The Radon Lab was built in 1956 to house the Queensland Radium Institute <\/strong>(now at the Mater Hospital <\/strong>as the Queensland Radium Institute Mater Centre<\/strong>) <\/strong>and housed a large walk in radiation safe for the large radon rig which allowed gold\u00a0capillaries\u00a0to be filled with radon gas for radiotherapy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Don’s PhD (1972) “Solar ultraviolet radiation in relation to human sunburn and skin cancer<\/a>” led to the\u00a0Robertson-Berger UV Meter <\/strong>and his seminal work of the protection done by sunscreens. Various prototypes of the meter existed in drawers in the Radon Lab, along with boxes of special UV glass and phosphors.<\/span><\/p>\n

I spent some time with Don and learned a little of his work and the construction of the Roberson-Berger meter and his UV apparatus.<\/p>\n

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Solar Light Co., Inc. MODEL 501-UV Biometer<\/p><\/div>\n

MODEL 501- UV Biometer<\/em><\/a><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong><\/span>is the continuation of the line of Robertson-Berger Weatherproof meters<\/strong>, that have been employed in the worldwide network for UV-B monitoring. The UV-Biometer has been designed by D.Berger and M.Morys, based on the experience gained during the Robertson-Berger meter design<\/strong> (Berger 1976) and of research focused on the temperature dependency and stabilization of the Robertson-Berger UV-B sensor<\/strong> (Blumthaler, Ambach, Morys, Slomka 1989).<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The prototypes were about 10 cm diameter and 30 mm thick and made of brass and did not have the protective dome. The electronics was primitive by today’s standards. <\/span>I had some contact with the\u00a0University\u00a0Archivist and I hope some of his work is preserved.<\/span><\/p>\n

The meter took a lot of trial and error to construct and had a response similar to that of the skin (UV Action spectra). The principal was:<\/span><\/p>\n