How does one make a gas (methane) leak detector?

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Article #4363

#4363

From: Marshall Jose
Date: Fri, 16 Mar 1990 20:32

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The utilities around my neighborhood are aging, and I occasionally catch
a whiff of what I'm sure is methyl mercaptan (the tracer used in
natural gas distribution).  I've brought the local gas company out
for a look, but they find nothing.  I don't believe them.

I remember reading some years ago about how to make a methane detector.
It had something to do with a vacuum-tube-like filament, and something
magic occurred within it when in the presence of methane & some other
gaseous hydrocarbons, something about a change in current.

Does anybody out there know how one actually makes this device?  Or,
has anyone seen a recent construction article for a gas leak detector?

Thanks,
Marshall Jose  WA3VPZ
mjj@aplvax.jhuapl.edu  ||  ...mimsy!aplcen!aplvax!mjj

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Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uflorida!haven!aplcen!stda.jhuapl.edu!mjj
From: mjj@stda.jhuapl.edu (Marshall Jose)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: How does one make a gas (methane) leak detector?
Message-ID: <4926@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu>
Date: 16 Mar 90 20:32:03 GMT
Sender: news@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu
Reply-To: @aplvax.jhuapl.edu:mjj@stda.jhuapl.edu (Marshall Jose)
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Organization: The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
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