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Ion Gauge not responding
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 12:27 pm
by klimbaka
I have a problem with my LCQ Advantage MS
I lost the Vacuum overnight and now I cannot even turn the ion gauge to check the presure in the analyser.
Anybody had the same or know how to check where is the problem
Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 3:20 pm
by MIB_EO
Sometimes this can be cured by turning everything (including the software) off and back on again. Ion gauges have maximum pressures above which they will not work, so you need to have some vacuum before you will get a reading.
Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 12:34 pm
by lmh
I'm writing from a DecaXP perspective, but I think the Advantage is the same.
If you can't turn the ion guage back on, but the turbo pump is running at its proper speed, then it's quite likely the ion guage filament has burnt out. This seems to happen quite regularly in the DecaXP, while it never happens in a MS we have from a different manufacturer (but I wouldn't criticise Thermo too much: other more expensive bits go wrong with the other MS).
There are two terminals on the top of the ion guage that you can check with a multimeter to see if it's broken. It's best to get Thermo to advise you on which two they are.
Fixing it is probably an engineer job, but were I lost on a tropical island with only a broken MS and a new ion guage for company, I think it would be a possible job in such extremis...
Hope this helps.