[en] An ion source which with a slight modification, can be run either as a plasma source with a filament or as a cold arc sputter ion source is described. It has been designed for outer-shell atomic collision studies. The beam current necessary for such experiments is often quite small (a few nA), consequently no big effort has been put into the production of intense ion beams, which may be needed elsewhere. The aim was rather to find a construction which runs stable for days, is easy to repair, and can ionize (singly as well as multiply) a large variety of elements. (Auth.)