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Question about Lasers I found

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Ron in Radio Heaven

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Jul 2, 2009, 5:45:54 PM7/2/09
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Is anyone in the group into Lasers?
I uncovered 2 that I bought at a club
auction years ago and wonder if I can do
anything with them.
You can see photos of them here'
http://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=112702


73, Ron w4ron

DougD

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Jul 2, 2009, 7:56:29 PM7/2/09
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Well, someone else can probably give you more specific detail..
They both look to be fairly old helium neon lasers, typically used
back then in grocery bar code scannners, laser video disk players,
and about 2000 other applications. Hate to say it, but they're not
worth very much, and without being able to power them up and
knowing if they even work anymore, you're going to have a hard
time selling them. I should qualify that, selling them for anything
more than scrap unless you want to spend probably more than
they are worth on a power supply for them to test them.

sorry!
d.

James Sweet

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Jul 2, 2009, 9:15:59 PM7/2/09
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Those are small HeNe laser heads. If they work, you might be able to get
$15-$20 each for them. You'll need a power supply that can produce
around 1500VDC at 4-5mA and a 5-10KV starting pulse.

Ron in Radio Heaven

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Jul 3, 2009, 12:21:24 AM7/3/09
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I'm not looking to sell them, I just want a power supply
so I can test them.
If they're dead, so be it...

73, Ron w4ron

James Sweet

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Jul 3, 2009, 2:30:13 AM7/3/09
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Ron in Radio Heaven wrote:


It shouldn't be too hard to find something suitable on ebay, just keep
an eye out for hene power supplies, if you find one that looks like it
might work, post here for confirmation.

Dave

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Jul 3, 2009, 5:38:08 AM7/3/09
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On Jul 2, 5:45 pm, Ron in Radio Heaven <w4...@carolina.rr.com> wrote:
> Is anyone in the group into Lasers?

Speaking for myself...YES.. Borderline OCD


> I uncovered 2 that I bought at a club
> auction years ago and wonder if I can do
> anything with them.
> You can see photos of them here'http://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=112702
>
> 73, Ron w4ron

http://www.physics.utah.edu/~springer/phys3410/laboratory/laser_man.pdf

According to this scanned manual, it's polarized, rated at 2mw (when
new..) and requires 4kvdc at 6.5mA. which seems rather high for 10.7"
2mw red, 632nm, he-ne laser head......
The Alden connectors short end, is the positive; (polarity is crucial)
and "most" likely, the ballast resistor is already built into the
head.
move it around and make sure there is nothing rattling inside, like
broken glass..
It's probably a hard sealed tube inside, and if the glass is intact,
and the mirrors are still properly aligned, it should lase..


Dave

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Jul 3, 2009, 5:53:23 AM7/3/09
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On Jul 2, 5:45 pm, Ron in Radio Heaven <w4...@carolina.rr.com> wrote:

actually, the voltage req. should be around 1800vdc at 6.5mA and
10kvdc to start her up.. for the larger of the two, 2300vdc at 6.5ma
and 10k start.

cheers
dave

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