New laser... My dreams have come true.

[GooeyGus]

Hey Steve,
I'll check out the part numbers and get back to ya. I'm on my laptop at my girlfriends house right now, but when I swing by my house later tonight I'll pull the optics out and grab the number off of them.

[dsli_jon]

Hey Steve -

If those coherent mirrors are star or I90, lets talk trade.. Innova Spectrum is probably too short for my needs.....

Just a little friendly fyi, they most-likely won't be Star-optics - most PL Stars, as I know-of, were all hard-sealed to the flexi-bellows... def all Star IIs and beyond, were... I remember the OCs on the Star 'I's were for-sure sealed, I just don't remember 100% if the HR was-also.. (most likely was...) I can check next time I go into the shop... Spectrums were not sealed, and we had several of those in the shop, so, I'd suspect these were most-likey spares from those, vs any of the Stars...

...Also, the Spectrums and Stars utilized the same I-70 tube, just a different resonator-design, mostly... so the optics are likely the same curve, etc... And Laser Images (where that 164 WL came-from...) never used I-90s, IIRC...

Point-is, they're most-likely not Star or I-90 optics... Let's see what Jas comes-up with, number-wise....

But I'd also think he should be able to get some lasing with the other SP Ar optics he has, since they came out of his other 164 head - toasted tube - but identical resonator, etc -
I am actually starting to think maybe tube alignment in this reso might, in-fact, be-off...

...Pat's advice is great... If, after getting it off the WASHING MACHINE / DRYER 'Optical Table', there (just teasin', Jas... ) he makes sure the tube is in-right, THEN walks-in the plasma hotspot, THEN uses the Ar optics, and STILL no-beam... well, then I guess all those optics might be 'whacked out', cause he should be able to get SOMEthing... even if just with the HR in and 'wiggling' the OC in front - SOMEthing, ya know?

...Wierd Science....

KIT, Jas... we'll get 'er lit...
peace..
j

[GooeyGus]

The OC numbers LOOK to say the following:

841/655-00

It is quite messy/small writing, so it's hard to say. I took a couple pictures that I will post up in a couple minutes.

I didn't check the HR mirror yet.

[Eidetic]

One thing I noticed when I shot the bore is that the laser came out the other end on the very edge of the mirror.

.

What??? What???????

One thing I love about lasers is the symmetry that always happens. Everything loves to be perfectly centered. Bugs me to bounce beams off mirrors off center, even though I know it's best. But laser cavity mirrors really want to be centered with the bore. Especially with an ion laser. Everything you've done trying to get it aligned is moot if the bore is off the optical axis of the resonator!

[GooeyGus]

Could the tube really be so far out that it won't lase? I mean, I could understand a decent power loss if the tube isn't aligned perfectly, but would it really kill lasing all together? I'm getting a hot spot from the HR mirror on the output side so it can't be that far out.

Does the resonator frame allow enough adjustment of the tube to totally kill lasing?

[dsli_jon]

Hey Jas -

Could the tube really be so far out that it won't lase? I mean, I could understand a decent power loss if the tube isn't aligned perfectly, but would it really kill lasing all together? I'm getting a hot spot from the HR mirror on the output side so it can't be that far out.

Yep...

But laser cavity mirrors really want to be centered with the bore. Especially with an ion laser. Everything you've done trying to get it aligned is moot if the bore is off the optical axis of the resonator!

..and you already observed:

One thing I noticed when I shot the bore is that the laser came out the other end on the very edge of the mirror.

..now, I have t' say, I'd honestly be surprized if it was that 'out of whack', cause I can't think if any logical reason that someone at 'Images would have whacked that thing out of alignment, and just left it... but then, again... It certainly is possible...

I'd recommend following Pat's excellent 'seasoned' technique, in Post 39 - at least, you can check-it, this way, before you go loosening the tube mounts...

IF you do end-up trying to move the tube, while lit - I know you know this - but just a 'friendly reminder' to be AWARE / REMEMBER what parts of the tube are 'hot', when handling, lit, dig? ...I just feel better saying something... (...Oh no, I sound like my mother!

kit...
j

[Laserman532]

HEHE...a factory trained technician might use one of these...(hint: not the dime)

This is a "pre lase PT alignment tool" It screws onto the bayonette adapter and perfectly aligns tube and lases a new PT installation DEAD CENTER!

Ah yes, tools...

[Eidetic]

I think the difficulty you're having answers your question. You might see the reflection of the bore glow off the HR coming through the output end, but the OC tilter might then be way off its center position to get proper alignment. Alignment procedure starts with centering the bore on the mechanical axis of the resonator. Aligning the mirrors to the bore essentially brings the optical axis collinear with the mechanical axis as well. That's the only way the beam will exit the head as specified.

[Eidetic]

Pat's the man with the tool for the job!

Didn't those lasers have to have their plasma tubes locked down for shipment, and loosened for use (to allow for thermal expansion)? If so, could it be that this one wasn't, luckily survived transport, and is now offset? Or am I confusing it with something else?

[GooeyGus]

So is the pinhole in the middle so that I can look in and see the tube perfectly centered?

Also, should I set the optics holders as close to "0" as I can? By zero I just mean "even", vertical and horizontal. So the x and y adjustments are about equal to the pivot ball.... if that makes sense...