Optima 120 YAG

[imix500]

Hello all! First post from a long-time lurker.

First, a short intro. I have been working on and around large frame ion lasers for about 20 years. First one of the small Omnichrome air cooled in the late 80's, then a Lexel 95, then an I-90, and a SP 2020 something somewhere in there. Then I got into flash lamp pumped Yags about ten years ago. I myself have not done any shows since the days of the Beamscan boxes. Now it's more about CNC etching and engraving.

So, I recently purchased an Optima 120 Yag system. It's a big, beautiful self contained 120W Yag used for surgery. I am working on getting it up and running as I believe it had been in storage for over ten years. Every single compression fitting in the cooling loop had loosened up, so it's been a while.

Anyway, just wondering if anyone one here had come across one before. Understandably, I have received zero support from Convergent who purchased them a while back and I have no service info. The diagnostics accessible on the panel are minimal. The laser has a dial-up modem to call home and tell the service team what's wrong!

I'll post some Yag Porn if anyone's interested.

Thanks!

[Xytrell]

I'll post some Yag Porn if anyone's interested.

[imix500]

Here ya go...

[hologeek]

I have 2 of them but the 80 watt versions. Have you fired it up yet? Kinda intereresting in that they use a arc lamp, but it's pulsed like a flashlamp. It's very hard to find the lamps if they blow... 5 inch arc-length 5mm outer diameter. I have a small user manual I can send you if interested.

-George

[imix500]

Hi George,
the lamp supply is really interesting. I had not opened the cavity yet but the fact that they used an arc lamp explains a lot about it.
I have the operators manual that reads like a book for pre-med students. It also came with the price lists for consumables and one fiber in decent shape. I've been chasing demons in the cooling system which should be good now, but I have the Co2 version and just literally picked up a tank for it today. I hadn't been able to get it into operate mode so I'm hoping lack of Co2 was doing it.

Thanks!

[hologeek]

The CO2 is not used for lasing, it's just used to blow tissue away from the fiber tip. Does yours have a little co2 tank inside?
You can look at the inside cavity (the long black box) pretty easily by unscrewing a single thumbscrew on the side. The cavity has the HR and OC mirrors inside.

[imix500]

Hi George,
I figured that was the case with the Co2, but the manual states to have pressure before the system is turned on so I figured it couldn't hurt.

Well, the Co2 was part of the interlocks. I now get the green light, but it's flashing rapidly. Then it shuts down and goes into service a few seconds later. The temp bargraph also jumps erratically, so it seems like there might be a psu issue. I can get a beep sometimes if I cycle the footswitch before it shuts down and I get an internal power reading, but it's much lower than the set power of 10 Watts. As there are 22 year old caps in the arc supply, they are my first suspect.

I also took the cover off the cavity, and the optics look great. If it comes to it I will check the lamp, but I'm assuming it's the flooded variety so it's a messy job.

[imix500]

Just an update after all this time-

I finally found time to pop the hood again and dissasenble the head without mucking with allignment too bad. The lamp is in fact bad. It looks like the anode end cracked and started a voltage leak to wherever it could go. Explains the front panel going crazy when HV was applied. The search is on for a lamp! Looks to be 5 x 200mm with a 140mm arc length.

[telmnstr]

Have you looked at the random arc lamps that are on ebay? Chinese, no idea how good they are in quality.

Pretty neat toy!

[imix500]

I've been searching ebay and asking the larger surplus laser companies here but so far nothing that would fit. Seems most lamps this long are 6mm or 7mm.
I did notice several overseas sources who will make a lamp to spec or have a stock model that might be close enough for my needs. Problem is I don't know things such as fill pressure or gas type. It's an Er rod, so I'm wondering if it requires a certain gas.
Thanks!