Spectra-Physics PSU

[mixedgas]

Oh boy, I've never had my hands on one yet and sam has one, but never traced it yet. I do belive I ill ask the factory. dont worry you wont suck beryl dust, you really have to work at it to do it and only the 1-1.5 micron particle size kills you. if the fan powers up, usually the head will start, any clicking noises from the tube area? I'll call the factory on tuesday.

[mixedgas]

if I dont fool around to keep my skills up, the boss would fire me. public service is a job requirement here, I usually fill my quota by helping out on alt.lasers and mentoring students for the ISEF international science fair.
ISEf because it lets them bring home scholarships.
would you hire a tech who doesnt take at least some of his work home or doesnt have at least one sophisticated hobby?

Steve

[ION Flier]

if I dont fool around to keep my skills up, the boss would fire me.

Remind your boss that you cannot be fired... Slaves have to be sold!!!

Richard

[The_Doctor]

Remind your boss that you cannot be fired... Slaves have to be sold!!!

That reminds me so much of the Asterix books, something about two well-known Gauls being precious works from the House of Typhus. I can't remember exactly how the logic went, but it was similarly good.

[ION Flier]

Flashing back are we?!? Me so sorry..

Oh, keeping on original subject, I got one of the 163A's running!!! Bad solder connection on laser head connector on PSU.
Had to pull interface board out (and I though repairing aircraft instrumentation was tough!!) and there is was, the smallest of halos around one of the thermal cutout sensor pins (gotta LUV that wave soldering... NOT!!!).

Plugged it in, fired it up and 60 seconds on the nose 'pip' there she was in all her blue beauty!!!

Will post pics in the morrow.....

L8rZ

R.

[mixedgas]

Cool, keep the current down for a while until you get a feeling for how old it is.

next, assuming the psu does not have a new fangled constant current cathode transformer (will have obvious big cap hooked to the AC tranny)
see if you have a positive delta T in the cathode current, using a amp clamp or battery powered floating voltmeter (slight cringe) across the cathode pins. If the current stays the same after 30 seonds of plasma, tube is middle of life, if it goes up, tube is good. If it goes down, thank you for playing the argon tube life lottery.
remember the cathode tranny carrys the DC tube current as well as the filament supply, so some nonlinearities may show up. True RMS voltemetrs dont care, but some cheapies can lead to premature gloom and doom. Hence the desired use of a ampclamp. cathode currents have been trending downwards with newer cathode materials, so I have no idea what the desired current is, havent had my hands on a newer 163 yet.
if she appears to be healthy, run her a while (a few hours at least) on low current burn in. The power vs tube number table is on the newport/SP web site here

http://www.newport.com/store/genprod...3&Section=Spec

assuming the last two digits of your part number fall off (probably a good guess)

163-A12 25 mW M2 <1.2 488 0.69 &#177; 5&#37; >100:1 (E-vector vertical &#177; 5) 0.95 &#177; 30 mrad/&#177;3&#176;C >95% of stabilized power &#177; 1% 638 MHz beam waist at Output of laser head

enjoy that 488, warning, its addictive, you may wish to stop now, if you can ..... ;-)

BTW, that 25 mW is warrenty power for one year, so take a look at the hour meter and run it accordingly.

Steve

[ION Flier]

Cool, keep the current down for a while until you get a feeling for how old it is.

The tubes look in good condition and the hour meters are right around 1000hrs on one and juuuuuuust over 0 on the other. My guess is a regas on one (newer data plate on tube) and the other one was just not used that much.

see if you have a positive delta T in the cathode current, using a amp clamp or battery powered floating voltmeter (slight cringe) across the cathode pins.

When I get an amp clamp I'll check out the ΔT.

enjoy that 488, warning, its addictive, you may wish to stop now, if you can ..... ;-) Steve

And yes, 488nm is nice watch, could do it for hours, and with a little luck... It will be in STEREO!

Richard