Old Pulsed Argon Ion Laser

[Eidetic]

The newest addition to the VLA is this 1972 TRW Instruments model 71B pulsed Argon ion laser. Introduced as the model 71A in November of 1967, the blurb about it in that month's issue of Laser Focus says it gave an average power of 6 mW multimode, with all colors going at 60 Hz and with 40 microsecond pulses. With a six-month lifetime, it cost $1,980 when Nixon was president (that criminal bastard).

Very clean laser. The paint on one side shows the mark left by a big safety label that didn't survive shipment. There is a small glass reservoir on the other side (visible in the center off the tank) that was connected to the tank, but the glass stopcock broke off at some point before it was shipped to me. At least I got the seller to wrap that up and stuff the inside to prevent further breakage from it rattling around.

[kecked]

That looks like a very easy glassblowing project. If the Brewster’s are intact and clean and mirrors external it could be done. No glass metal anywhere I see.

[VDX]

... remembers me on a DIY-HeNe-project from a Science-magazine at around 1976-80

Viktor

[NobleGas]

Something similar showed up on ebay very recently here

[mixedgas]

Something similar showed up on ebay very recently here

I saw the above laser work at Sam's a while back... Its interesting to say the least.

Steve

[Photonbeam]

I used to borrow one of these from the lab I worked at in 1974 to put on weekend laser shows for my friends. Bounced off a speaker/mirror, it looked like a swarm of green bees. Combined with red HeNe spaghetti and violet HeCd lumia the effect was stunning.