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Thread: Ocean Optics HG-1 Calibration Source

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    Default Ocean Optics HG-1 Calibration Source

    Looking for a Ocean Optics HG-1 Calbration Source: Mercury Argon. I see a couple used of unknown condition, but wow $$$. Anyone know where I can get a replacement bulb for the HG-1, aside from Ocean Optics $$$ Corp?
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    BHK Incorporated probably makes that unit. Called a "Hotspot" lamp. Prepare to die of sticker shock and just get a Ebay Penray lamp system from UVP.

    BTW use polycarbonate safety glasses when using the brighter mercury UV sources for more the a few tens of seconds of visible viewing. Unless you like going to the ER for Ultraviolet Keratitis, which is three to five days of hell on earth, with no sleep and no OTC painkiller works. . Ask me how I know... Long ago....

    Steve
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    Appreciate the help, although my spectrometer appears to be measuring accurately and doesn't need adjustment right now, I'd like to be able to calibrate or at least verify accuracy beyond using a 532 nm pointer and florescent lamp.

    Here's what led me to look for an HG-1. I was watching a YT video about the Ocean Optics SD2000 which I am just learning to operate, the video referred to a calibration proceedure in the manual which uses the spectral lines from a mercury argon lamp to calibrate off of (EDIT: I looked into this further, it appears I don't need that specific lamp, it is just a good one to use due to the wide UV to NIR spread, if your spectrometer has that much range, mine does). I looked at some Pen-Ray lamps listed on ebay, but the ones I'm finding right now appear to be mostly UV, no mention of having a mercury argon mix to produce a spectra from UV to NIR.

    Since I last posted for help on this I found some HG-1 sources on Aliexpress, but I really dislike ordering anything from China, if there is a problem, forget it, not to mention their government I'd like to see crumble into a bottemless pit, but hell, I feel that way about the dems right now too (I don't claim any particular party myself).

    Link to CCP unit: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000...13981017%22%7D

    I found a used HG-1 on ebay listed at a higher price than the above linked Chinese unit, but the seller said it had some kind of problem as the light would go off and on intermittently. On best offer I bought it for less than half the price of the cheap Chinese one though. So am looking to see how much a replacement lamp might cost as that might be the issue, a weak lamp. Ocean Optics wants close to 800 dollars for a new HG-1 unit, don't know what they charge for the bulb, waiting for an answer. I actually bought the used HG-1 on ebay before finding the Chinese listing on aliexpress, I might have just bought from them anyway if I saw their listing earlier. I'm hoping the intermittent problem is due to a low 9 VDC battery, taking a gamble it isn't the bulb.

    HG-1 Mercury Argon Spectra:

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	HG-1 Spectra.jpg 
Views:	2 
Size:	35.3 KB 
ID:	58471
    Last edited by Laser57; 11-19-2021 at 03:18.
    Glowing green eyes is a camera photoflash reflection.

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    steve mentioned this and it works very well. Get an old neon light like from a power strip. That plus any mercury lamp or fluorescent and you have from uv to Nir.

    can also use a small hene and look at the tube to get all the hene lines.


    QUOTE=Laser57;358341]Appreciate the help, although my spectrometer appears to be measuring accurately and doesn't need adjustment right now, I'd like to be able to calibrate or at least verify accuracy beyond using a 532 nm pointer and florescent lamp.

    Here's what led me to look for an HG-1. I was watching a YT video about the Ocean Optics SD2000 which I am just learning to operate, the video referred to a calibration proceedure in the manual which uses the spectral lines from a mercury argon lamp to calibrate off of (EDIT: I looked into this further, it appears I don't need that specific lamp, it is just a good one to use due to the wide UV to NIR spread). I looked at some Pen-Ray lamps listed on ebay, but the ones I'm finding right now appear to be mostly UV, no mention of having a mercury argon mix to produce a spectra from UV to NIR.

    Since I last posted for help on this I found some HG-1 sources on Aliexpress, but I really dislike ordering anything from China, if there is a problem, forget it, not to mention their government I'd like to see crumble into a bottemless pit, but hell, I feel that way about the dems right now too (I don't claim any particular party myself).

    Link to CCP unit: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000...13981017%22%7D

    I found a used HG-1 on ebay listed at a higher price than the above linked Chinese unit, but the seller said it had some kind of problem as the light would go off and on intermittently. On best offer I bought it for less than half the price of the cheap Chinese one though. So am looking to see how much a replacement lamp might cost as that might be the issue, a weak lamp. Ocean Optics wants close to 800 dollars for a new HG-1 unit, don't know what they charge for the bulb, waiting for an answer. I actually bought the used HG-1 on ebay before finding the Chinese listing on aliexpress, I might have just bought from them anyway if I saw their listing earlier. I'm hoping the intermittent problem is due to a low 9 VDC battery, taking a gamble it isn't the bulb.

    HG-1 Mercury Argon Spectra:

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	HG-1 Spectra.jpg 
Views:	2 
Size:	35.3 KB 
ID:	58471[/QUOTE]

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    Thanks Kecked, I had no idea a simple inexpensive and plentiful neon bulb had so many lines, why use those expensive bulbs?

    Here's a page full of lines:

    https://physics.nist.gov/PhysRefData...neontable2.htm
    Glowing green eyes is a camera photoflash reflection.

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    These little guys work surprisingly well, if you wire them to a universal doorbell transformer with a ballast resistor in series with the lamp:

    Amazon.com: GermGuardian LB1000 Genuine UV-C Replacement Bulb for GG1000, GG1000CA, GG1100, GG1100W, GG1100B Germ Guardian Air Sanitizers : Home & Kitchen

    No high voltage required, the hot filament ionizes the mercury and then it arcs from filament post to to filament post. But you MUST have a current limiting Ballast Resistor of 15-20 Ohms 5 Watts in series with the lamp at 16VAC They will pop their filament if not ballasted. I find they start better on 24VAC with a 33 Ohm resistor. Do not run them on DC, and wear safety glasses that adsorb UV or enclose the lamp in a metal box.

    Basically a USHIO GTL3 or Chinese Clone of the GTL3

    If you have a transformer laying around you can have a HG spectrum for all of 20-40$ in parts. They are very bright in the UV but dim in the visible. So wear safety glasses.. Clear polycarbonate plastic safety glasses from Home Depot measure about OD4 at 254 nm. I did the measurement myself. Your results may vary on the glasses, so check with a known good phosphorescent material or spectrometer.

    This guy documents the GTL-3 family well... I just prefer to never use capacitive ballasts on anything arc or glow discharge

    Russell's Random Thoughts: How to use the GTL3 Bulb: A Simple and Inexpensive UVC Source (russellsrandomthoughts.blogspot.com)

    Also see the neat attachment on glow discharge spectra.. While the NIST site is lovely, and I use it often, sometimes simpler is better.

    Steve


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    Last edited by mixedgas; 11-19-2021 at 08:51.
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    Great info, so much appreciated, thank you again. Also, I saved the Russels Random Thoughts article about the GTL3 bulb as PDF, attached.

    Edit addition to post: Found a 12 VDC unit with ballast from a CCP seller:

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/183793081755
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    Last edited by Laser57; 11-19-2021 at 22:51.
    Glowing green eyes is a camera photoflash reflection.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Laser57 View Post
    Great info, so much appreciated, thank you again. Also, I saved the Russels Random Thoughts article about the GTL3 bulb as PDF, attached.

    Edit addition to post: Found a 12 VDC unit with ballast from a CCP seller:

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/183793081755
    just to be clear NONE of that was my idea. It’s all steve.

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    Great, appreciate both of you guys helping.
    Glowing green eyes is a camera photoflash reflection.

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