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LAN_403

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Fri Jun 16 2006, 05:46AM

Registered Member #56 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:02AM
Location: Southern Califorina, USA
Posts: 2445

I just got a ssy-1 laser head off ebay (of anyone else is interisted there is a guy with 50 of them for $100 a piece), and am wondering what type of googles/other protection (assuming I am not going to be touching any of the hv stuff) I need for these lasers...

The first thing that comes to mind would be spectronica's triple coated ones, at ~$75 + some (probably high) shippings fees... A little high, but it would probably be the only pair I would ever have to buy unless I somehow get a CO2 or Ar laser...

Please don't send me to sam's faq, as I think I have every word he has written (even his tv rapair raq

)

the_anomaly

Fri Jun 16 2006, 01:42PM

Registered Member #19 Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 03:19PM
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 168

Unless the wavelength emitted is written on the laser head I think ssy-1 should emit 1064nm. The triple coated ones will work but I would check ebay as all you need is 1064nm protection. There was one for 40 bucks a while ago but I canâ€™t seem to find it.

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Fri Jun 16 2006, 08:04PM

Registered Member #56 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:02AM
Location: Southern Califorina, USA
Posts: 2445

I plan to do some work with 808nm, so I would like to get some that are good for that too, unless I can get 2 piars for less that the triple coated ones...

Ben

Mon Jun 19 2006, 01:49PM

Vigilatny
Registered Member #17 Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 02:47PM
Location: NL
Posts: 158

For 808 nm the sprectronica ones were the lowest priced goggles I could find, period. Everything else was in the hundreds, at least new from the supplier. I never could find anything suitable on eBay.

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Sat Jun 24 2006, 11:05PM

Registered Member #56 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:02AM
Location: Southern Califorina, USA
Posts: 2445

Have any of you guys actually bought goggles from Spectronica? I sent an email off to their us distributer about a week ago and haven't got a response

ragnar

Sun Jun 25 2006, 01:12AM

Registered Member #63 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:18AM
Location:
Posts: 1425

I found these IR-blocking goggles in a dumpster, which I use when working with the 25W CO2 laser...

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Sun Jun 25 2006, 01:52AM

Registered Member #56 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:02AM
Location: Southern Califorina, USA
Posts: 2445

You would think that the dumpsters where I am working (a laser factory) would have a pretty good selection of goggles... Unfortunately the only lasers they make there are all low power (<100mw) far ir (1.5um, and 10um). They do have a badass multiwatt uv laser that they use in the process of making the telecom lasers, and a 60x argon-ion laser sitting unused in the corner... But those don't correspond to 1064/808nm

I did manage to get a pair of od2 633nm goggles that go great with the meles groit hene laser my dad found

edit:
scratch that, managed to get not one but 2 pairs (lasers aren't any fun if you can't show them off to your frineds) pairs of od5 950-1600nm googles

They are also coated for 10um... They have a little crack on the top of the frame, so they are mine XD Too bad they don't work for 808

McFluffin

Mon Jun 26 2006, 04:14AM

Registered Member #119 Joined: Fri Feb 10 2006, 06:26AM
Location: USA
Posts: 114

Interesting that I read this, I am getting an argon ion laser and I was thinking about what I might need for safety. It should be around 50mW I am guessing, but I haven't seen it yet(they claimed 200, but I am pretty sure they were just reading the warning sticker). Since this isn't that high of a laser and will be in the visible range, can sunglasses work or at least considerably help? I see that there are two pairs on eBay(heres one

for a reasonable price. I might look into getting one. On a side note, if anyone remembers that I had a large laser power supply, I asked Sam from Sam's Laser FAQ and he agreed that is was probably from a large HeNe or a small CO2.
I also have a red(not sure on wavelength, the case gives a much large spectrum than I'm pretty sure its in and I don't have a spectrometer) class IIIb laser diode. What can one do for lasers such as these that have multiple spectrums or if you are working with multiple lasers at different wavelengths?

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Mon Jun 26 2006, 05:58AM

Registered Member #56 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:02AM
Location: Southern Califorina, USA
Posts: 2445

I would aviod sunglasses, because you don't know exactly what they are doing, but I suppose for visible light if it works it works... Just shine the beam through them and compare the power to a 5mw pointer, so long as it is less than that you should be ok

I just ask that you don't compare the spots by eye, because the eye can't tell the difference in power very well; so use a photodiode or real power meter.

Many goggles are coated for a large range of wavelengths, I would expect most 'red' goggles to cover you... Just make sure that you get a pair with a high enough od over the range to keep it safe...

Although I wouldn't trust a 16 year old with these things... Ask Sam or someone

But to keep things somewhat on topic... I got my ssy-1 working! I am using the pfn-1 that was used originally (36mfd cap and a .03mH inductor). I started out by hot gluing one of the lenses out of a green laser pointer (the coatings are way strong but it was the only real lens I had laying around with a decent focal distance) on the wrong side of the thing (well it seemed logical that the side with the q-switch would be the output side >_<) but as soon as I switched it around and fired it at a black spot on a photocopy I get a nice little 2mm white spot

I found that I can get about 3mm diameter circles of complete obliteration of the toner... Then I cranked up the power from the ~700v I was using to the full 1kz my supply (120-240 isolation xformer followed by a voltage tripler of 450v/3ufd caps and a .063ufd/400v cap wired up with a 10meg resistor from the output of the supply through a push button to a decent sized trigger coil) and got a nice blue dot about 1.5" from the end of the module

Yup, air ionisation from a $100 laser! Air sparks indicate levels around 200-400mj's so says sam! I have found that I can get them reliably at voltages as low as 850v! That is a mere 12J

So that would point to like a 1-2% efficiency

McFluffin

Mon Jul 24 2006, 01:11AM

Registered Member #119 Joined: Fri Feb 10 2006, 06:26AM
Location: USA
Posts: 114

I got some "Sand, Wind, and Dust" goggles off of ebay for my SSY-1. They seem to be working pretty good and the doubled Nd:YAG lense(comes with two lenses) doesn't allow me to see the green at all, so I am guessing they are pretty good. A pair can be got for 20 or 25 including shipping. I did find that the coating is weak on the edges of the lenses and you have to be careful or it comes off. Haven't looked for specific data yet. All in all, these are a very economical solution

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