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Registered Member #1451
Joined: Wed Apr 23 2008, 03:48AM
Location: Boulder, Co
Posts: 661
Hello all.
I recently bought an argon ion laser at a university lab equipment auction. It looks to be complete except for the cooling fan but that's not the problem. The unit didn't come with a power supply. It does have the started circuitry it looks like (the thing that makes the high voltage pulse). The unit (and tube) is a spectra-physics product. The tube model is 00093-01 and I can't seem to find info on it anywhere. What kind of voltages will I need? Common filament voltage? Will too low of a tube voltage damage it? (Could I just use a variac to try to get it to start at different voltages?) It also has a beam splitter on the output that looks to just go to a sensor. Would this be used to measure power of the output? Thanks for any help you guys can provide!
Registered Member #1134
Joined: Tue Nov 20 2007, 04:39PM
Location: Bonnie Scotland
Posts: 351
Turkey9 wrote ...
I recently bought an argon ion laser at a university lab equipment auction. It looks to be complete except for the cooling fan but that's not the problem. The unit didn't come with a power supply. It does have the started circuitry it looks like (the thing that makes the high voltage pulse). The unit (and tube) is a spectra-physics product. The tube model is 00093-01 and I can't seem to find info on it anywhere. What kind of voltages will I need? Common filament voltage? Will too low of a tube voltage damage it? (Could I just use a variac to try to get it to start at different voltages?) It also has a beam splitter on the output that looks to just go to a sensor. Would this be used to measure power of the output? Thanks for any help you guys can provide!
Seems to be either the spectra physics 161/162 series air cooled argon ion laser.
The heater voltage is 3v at 30A (must be AC)
The anode voltage is approximately 110V @ 4.5A to 8.5A
To run mine I used a Microwave oven transformer with the secondary windings removed, and replaced with 3 turns of heavy gauge wire, with a centre tap for the filament.
A linear 110v dc PSU was constructed for the anode voltage.
The Ignition circuit in the head is already pre wired to autostart as I recall, once the anode voltage is present. So All you need to do is trace the heater leads, and the anode lead.
Registered Member #1451
Joined: Wed Apr 23 2008, 03:48AM
Location: Boulder, Co
Posts: 661
Thanks, I think I'm going to use your setup.
Will the tube pull the 4.5A to 8.5A at 110V or will there need to be current limiting resistors? Is that what that bank of resistors is for? Or in other words, what is the impedance of the tube while running?
Registered Member #1134
Joined: Tue Nov 20 2007, 04:39PM
Location: Bonnie Scotland
Posts: 351
Turkey9 wrote ...
Thanks, I think I'm going to use your setup.
Will the tube pull the 4.5A to 8.5A at 110V or will there need to be current limiting resistors? Is that what that bank of resistors is for? Or in other words, what is the impedance of the tube while running?
The resistors shown, are for 'ballasting' the tube, without hem the tube will draw as much line current as is available, in other words a melting smoking mess.
Note these resistors are physically large, and must be fan cooled!
A switchedmode power supply is the best thing to use for these really. Linear PSU's like the one shown, will do the job, but they have horrible regulation, and are extremely inefficient. However it is a quick and dirty experimenters solution.
For more info on argon Lasers checkout: Laserfaq.org
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Powering an Argon Ion Laser
