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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Free Helium Cadmium laser, not working

Joined
Mar 27, 2008
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I'm not sure if anybody would be interested in this or not, but I've got a Kimmon IK4123R-B Helium-Cadmium laser and matching power supply model IM120C-B. I need to get rid of this thing (it's big and my apartment is small) so I'm willing to donate it to a good home for only the cost of shipping.

The catch is that it doesn't work. I know exactly what the problem is (I wouldn't be much of a laser technician if I didn't). The cathode filament is physically broken, and without it the tube won't start. The filament is inside the glass tube making it essentially unrepairable without extremely expensive equipment. I've tried thinking of a bunch of different ways to get it going without the filament (or to repair it without opening the tube) but He-Cd lasers are extremely sensitive to voltage and temperature changes and there simply isn't any way for me to fix it. Kimmon tells me that the cost of a new tube for this laser, including all installation, is $6125 USD, and they refused to sell me just the tube without the installation.

Since I cannot justify the cost of repairing this laser I'm giving it away.

The laser itself was built in 1999 but it only has 572 hours on it. The laser head is in brand new condition with not even a single scratch or scuff on it. The power supply is a bit scratched and scuffed up but works great. All labels are completely intact and legible. The laser runs off of 120VAC. It's rated at 14mW CW of 441.6nm and comes with everything needed to power it up. The laser powers up and goes through the 30 second cathode warmup (which doesn't happen of course) and then the HV kicks on for a couple seconds. After the supply detects that the tube isn't starting an error light comes on and nothing else happens.

Full laser specs are here:
Spec Sheet for IK4123R-B

Some pictures of the system here:
http://i.imgur.com/nZxwo.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/VJ31r.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/d00bv.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/zfdsS.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/mFmH5.jpg

Again, I'm not sure if anybody is interested in a broken laser, but if you are reply here or send me a PM and I'll try to get a shipping estimate. Shipping will likely be on the order of a few hundred dollars to North America, and probably prohibitively expensive to anywhere overseas. It will most likely ship from Laserglow Technologies because I get to take unfair advantage of the shipping department here and we get a UPS discount, but keep in mind of course that the laser and the transaction have nothing to do with Laserglow and the company cannot be held responsible if something goes horribly wrong during shipping (like if the laser falls off the back of a truck, gets run over by three cars, falls off a bridge and lands directly in a volcano).
 





Bounty

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Wow that thing looks beast! Im sure you could get something for it though. Just the housing alone is surely worth something.
 

diachi

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I'd take it ... but I imagine that postage to the UK will cost me a months wages. If postage worked out to about £150 or so I'd happily take it.
 
Joined
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I'd take it ... but I imagine that postage to the UK will cost me a months wages. If postage worked out to about £150 or so I'd happily take it.

IF you get it and WHEN you get it fired up could you post some shots of it?:drool:

Edit. nvm i overlooked something :p
 
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Joined
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Seeing as the laser head is huge (and a properly sized box will be even bigger), and the power supply is really heavy, shipping will cost a small fortune no matter where it goes.

I distinctly remember when it arrived. The UPS guy (a young guy, maybe 25) already had the laser head at the door when he rang the bell. I answered it and he told me that he had "some kind of huge laser or something" for me. He walked back to his truck, reached inside, and started tugging on something with all his might. Using all his strength, he lifted the power supply out of the back and slowly came up the driveway, the ground shaking with each step he took. He approached my door, drenched in sweat (in December), his arms trembling. He said with a shaky voice, "I thought lasers were smaller than this," to which I replied "Yeah, most of them are." As he leaned over to put it down on my doorstep, I could have sworn I heard a bone snap. I signed for it and thanked him, and he quietly hobbled away, clutching his back.

So yeah it's pretty heavy.
 
Joined
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PM sent, I would be interested in this perhaps....we'll see what it cost to ship from Toronto to NYC:D
 
Joined
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It might take me a couple days before I can put together a shipping estimate. First I need to find a pair of boxes to ship them in and find the exact dimensions and weight. I'll get back to you as soon as I've got these things together.
 

mfo

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I'd take it ... but I imagine that postage to the UK will cost me a months wages. If postage worked out to about £150 or so I'd happily take it.

Adam, you think you could get this working again?
 
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It might take me a couple days before I can put together a shipping estimate. First I need to find a pair of boxes to ship them in and find the exact dimensions and weight. I'll get back to you as soon as I've got these things together.


My brother-in-law made a very good suggestion. Perhaps check shipping via Amtrak train. He used to use it quite often for shipping. It is a lot cheaper than shipping large heavy items via truck!
If you have a weight for the two units I can check the cost from Toronto to NYC.:beer:
 
Joined
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random question...im still a noob :( but whats the point in these low power huge lab lasers like this...why not just use a simple diode can setup? ive been wondering this for so long...what do you use them for if its not a laser pointer?
 

Fenzir

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random question...im still a noob :( but whats the point in these low power huge lab lasers like this...why not just use a simple diode can setup? ive been wondering this for so long...what do you use them for if its not a laser pointer?

it's interesting how they work. And helium cadium, I've never seen one before.
 

rhd

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random question...im still a noob :( but whats the point in these low power huge lab lasers like this...why not just use a simple diode can setup? ive been wondering this for so long...what do you use them for if its not a laser pointer?

What do you use your "~1.5w Kryton Groove" for?

Surely not as a pointer?

What I'm getting at, is that very few of us here are actually after laser pointers for the sake, well, a better "pointing implement".

We're here for intrigue, for education, maybe for inspiration. Lab lasers accomplish this every bit as well as, if not better than, pointers.

:)
 
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megha

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is this laser for an specific use ?
 
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