SSY 1's Recently?

Looking at the ebay listing, The basic suff is included
except the HV supply and trigger supply for the Ign coil.
I'm dealing with an overseas supplier but they seem
to communicate pretty well. That PFN you worry about is
quite simple - a damn coil ( inductor) to limit inrush current.

I have an SSY-1 and this is a new toy for me!
HMike

A similar sized flash tube is rated at 50 Watt seconds.
200 to 500 Volts. If my math is correct yet, a 50 Mfd
FLASH cap at 450 Volts should be right.. Someone verify this.

This unit is listed as new but may have defects !!!! If I get enough
stuff, it will lase......

May have defects?

This appears as a CYA statement as the unit is guaranteed -I guess.
Quote: "New other (see details): A new, unused item with absolutely no signs of wear. The item may be missing the original packaging, or in the original packaging but not sealed. The item may be a factory second or a new, unused item with defects. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections. See all condition definitions" Not much other is stated -- look at the pictures provided. The seller has 100%+ feedback...........

It looks like there is a shutter in front and otherwise needs flash tube power and a little kick for the igniter. This is usually a couple resistors and a ~0.2 mFd capacitor for trigger power.
HMike

I haven't played with my xenons in a while. Let's see. Joules = W*s = 1/2CV². So
C = J * 2 / V²
C = 50 * 2 / 450²

C = 100 / 202,500
C = 500µF
As you may have already known/figured out, energy increases exponentially with voltage. This is one
reason why these tubes are rated for higher voltages. Another is that film caps have to be used to get
low ESR for a good efficiency, fast pulses and high firing rate. These are expensive at high
capacitance. If you look at that tube, it has nice thick walls to handle these caps at 900V and possibly
above. The last few volts do go unused but just how much depends on the actual pulse current slope
and other things. It isn't all that much really though but you can figure it out if you want. So plugging in
900V:
C = 50 * 2 / 900²
C = 100 / 810,000
C = 123.456790123...µF (interesting result)
Getting lower, but a pulse cap of that size would still be quite expensive
More than
900V would cause an almost explosive discharge inside the tube. This is where the inductor
comes in. The impedance of the inductor slows things down and lengthens the pulse. The pulse length is
I believe something like sqrt(LC)pi / 2. So you should figure out the minimum pulse length your tube can
endure, or with the Q switch, the time you want the cavity energy to build. The inductor will also
absorb some of the energy from the capacitor as a magnetic field which gets wasted in the diode.

Oh, the diode. I forgot to mention I got a thank-you-for-letting-us-know from Merodeath with the missing
schematic, which they did not actually fix :crackup: so here it is.

LS -- You have ignited my old brain. I must review now.
50 mFd seemed low but I had Ej= (C x V*2) /2.
It's coming back - I was off a decimal point-- Thanks
Your flash tube schematic is a little complicated for a
simple igniter circuit !!! Cameras don't have all that "stuff".
Thanks for the MI schematic. Their unit has a monster
igniter xfmr so a 0.10 cap likely works. As for the FLASH
capacitor, lower electrolytic ESR strobe caps are used in cameras and
may be why no inductors are used because of internal
impedance. All things considered, a simple xenon driver
should make LASE!!
HMike

I like that circuit but 450 Volts is easier to achieve and
limits the current a bit. The trigger circuit into the SCR
can be as simple as a momentary PB switch.

LS --
A little more math here. as I said, 450 Volts is easier to get and handle.
Using the ~15 Joule power to the SSY-1 for this, at 450 Volts, a FLASH
Cap of ~150 mFd should work with limited added impedance due to ESR.
The Ws rating for a tube this size I found on the internet at 50Ws!!!
As I recall, 15 Ws (J) is more reasonable for the SSY-1 but I won't
know about this new unit until I see it. May need fewer Jewels!
HMike

Hemlock_Mike said:

LS -- You have ignited my old brain.

Click to expand...

Ahh, well awesome!

Hemlock_Mike said:

Your flash tube schematic is a little complicated for a
simple igniter circuit !!!

Click to expand...

Has someone been browsing my website?

Hemlock_Mike said:

Cameras don't have all that "stuff".
Thanks for the MI schematic. Their unit has a monster
igniter xfmr so a 0.10 cap likely works. As for the FLASH
capacitor, lower electrolytic ESR strobe caps are used in cameras and
may be why no inductors are used because of internal
impedance.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm not sure why either, though I have seen a couple units that do have an inductor.
The ESR really does make a difference. It could also be that film/CCDs are just really
"fast". When the photon strikes a sensitive molecule, I guess it just "pops". It's not like a
laser where they have to bounce around a while for energy to build up in the cativy.

If you want a capacitor or a trigger transformer, for your new toy, just let me know. I have a
ton of capacitors here just lying around. I can just give you one.

I have all sizes of low ESR photo flash caps
around here. I will likely need to reform them
but that's no problem.

The seller responded to me about the laser -
English isn't their first language !! :
Dear hemlock_mike,


Hi
You are right the laser is use we write new or other by misstake
We will fix it Asap
The laser is in great condition snd graet price
It will work for shure


You can buy it or if you do not want it please ask us and we will cancle the purchase


All the best
Lahav

Looks like it will burn ---
Thanks ---
HMike

Sometimes and inductor in a strobe flash is used to turn off the tube
using inductive kick.

Interesting. Maybe you could buy a few kits and sell the completed YAG's to fellow members like us?

Let me see what the first one actually does!!!
Can I borrow YOUR power meter??
HMike

My OPHIR head is for 5W CW, not 1MW Pulses

That's why I don't use mine!!!
Another email from the seller:
"Dear hemlock_mike,
Hi,
We took it out of a sealed range finder it is in mint condition the optics is great. All of the conponnet are like new except that they were working in the past.
In any case if you will not want it we will get return
We sold about 50 units so far with no problems
We have many items to sell we are lookinh forward to find more customers
so our name is very important for us.


All the best,


Lahav

I'm thunkin' this will work

HMike

If that thing comes in ok im gonna have to get one!

I'm just wondering how the heck they got hold of these for so cheap...

Also, the rod is the same length as a SSY, but it has a smaller diameter. Doesn't a smaller diameter roughly correlate to a weaker overall output? The pics also show the rod as a very pale pinkish color, meaning it is more lightly doped, correct?

Same here, if these are good units I'm probably going to have to grab one... or two

It may be shorter but camera pix don't always
show doping levels. My first NdYag rod is heavy doped
to, as I was told, make it easier to lase.
HEY --- 0.5 or 1.0 MW!! Who cares -- measure it
with YOUR meter.
HMike

Haha I wouldn't not appreciate 2x the power of any of my lasers