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2214-40ML: Flash from the bore, but thats it... Any hope?

aryntha

aryntha

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Ended up with a Uniphase 2214-40ML Argon Ion head; (I keep on running into broken stuff...) -- There's a discharge from the tube, it tries to start, and then just a pink flash from the front of the OC mirror (rather bright.)

And that's all she wrote... Any ideas?
 





Asherz

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aryntha said:
Ended up with a Uniphase 2214-40ML Argon Ion head; (I keep on running into broken stuff...) -- There's a discharge from the tube, it tries to start, and then just a pink flash from the front of the OC mirror (rather bright.)

And that's all she wrote... Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Could be a misaligned set of mirrors, from my vague argon knowledge I know a pink glow is the raw output when the mirrors are misaligned :)

Wait for more replies though.
 
daguin

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What PSU do you have for it?

What is the manufacture date for the laser and PSU?

Does it only click the one time?

Is there any color besides "pink" in the flash?

Do you have goggles that would allow you to look down the bore (protect blue, green, and IR)?

Peace,
dave
 
aryntha

aryntha

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The laser's MFR date is 10/07/05. It is a 2214-40MLAM-T. According to the meter, there's 0 hours on the tube. (I know, means nothing if its broken..)

My PS is a 2212P-10MLA.

I do have blue/green goggles but it does not stay on long enough for me to look down. It seems to click only once; a normal argon discharge from the side of the tube, and all I can see the brief second its on, is pink. The emission occurs for maybe 1/2 a second, and won't come back unless I shut down the powersupply and start again.

Tilting the tube back and forth, there -might- be debris sliding back and forth but its very very faint - I can't tell if its that or just the cables moving about. (The latter here is what's got my heart sinking a bit on this.)
 
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daguin

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aryntha said:
The laser's MFR date is 10/07/05. It is a 2214-40MLAM-T. According to the meter, there's 0 hours on the tube. (I know, means nothing if its broken..)
My PS is a 2212P-10MLA.
I do have blue/green goggles but it does not stay on long enough for me to look down. It seems to click only once; a normal argon discharge from the side of the tube, and all I can see the brief second its on, is pink. The emission occurs for maybe 1/2 a second, and won't come back unless I shut down the powersupply and start again.
Tilting the tube back and forth, there -might- be debris sliding back and forth but its very very faint - I can't tell if its that or just the cables moving about. (The latter here is what's got my heart sinking a bit on this.)
Click to expand...

The PSU has the needed power to run a 2214.

Are you saying that the "pink" discharge does NOT stay on after the flash? If the pink discharge does not stay on and there is no "blue" (laser) in the flash, IMO you have a very interesting paper weight there.

Does the PSU work with any other lasers?

It is VERY difficult to break anything "loose" inside one of these tubes.

Peace,
dave
 
aryntha

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Any and all light from the tube -- in its entirety - meaning the normal 'glow' from the side of the tube (Seen through the slits in the housing) and the 'pink' from the front - only happens once, and only for 1/2 second. The 'glow' from the sides looks exactly like the glow from the other 2214's.

The PS works with the 2214-20GL I got from you, and my 2214-4GL.

Should I stop trying it, for fear of something catastrophic? If something is 'loose' in the tube, would it make any sense to... roll it around a bit to see if it's blocking the bore, and try again? Or is that a recipe for a very bad day...
 
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daguin

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aryntha said:
Any and all light from the tube -- in its entirety - meaning the normal 'glow' from the side of the tube (Seen through the slits in the housing) and the 'pink' from the front - only happens once, and only for 1/2 second. The 'glow' from the sides looks exactly like the glow from the other 2214's.

The PS works with the 2214-20GL I got from you, and my 2214-4GL.

Should I stop trying it, for fear of something catastrophic? If something is 'loose' in the tube, would it make any sense to... roll it around a bit to see if it's blocking the bore, and try again? Or is that a recipe for a very bad day...
Click to expand...

It's trash. Sorry. BTW -- It's hazardous waste as well (beryllium oxide)

There's no real fear of anything catastrophic. You're just wasting time and electricity.

Peace,
dave
 
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Cyparagon

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Asherz said:
Could be a misaligned set of mirrors
Click to expand...

The mirrors are independent from the arc and they have no effect on whether the discharge can be established. You can start the laser discharge without mirrors. They only facilitate lasing of the discharge.

aryntha said:
The emission occurs for maybe 1/2 a second
Click to expand...

That's too long for it to be just the HV pulse. The discharge has to be sustained by tube current for that long of a time. You said it's just one side? What do you mean by that exactly?

Dave, why doesn't the PSU try to start it again? It sounds like some over-current sensor or something to me.
 
daguin

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Cyparagon said:
The mirrors are independent from the arc and they have no effect on whether the discharge can be established. You can start the laser discharge without mirrors. They only facilitate lasing of the discharge.
That's too long for it to be just the HV pulse. The discharge has to be sustained by tube current for that long of a time. You said it's just one side? What do you mean by that exactly?
Dave, why doesn't the PSU try to start it again? It sounds like some over-current sensor or something to me.
Click to expand...

It is too long for just the pulse AND the PSU is good. Something else is wrong in the tube or electronics of the laser. However, he isn't getting ANY color (besides pink) with the starting pulse. IMO even if we/he traced and repaired the other problem(s), it still would not lase.

When he said "the side", I believe he was referring to being able to see the "purplish" glow through the ceramic portion of the tube.

Peace,
dave
 
aryntha

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Actually, today the "flash" stayed on for a full second.. Pink emission from the front the whole time, and yes, the violet glow from the "ceramic" that's correct. Still no lasing and the PS does not try again. I'll check continuity of the filament tonight?
 
aryntha

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Welp, no use speculating anymore guys: No continuity across the filament. Wonder what happened. Oh well.
 
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Tungsten is a hard metal, but can be brittle. If the tube was handled too roughly in shipping, it could have easily snapped off.
 
Hemlock_Mike

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The fillament is the cathode. That's why the high current needed.
1. When you turn it on, does the cathode light up like an orange light bulb down inside the tube at the rear? It has to get hot like an old radio tube in order to be an electron emitter. This part is old school.
2. If it doesn't light the fillament (cathode), it might be a small break and tapping the tube gently (with the key switch OFF and power on) while rotating the head around may weld the break together restoring fillament current. Also an old school trick. Don't turn on the key while doing this, you are just trying to restore a small broken connection.

All this only if there is no fillament light.

HMike
 
aryntha

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I'll try that next. Of course, if it is a small break fixable like that it'll probably be an "on-again off-again laser" ... That's what I was wondering though: I presume with the key OFF i should see some filament glow.

Will give that a look, but I have a feeling there's just no continuity. As to how it happened, no idea - rough shipping? Maybe.
 
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