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- Apr 26, 2010
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A while ago I picked up a small (heh) air-cooled ArKr whitelight. A Melles Griot PERYB-6343-A02. Came with PSU, head, umbilical cord, and thick aluminum plate that it just happens to be mounted to. No key, and I had to get a 208V power cord for it, and wire up a 208V spider box to get 208V from separate off-phase legs.
Once I got the key and power cord it, it was time for the moment of truth.
For a few hours, I doubted whether it was even functional. Kept getting errors, wouldn't light, interlock issues, etc. Many a dozen emails back and forth with Sam.
When suddenly..it just..worked.
It was after I tested voltages across the various pins for the P3 (fan) connector. I was stumped. Getting 0V across the board. Figured maybe the interlock needed to be in to trick the PSU into even feeding the connector.
Boom. That's when it all clicked. I didn't do anything different, the interlock being taken out, and put back in, seems to have started it.
Either way, it fired up.
I had hot air spewing out of the fan like no tomorrow, and the PSU's fan had finally decided to play.
No output.
What??
Well it seems there's a beam shutter. Ha ha... ok ... Nice one Bloom. Spend all day thinking of ways to build a CuBr, and forget to check the shutter.
So I open the shutter, and I see maybe half a mW of blue. Well that's disappointing. Perhaps out of alignment? I go to check the front of the laser. There was a ton of optical equipment screwed into the laser, by chance I lifted some of it. Aligned the laser, bright white.
We're finally in business. Houston, we have photons!
So frantically, I align the laser to my liking, and remove all this junk.
(reflecting on that, I may need to remount the "junk", misalign it, then realign it after removing it. Currently it's aligned to the position it was in when the junk was added. Will think about this more later tonight.)
I stick a grating in front of it, and 5 lines! Currently at maybe 25-30%, so that is excellent news indeed!
3 blues (not exactly sure which just yet, need to pull up some tables), 568nm coming in strong (actually the "white" is a bit yellow heavy) and 647 bringing up the rear.
All-in-all, I am VERY overjoyed about this laser. Nothing could make me happier than snagging an air-cooled ArKr for $165, and actually having it work
Once the new fan comes in, I will be able to really put it to the test. With about 25mW, anf 5 lines at 30%.... I am greatly looking forward to 75%
Post shutter lifting:
Post realignment (no good camera :
Post grating:
Once I got the key and power cord it, it was time for the moment of truth.
For a few hours, I doubted whether it was even functional. Kept getting errors, wouldn't light, interlock issues, etc. Many a dozen emails back and forth with Sam.
When suddenly..it just..worked.
It was after I tested voltages across the various pins for the P3 (fan) connector. I was stumped. Getting 0V across the board. Figured maybe the interlock needed to be in to trick the PSU into even feeding the connector.
Boom. That's when it all clicked. I didn't do anything different, the interlock being taken out, and put back in, seems to have started it.
Either way, it fired up.
I had hot air spewing out of the fan like no tomorrow, and the PSU's fan had finally decided to play.
No output.
What??
Well it seems there's a beam shutter. Ha ha... ok ... Nice one Bloom. Spend all day thinking of ways to build a CuBr, and forget to check the shutter.
So I open the shutter, and I see maybe half a mW of blue. Well that's disappointing. Perhaps out of alignment? I go to check the front of the laser. There was a ton of optical equipment screwed into the laser, by chance I lifted some of it. Aligned the laser, bright white.
We're finally in business. Houston, we have photons!
So frantically, I align the laser to my liking, and remove all this junk.
(reflecting on that, I may need to remount the "junk", misalign it, then realign it after removing it. Currently it's aligned to the position it was in when the junk was added. Will think about this more later tonight.)
I stick a grating in front of it, and 5 lines! Currently at maybe 25-30%, so that is excellent news indeed!
3 blues (not exactly sure which just yet, need to pull up some tables), 568nm coming in strong (actually the "white" is a bit yellow heavy) and 647 bringing up the rear.
All-in-all, I am VERY overjoyed about this laser. Nothing could make me happier than snagging an air-cooled ArKr for $165, and actually having it work
Once the new fan comes in, I will be able to really put it to the test. With about 25mW, anf 5 lines at 30%.... I am greatly looking forward to 75%
Post shutter lifting:
Post realignment (no good camera :
Post grating:
Last edited: