CO2 Power Supply Schematic Help

upaa27 · Oct 19, 2014

Sigurthr said:
Hmm, that's still a very abnormal discharge pattern. It should be ONLY in the bore, not in the reservoir at all. Still looks like a damaged tube.

Perhaps your cooling water is too ionic and acting as a resistive shunt, pulling the discharge away from the center of the bore (highest resistance) and only allowing it near the electrodes (least resistance). You could try using deionized water or distilled water instead of tap, but even so that doesn't explain the discharge in the reservoir.

I agree on the abnormal discharge. Even saw the spark go outside the middle tube at times but it works and I got for $70 off ebay with the mirrors.

I will grab some distilled water tomorrow. Thanks!

Cyparagon · Oct 19, 2014

Looks to me like you just don't have enough power to strike/sustain the arc.

Sigurthr · Oct 19, 2014

Cyparagon said:
Looks to me like you just don't have enough power to strike/sustain the arc.

That's entirely possible given his psu choice/availability, but I've under-driven CO2 tubes before and never seen any glow outside the bore. Not saying you're probably wrong, just saying such a case is outside of the realm of my experiences.

DashApple · Oct 19, 2014

I too have run tubes at lower powers and it still runs down the bore , just the arc is only viable for a few inches from each electrode and that was on my 60W , its odd that it's going round the bore as isn't that a more direct line between the electrodes .

It's a first , never seen that before

upaa27 · Oct 19, 2014

I read on sams laser faq that you can get an outside bore discharge due to a fractured capillary in henes. Could this be the case?

DashApple · Oct 19, 2014

If there was a crack you would probay see it but if that was the case then the gas would leak out though the water jacket . The bore is a lot wider than a HeNe bore .

Can you take a close picture side on of the cathode end ( OC ) and ( HR ) end .

It may be that the voltage is to low , but it's running the length of the tube so it should run down the bore insted , is it doing it at the anode end ( HR )

The cathode end of my 20W is sealed off from the outer shell .

Cyparagon · Oct 19, 2014

ionlaser555 said:
If there was a crack you would probay see it but if that was the case then the gas would leak out though the water jacket .

It's far less than 1atm, so air/water would leak in. There would be no light from the tube if that happened.

ionlaser555 said:
it's running the length of the tube so it should run down the bore insted.

Not necessarily. Could be glow discharge and/or corona discharge.

DashApple · Oct 20, 2014

Cyparagon said:
It's far less than 1atm, so air/water would leak in

I relisted that after I posted ,

upaa27 · Oct 20, 2014

Thanks guys. The tube lased using distilled water.

Now just need more power.

upaa27 · Oct 20, 2014

I found a picture from it Discharging from before.

Pretty weird huh?

It even lased

EDIT: Tube works with distiller water although pretty weakly. Does this mean I need more power? It lased pretty powerfully with no water so could it be that I need to use completely deionized water?

DashApple · Oct 20, 2014

it is abit odd : P

upaa27 · Oct 20, 2014

Could the low power be from using ac as opposed to dc?

Also anyway to fix the tube if it is broken?

Cyparagon · Oct 20, 2014

You'd have better luck fixing a burnt-out light bulb.

Picture of the other end, please. There's supposed to be a spiral of glass to prevent this.

ultimatekaiser · Oct 20, 2014

It looks like the bore has been ruptured? Too strong a start pulse can rupture the bore and allow it to run free outside the capillary....I'm with Cyp...show the whole tube in the picture

DashApple · Oct 20, 2014

Show a picture of the Anode end of the tube as Cyps said there should be a spiral of glass tube like this -

The tube is "open" at the cathode end and the anode end is sealed with the spiral tube linking the bore to the reservoir .

When you run it is there any visible discharge round the glass spiral ?

SAM_0670 by TwirlyWhirly555, on Flickr

upaa27 · Oct 20, 2014

I will take pics and check once I get home. I am at the hospital ATM

Hopefully nothing irreversible happened! :cryyy:

CO2 Power Supply Schematic Help

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