He/Ne souces?

where can I salvage a He/Ne laser from I know they are in old barcode scanners, and also in laserdisc players... but does anyone know which one will have a He/Ne in it? i dont want to just buy the laser and i really dont want to buy a bunch of things that do not have a He/Ne in them... thanx for any help

You have to research each model you find. There is no "list" to compare one against.

Even then you sometimes cannot find out and/or you are wrong.

Salvaging is a lot of work and a lot of trash

Most of what you find doesn't have a manual online anywhere and much of what you do find, won't work

Peace,
dave

yea i was afraid of that... oh well thnx

Actually - As far as laserdisc players go: If it is a "Top-loading" Pioneer, it is almost guaranteed to have a HeNe tube.

If it's a "Front loading" player of any brand, it's a diode.

There was actually some controversy with the switch to diodes in laserdisc players as it produced a less clear picture (more crosstalk due to a larger spot on the disc from the 780nm IR diode vs the 635nm HeNe) - The first diode player also happened to be the first front loader.

So if you can find a 'top loading' player, from Pioneer, chances are you've got a HeNe.

I got my hands on one that was in pristine condition, even had the 'cap' over the objective lens, was never used, a few years ago. Unfortunately it got destroyed in a move.

thnx i will try that as a starting point

very careful ebay searching, although a gamble, can score you a HeNe for very little money.

I have seen lots with 5 tubes and 5 supplies go for 20-30 bucks before.

It's a gamble, but so is buying a LD player at a pawn shop hoping to find one inside.

Well, here's another checkmark in the LD player's column if he does want to score one at a pawn shop.

--I am positive that all top-loader pioneers were HeNe's, HOWEVER:
--Bring a pocket-knife and ask if you can at least plug it in.
--Override the safety latch with your pocket knife. Plug it in.
--The objective lens will try to focus. If you see visible red light, it's a HeNe; all LD Diodes were 780nm.

.. The only trouble I have with eBay lately is how many broken HeNe's Ive received ...

That said:

Melles Groit Helium Neon Laser Tubes and Power Supply - eBay (item 290403437929 end time Feb-21-10 06:25:59 PST)

Yes, the guy says "No Returns - Sold As Is". But he also says "All tubes lase." - so his 'As-Is, No Returns' means nothing as far as eBay and PayPal are concerned. This is a sticking point with eBay when you're selling, but can be an advantage when you're buying. (Which camp you're in favor of depends on which side of the equation you're on. Please note, I'm not saying this is right or wrong - I'm just stating, that this is how eBay works at present.)

The sum of it is, though, If you get bum laser tubes, or he tosses them into a box with no padding and they end up being powdered, you can file a dispute as "seller not as described". It's his responsibility to get the tubes to you in the order described, that is, "all tubes lasing".

yeah i just saw that same auction on ebay thought it seemed like a good deal i couldent find even one top loading ld player but i also found this and it seemed like a good deal too
Argon Laser & Power Supply Control Box 30mW Works Great - eBay (item 110494876554 end time Feb-21-10 16:00:59 PST)

It does, but I'm betting it'll go for closer to $500 than $18... Give it a shot though, that'd give you everything you'd need to get started with ArIon.

oh i am not goin for the arIon just saw it and thought i would mention... i am bidding on the He/Ne tubs you posted about.. I hope i get them. do you have any clue where the price may land for them from any experiences you may have... this is only my second time to buy from ebay and its my first auction

Sam has a nice list of lasers on his for-sale page. Cheap too.

mrgoogfan said:

Sam has a nice list of lasers on his for-sale page. Cheap too.

Click to expand...

I really respect Sam, but if you think his lasers are cheap, you're gonna love me

Peace,
dave

daguin said:

I really respect Sam, but if you think his lasers are cheap, you're gonna love me

Peace,
dave

Click to expand...

I got a nice 5" hene laser + power supply from him for $30 + an extra tube. It's really nice + super tiny. Im thinking of cnc-ing an aluminum case for it.

ninja edit

where is sams for sale page?... Never heard of it

xXAxHillbillyXx said:

where is sams for sale page?... Never heard of it

Click to expand...

right here. he has a SHITLOAD of stuff for sale.

Sam's Classified Page

I've bought two lasers from Sam, and while his prices aren't the lowest on earth, his service, communication, packing and shipping is great. He's also very knowledgeable on pretty much everything laser related.

For a beginner, probably better to go to Sam or Dave, rather than taking a gamble on eBay.