Lexel Excel 3000 3W Argon Ion Power Supply?

Hello everybody. I'm currently reconstructing an LDV (laser doppler velocimeter) for a project measuring fluid flows. The setup uses a laser manufactured by Lexel (Excel 3000 3W CW Argon-Ion). I have the laser head, but no power supply. I thought this would be another good place (besides manufacturer) to start my search. The power supply is 208V 35A 3-Phase with hose connections for water cooling. There is also an external laser controller that connects to the power supply (I am also missing). If anyone could point me in the right direction on where to find this power supply, I would be really appreciative. I know when Universities buy new lasers they get rid of the old ones or store them away somewhere. I've already searched my entire University, but have come up empty handed.

Would be nice to see this thing fired back up again.

Thanks.

I would try to look for it at eBay.

archalad17 said:

Hello everybody. I'm currently reconstructing an LDV (laser doppler velocimeter) for a project measuring fluid flows. The setup uses a laser manufactured by Lexel (Excel 3000 3W CW Argon-Ion). I have the laser head, but no power supply. I thought this would be another good place (besides manufacturer) to start my search. The power supply is 208V 35A 3-Phase with hose connections for water cooling. There is also an external laser controller that connects to the power supply (I am also missing). If anyone could point me in the right direction on where to find this power supply, I would be really appreciative. I know when Universities buy new lasers they get rid of the old ones or store them away somewhere. I've already searched my entire University, but have come up empty handed.

Would be nice to see this thing fired back up again.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

Head over to Photonlexicon.com and send a PM to user "mixedgas", or post a thread, he'll likely respond to that too.

He's on here if you want to try here, username LSRFAQ, but is less active here than he is on PL.

You do NOT want an Excel series PSU. They were a limited run, with the design produced by an outside contractor for Lexel. There is a un-needed, incredibly complex logic board in the Excel psu that is probably the reason it was discarded. Excel PSUs thus have severe issues for repair, due to a four layer logic board with perhaps 35 pieces of TTL on it. A classic Lexel psu uses simple relay logic and three op-amps for control.

You can run that head off a Lexel 95 Argon PSU by changing the umbilical connectors and a few internal modifications. I did the mod for my lab many years ago.. Its NOT easy. I had the partial schematics for the Excel, and I assure you, repairing those boards is nearly impossible without the contractor's test jigs. The current owner of Lexel is unlikely to have any working control boards, if you did find an Excel psu. Yet a 95 PSU control is infinitely repairable, provided you have a supply of metal can op-amps, and a decent supply of 250 watt, TO3 transistors of the right kind.

Not an easy project.. I visit here very rarely, start a thread on PL and I'll try to help. Please realize that even if you do all this electrical engineering work, you may have a perfectly dead laser head...

Steve