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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

How not to treat your thermopiles

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Feb 1, 2008
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418731_3708079983404_979110346_n.jpg


So, this one is a 2006 Ophir head paired to an Ophir LPM. 3W max I believe. It got around 4 years of service and hasn't been touched for 2 years or so, and you can see why. The paint has been cleanly ablated off by our YAG, and the sensor portion has many-a craters drilled in.

They tell me it still works, but what do they know, they're nano-engineering students. I'm a laser forum member dammit. I know better...

Anywho, I laughed when I saw this and Trevor told me to post it so here it is.

Its been under the beam of many CO2s (probably way too much power for it > 1kW), Argons, a couple Excimers, a Ti:S, an OPO, and a FHG Nd:YAG, SHG Nd:YAG, and a THG Nd:YAG.

It served well and it served hard. Unfortunately, this little guy is not alone. All over the world, these Israeli-born thermopiles are exposed to hundreds of thousands of CW, nS, pS, and fS beams and pulses from all varieties of cavities and q-switches. Many are damaged and are becoming useless like this one.

Fortunately, there is hope.

STOP focusing your damn lasers on the sensors.

Post your LPM damages. And yes, everyone knows you have these damages already. You too lasersbee. ;)

Lets see 'em.
 
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ARG

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Try uploading that picture to imgur, we can't view email attachments :p
 

sinner

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Man this does looks like a toasted one.. why do they even think its still working ? IS there any way to restore it's coating etc?
 
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Because my co-workers are in it for the PHD.. not the importance of laser lab precision and accuracy. :(
 
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You might as well just see if you can melt the sensor with CO2 at this point. There is no way that thing gives an accurate reading if it works at all.
 

Benm

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Meh, its just a blemish on the paid, sell it at 10% discount on ebay :D

Seriously though, i doubt applying new coating to the sensor surface would do the trick in this case - if they fired CO2's and worse into it, chances are the actual thermopiles have been damaged by the heat. They may still read -something-, but i wouldn't rely on it ;)
 




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