ROUND II: Daguin inventory reduction sale!

Sigurthr said:

Standard HeNes need pretty much no maintenance. As they age they may get hard to start as the helium pressure changes, but Dave would inform you of such in the listing. For hobbyist purposes if it lights and lases first try, it will probably outlast you. (Keep in mind they used these in price scanners that were on 24/7 for decades).

I use one as a night light, it has been running indefinitely for years.

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Speedy78 said:

Id like to see pictures of this night light.

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Sigurthr said:

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Sigurthr said:

Absolutely awesome Dave! I eagerly await receiving this beauty.

Since you've got it up and running full blast, do you know if the linked remote scheme (with 1k limiting resistor in series with 1.5k pot) limits the tube current to the safe/healthy maximum tube current, or are you using a remote with a different current limitation. I just don't want to risk damaging such an awesome laser.

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Gun said:

You still selling that 1-3mW HeNe? $40-$50 seems pretty cheap, will I have to buy other stuff to run it? Are HeNe's hard to mantain? What wavelenth?

Thanks,
Gun

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daguin said:

The remote built from that schematic will allow up to 12A.
The PSU will only produce about 10.5A
"Standard" current for 24/7 running is about 7A
I endeavor to run mine about 1A below the maximum
When I do "maintenance burns", I run them at 7A

Running the head at 10.5A for long periods will reduce the life of the tube
At the max current, there is the possibility of the filament to be ablated to failure
We report the output, at maximum current, to show the relative health of the tube




I have that one available
It is pretty inexpensive for a tube with a lab-style PSU
It is 632nm (red)
This unit is Plug-n-Play
Unfortunately, this one only runs on 110V mains
Also, it is contained in a housing so you cannot see the plasma
Based on your inquiries herein, it would appear that you are more interested in a bare tube HeNe

The bare tube green HeNe that I have available will run on 110V or 230V mains
It has a brick-style PSU
Shipping on it would also be lower because it is smaller and lighter than one with a Lab-style PSU and in a housing
This one would require you to attach a cord to the input wires so you could plug it in
You would also have to build some sort of display mount if you wanted to use it like a night light
I have a Green HeNe, with the housing cut away, on my desk, that I use as an accent lamp

Also, bear in mind that a bare tube is a bit more "dangerous" than one in a housing
The tube acts as a capacitor
It WILL bite you, if you are careless
It will not injure you, but it will hurt

HeNe's can be run 24/7 for tens of thousands of hours
Also, they make no noise while running (unlike argons )

Peace,
dave

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Gun said:

Thanks Dave, I've replied to your PM

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Sigurthr said:

I found that you can also bake the melles griot cylindrical heads to the point that the silicone softens and then push out the tube safely. I found this to be the best method so far. I did several with piano wire and it was a nightmare. Dremeling the case worked too but way risky; I had a shattered wheel scratch the HR lens exterior once.

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Sigurthr said:

I first used a propane torch waved around for equal heating, I think a painters heat gun would work too. Only one of the heads had some minor smearing in one spot, I think it just got too hot there as it came off easily elsewhere. I scraped off the smear with a knife and then got the bits off using a nonstick safe Brillo pad dunked in 91% isopropyl.

Some heads had only a quarter sized blob injected in per hole, but some were damn near potted with the stuff! I wish they had used a more service friendly method of securing it. Likewise they use soft rubber potting for some ballast resistors, and others used a rock hard plastic.

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