SSY 1's Recently?

Once this is all sorted out I'll kindly plead for some pics and maybe a schematic or two, I'm starting to get the hang of this electronics stuff

Do you have any idea if this YAG will ionize the air? Thanks

Glad to hear you got it working

Hemlock_Mike said:

UPDATE :::: I just triggered it using a
.02 mFd Mylar cap. Might be good for extending the life of
the coil if it's reliable. the .1 seemed to hit awful hard.

Click to expand...

That isn't surprising. The original SSY-1 trigger coil was much larger than that one.

hwang21 said:

Once this is all sorted out I'll kindly plead for some pics and maybe a schematic or two

Click to expand...

Here is the schematic for the original SSY-1 again, this time at full resolution.

A photo flash unit (old with no power control) will provide the voltage.
You will likely need to replace the flash capacitor with a pair of new ones
to handle ~ 550 VDC. The trigger circuit is as I stated a capacitor and
two 1 MegOhm resistors (RatShack $1.49) The capacitor will be harvested
from the camera flash since you won't use that trigger.
Please be sure that you understand HV, big capacitors and have goggles.

As I stated in another post, I'm waiting for lenses and I will have to build
mounts for them. You will need optics to really burn since the output
is about the diameter of the rod - 4 mm.

If you plan to get one, they only had 9 left and they are now $95 plus $10
shipping.

HMike

LS -- That schematic was part of my design info -- Thanks again.
By the way --- I'm not using the pulse forming coil now since long
coiled up clip leads should add sufficient LR components to the circuit.

I have confirmed output from both lasers. They are of different versions
but basically the same. They seem to have the same output (unfocused).
I am running them at ~16 J and they will likely take a bit more. Remember that
the original capacitor is a type of Mylar with very low ESR. My caps are
electrolytic Photo flash caps and I'm currently connected with 18" clip
leads for preliminary testing.

What is the total acceptable range of input voltage and joules to the flashlamp?

I didn't realize it only took a 10kV pulse to ignite... there's numerous ways to get this easily, from a oneshot + a NST to a barbeque lighter igniter, etc. I've got a cap charger circuit I designed a year or so ago that works great, it is based on a simple DC-DC boost converter topology. I only tested it up to 400V because I was cheap on the caps and MOSFET. But I've got some 1200V IGBTs which could easily be used and allow for fast reliable charging up to 1.2kV, and the circuit is rugged enough to allow charging even a few Farads every 10sec or so.... if ur dc source can handle that kind of power.

If I somehow manage to have $100 fall into my lap I'd love one of these units.

Sigurthr said:

barbeque lighter igniter

Click to expand...

I used to use one of those all the time to trigger xenon flash lamps. It works very well since
the voltage is on the order of tens of kivololts. :beer:

HMike, what is the difference between the two lasers you ordered?

Also, isn't the schematic from MI lasers? They have the trigger circuit and PFN for sale on their website, so then all I would need is to build a charging circuit to charge the caps in both circuits... I just don't understand what all of the pins on the schematic link to. What does N/C mean? P3-A and P3-B don't seem to connect to anything... do they? Where would I connect the leads from my charging circuit (probably just a few li-ions in series)? Thanks

Hwang21 --Another post from you with more questions. This looks like
post building here. Please look at my post 103. I ask YOU questions and
YOU have not answered one of them.

More Questions for YOU:
1. Have you ordered one of these NdYag lasers? If not, you're not serious and
just playing games here.
2. Have you gathered a few old photo flash units, taken them apart and harvested the parts? You can learn a lot here.
3. Do YOU have experience with HIGH VOLTAGE power supplies having capacitor banks which can cause hurt to you or others.
4. Do YOU have goggles to protect yourself from this amount of energy?
5. What Lasers have YOU actually built?

Stop asking more questions and READ. I don't think you have a clue............ and I have work to do.

HMike

From post #103:
1) No idea
2) Nothing
3) No idea
4) No idea
5) No idea
6) No idea
7) No idea

From post #119:
1) I don't buy anything until I know what works and exactly what I need to do to make them work... I have the funds to do so but not the knowledge
2) No, I don't have old photo flash units...
3) Other than tinkering around on my Omni 155 power supply for my Argon, no
4) LaserGlow AGFA647XX goggles to be purchased along with everything I need to make the YAG laser work

And that's exactly why I'm asking, I have no idea what kind of YAG lasers you own, which circuits go where to power them and how to hook them all together, etc
If you want me to ask you questions via PM just let me know, I don't intend on post building but I did figure that people would want to know how this setup came to work out. It's not a well-documented SSY-1 YAG laser, after all

hwang21 said:

HMike, what is the difference between the two lasers you ordered?

Also, isn't the schematic from MI lasers? They have the trigger circuit and PFN for sale on their website, so then all I would need is to build a charging circuit to charge the caps in both circuits... I just don't understand what all of the pins on the schematic link to. What does N/C mean? P3-A and P3-B don't seem to connect to anything... do they? Where would I connect the leads from my charging circuit (probably just a few li-ions in series)? Thanks

Click to expand...

These are all questions you could have figured out by doing a little searching. That and you
would need a hell of a lot of Li ions to reach 330V, the minimum voltage at which a xenon
tube should be operated.

Couldn't I use a step-up transformer?

A transformer will only work on AC, batteries provide DC. You'd also need an inverter, but it can be done.

@hwang21
I seriously think you need to stop and study the basics of electronics at this point. Capacitor chargers are no joke. You've demonstrated a clear lack of knowledge needed for safe building and operation of such a dangerous device (the charger, not even the laser!).

Charged capacitors can MAIM OR KILL.

Hence why I haven't bought anything yet, nor do I intend to until I feel reasonably comfortable handling this stuff. I am reading, just slowly so everything sinks in before I make a mistake

Everybody makes mistakes. It is the biggest driving force behind why we recommend everybody have laser goggles. None of us intend on shining lasers at our faces, but accidents happen.

If you want to start doing research, and want to share your findings in your own thread, I'm sure it would be much welcomed, and it would be the perfect place to ask for help filling in any parts you don't quite understand yet.

I, for one, am excited to hear of these "knock-off" units, and I bet a lot of our non-American members are too. I don't understand terms like acceptable LR, wire should be fine for replacing pulse forming network, trigger coil, and the like, but if I were seriously considering buying one of these units to tinker with, I'd learn what those meant, and record it somewhere for me to go back and look at when I need to recollect that information..

Sorry, Hemlock_Mike, for the off-topic post. I really am thankful for your sharing with us, not just saying that. Next step: grow your own KTP and see if you can double your output frequency :evil:

There are some more detailed explanations of how xenon strobe tubes work on my site for the newbs out
there who are looking into this.

Anything new, Mike? Air breakdown? :drool: