BBQ Piezo Argon Laser Tube Testing?

Hey guys - I'll be coming into possession of an Omnichrome 543 Argon in a few weeks and read you can use a bbq piezo to check the tube is gas intact. How exactly is this done. I've picked up a grill lighter, and will somehow remove the gas container to eliminate the flame, so we just have a spark. hehe the guy at the shop looked at me sideways when I explained what kind I want, and what it was for and he apologised that he only had the flame type but this one has piezo ignition and you should be able to remove the gas if your careful!

To get the container out without blowing myself up, I can throw on my face shield and protective gloves, and remove it - the unit has screws, so looks like it should be a simple modification, but will do it outside just in case it vents. Then I can put it back together to just have a spark (it will be handy for doing any future gas lasers I come into posession of, the only other gasser I have is my ILT which I picked up after sighting it in operation).

The other option is I could use my miniature tesla coil - its basically a slayer exciter - would that work?

The question I have, is where do I apply the spark to the laser without causing any damage - do I simply disconnect the anode wire and spark at the anode heatsink with the ground side of the zapper clipped to the cathode? or do I clip the ground to the frame. The latter doesn't seem to make sense, and could zap the poor light feedback op-amp.

The reason I'm going the bbq lighter route is I don't want to spend any money on a power supply for it only to find the tube is up to air. The bbq lighter is a cheap enough item to test with. Of course I already own the tesla coil so thats a free option.

Of course if anyone in Sydney (Australia) has a BD10 Oudin equivalent (all the ones I have seen on the 'bay are 110v), I'd be most appreciative if they were to loan theirs to me (or better yet their expertise in using it to check the tube) I'd be happy to paypal the cost of the oudin and beer money for the kind person to loan me one, and they refund the cost of the machine on its return. If they're dropping by to test the tube, I'll happily shout them a few rounds

If this tube arrives gas intact, I've got a good one - as unless its wound around to 0 again (highly unlikely as the counter goes to 99999 hours), its got what appears to be 339 or 39(!) hours on the tube, so practically brand new. (yes I took a gamble on ebay, put in a lowball offer and the guy said yes! I've explained that what he has contains a very fragile plasma tube and he said he'll pack it well for me to survive its international journey).

Next question. The sticker on this unit says "<400mW". I know the sticker is NEVER the output power - it is usually quite a bit less (my ILT says 1 Watt LOL!) So what can be realisticly expected from one of these when run at a SANE power level, and also at show off power (i.e. full). I've only run my ILT at full power just to see what it could do, it does over 350mW, but I usually run it at about half that. 300+ mw of argon is way too bright for where its presently installed. My ILT presently lives at my friends property up north and we fire it up when we want a change from the horrid beams that his cheapie diodes lasers put out.

I got sick of carting my ILT 100 K's up north to do laser parties at my friends property where there's actually enough room to run it safely (i.e. beams well above peoples heads - we all know what a beam from an argon would do to someones eyesight!). I want my ILT back and said to him "if you sit down and FOLLOW my laser saftey directions and are happy to pay for the equipment, I'll get your own, and show you how to run it for maximum effect, and longest life (i.e. dont run it at full blast). I've already pulled apart a laser printer for the polygon scanner (he likes the liquid sky effect), so thats why I've bought another argon, instead of an argon/krypton to compliment my ILT. (ar/kr is next on the list LOL. Then I might grab a he-ne for when I need to do mirror realigns).

I know I'm taking a gamble on the laser ebay lottery, but I won the money playing a slot machine, it was only $100ish dollars, so I won't be TOO miffed if its non functional (sure I'll be annoyed, but thats the ebay laser lottery. If it works I'll be very happy).

a piezo igniter may work but will probably be very dim and very short so you'll need to do this in the dark but yes, connect one end of the igniter to the anode and the other to the cathode and click away.

personally, i think i'd use the tesla coil or a flyback out of a plasma globe. much easier to see the discharge glow if it's constant.

GL with your new tube!

Great - I'll try the bbq thingie first then I'll go for the tesla coil. At 13 watts it shouldn't cause any problem but to be safe I'll still disconnect the starter/light feedback board and move them well away. I'll wait till I get the tube - I read these have a glass end bell, so it should be safe to apply the baby tesla to the bell and see if it glows.

edit: well the deal is now sealed and the laser is paid for. Crossing my fingers

Heres the tesla coil I was speaking of - finally found it in the sea of junk on my workbench. I placed it somewhere else, where I'd easily be able to find it



In fact I have never tested this circuit - I got finished building it, and was looking for a power supply when a 3 letter word from a friend appeared on my phone. "Pub?" to which I replied yes, and headed off out the door for a bevvie. When I got back (slightly intoxicated) I figured best not to play HV while boozy, and forgot about it LOL

I'll test it during the week to make sure it works, then I'll alligator clip its output to a chicken stick to try the tube.

Woops - cropped it a bit - there was a bit of embarassing "Arrears Advice" in the pic. Fixed (and yes the bill had been paid LOL!)