LARGE HeNe/gas collection and reference thread.

[Sigurthr]

I'd seen a DIY one about a year ago where the guy used hair dryer elements to heat the chamber. I'm not sure what the inner chamber was made of or how he constructed it, nor what the seals were made of, but it was a sight to behold. IIRC he spent less than a grand on it.

 

[bloompyle]

Updated OP with excellent video, done by MIT, on HeNe lasers.

 

[aryntha]

Still at nothing multiline yet (well unless you count my tunable...); but I absolutely commend this thread on HeNe - tends to be forgotten these days!

HeSe??? Damn, and I've just been hoping to get my hands on a HeCd.

 

[bloompyle]

Thanks Aryntha! Glad to see you stopped by. Sadly, that tends to be the case. Not sure how you could ignore a stream of super-heated plasma producing a stream of photons, but hey I'm biased

Have you tested them all? Make sure they have the exact PSU for it. Might seem small, but it makes a big difference. Also, warmup make a difference as well. My 604 line on the REO will sometimes shift in and out after it's been on for a while, or not come on until it HAS. They can be finicky.

I am always on the lookout for a HeCd, looking for the 325nm line more than anything, but I'd grab either (325 or 447) if the price was right.

Hope to start the 2 tunables by the end of July, August at the latest. This month is sapped of play money for the most part.

 

[IsaacT]

How much are HeCd's?

 

[bloompyle]

New or used

Brand spankin new, $14,000+. Used, sometimes on fleebay for <$1000. Usually they're the 447nm. They are a dime a dozen. That's if they even work A lot of times they don't. Whether cracked, full of air, electrical, something is off. On top of that, they have their own PSUs like HeNes that are another arm/leg to get ahold of.

In a nutshell you're looking for a guy on fleebay that rips apart old stuff and sells it for scrap not knowing what it is. That's how I got my Raman.

 

[pschlosser]

How much are HeCd's?

I have yet to find a multiline HeCd for sale (that works) below $300. I've seen a few come and go that are single line in the $300 to $500 range. But a known working multiline can sell in the $500 to $1200 range.

HeCds are vulnerable to wasting away if not operated on a routine basis. HeCds are similar to Argon Ion lasers in many respects. They wither away if not operated from time to time. And they are capable of lasing at several wavelengths, but it's the optics that ultimately decide the output.

 

[Sigurthr]

I've been looking for a working 325nm HeCd w/ psu for nearly five years now. The only one I saw was only doing 3mW and the guy wanted $2400 for it.

Lots of unknown condition heads sell for <$300 but it is just a doorstop without a working psu.

 

[bloompyle]

I've been looking for a working 325nm HeCd w/ psu for nearly five years now. The only one I saw was only doing 3mW and the guy wanted $2400 for it.

Lots of unknown condition heads sell for <$300 but it is just a doorstop without a working psu.

5 years...wow. If I see one, I'll tell you first. Then if you decide against it, I'll pull the trigger.

Search "cadmium laser" on fleebay right now, tell me if anything catches your eye

 

[Sigurthr]

I see a semi-working set of a 442nm HeCd head + Psu for <$400, which is a steal, if that is what you are talking about. I'm only interested in 325nm models though, so it is all yours. That cycling is not normal btw, unless they don't have the unit cooled properly.

Everything else that came up was untested heads or untested psu's that don't fit together. There was one 325nm head that they said they tested but couldn't tell if it was lasing or not and chalked it up to an "invisible beam". It could be working but you can easily check for UV with a piece of paper. Not going to take a gamble since I don't have the PSU for it.

 

[bloompyle]

Was referring to the 442 and the 2 with the "invisible beam".

Seems like a gamble, but I hate to think "well what if". though I don't feel like risking the gamble. Could message them to put a sheet of white paper in the beam and see if they see anything.

Will update with their reply.

 

[IsaacT]

They might pull the auction and relist higher :/

Why do yall want a laser that far into UV? I guess the same reason everybody collected all the ugly fuckin squigley pokemon from we-need-more-content-island! Just gotta catch 'em all?

 

[bloompyle]

Uh....sure I think it's fair to say that I collect wavelengths

 

[IsaacT]

The only reason I asked is because I am assuming it is too far UV to see.

 

[bloompyle]

Well why buy an IR HeNe then?

 

[Sigurthr]

They might pull the auction and relist higher :/

Why do yall want a laser that far into UV? I guess the same reason everybody collected all the ugly fuckin squigley pokemon from we-need-more-content-island! Just gotta catch 'em all?

There's more to lasers than beamshots and burning. Tons of interesting things you can do with UV!. Oh and I wouldn't count anything >300nm as truly invisible.