Another broken laser - HeNe 612nm. Tube lights fine.. but

[aryntha]

So are you saying I should twist that screw on the bottom side harder than I was? A bit nervous about that.

 

[aryntha]

Well, I want to thank everyone for all the help here - and it was a useful thread - but I've got to declare it game over.

Taking the tube out of the housing/mounting, I found that there is a hairline crack near the mirror mounts going into the tube, where the powersupply was "banging" into the HR neck during shipping.

So now it's just hoping the paypal dispute goes through.

Really want to thank everyone for helping me out here. It's a hell of a bummer, since this is such a rare laser. (If anyone has a working 612nm they'd be willing to sell (YEAH, RIGHT) - i'd pay a rather decent price for it.)

In any case, thank you...

 

[daguin]

:yabbem::cryyy:

Peace,
dave

 

[Experimentonomen]

Poor old laser :cryyy: Another one killed by the UPS, FedEx, USPS.

 

[photonaholic]

My condolences......Sorry to read this sad news.

I hope you can get your money back.

 

[lasersbee]

First, the locking ring is also how the optics are adjusted, the allen set screw go into a groove that, when the screw is turned in, will cause the optics to tilt slightly.

Second, you will need some kind of filter, as you need to look down the bore while the laser is lit. We used small 1" square green filters mounted in a plastic end cap when I worked at melles griot. You will also need an insulated allen wrench of the appropriate size( my tubes use 3/32", though they may have gone metric in 20 yrs)

Now you will need to use the filter to look down the bore of the powered laser, Ideally you should look through the output end first. You should see something like my first drawing(if so, the HR mirror is nearly perfectly aligned)
If you see something like the second drawing, you will need to loosen the 3 set screws and rotate the collar until 1 screw is on the same side and in line with the spot. Slowly tighten the set screw until you see the spot start to move. Ideally you want the spot back int the center, but depending upon what happened to cause the misalignment, that may not be possible, But the tube will still lase with a slightly misaligned spot just at a reduced power.

repeat for the OC mirror. Then snug up the other setscrews without moving the spot and put some loctite on the screws to keep them from loosening.

Once both spots are mostly centered you should have a beam. If you have an LPM, you can fine tune from there.

Nicely explained... even for a layman...:gj:

Jerry

 

[Solonar]

Thnx.

sry I can't do more. I can teach u to align optics, can't fix a cracked tube though.

 

[KiLLrB]

Wow man i really feel for you. nothing like haveing an expensive piece of equipment completely screwed because some jackass thinks its ok to toss ppl packages around they should be beaten

 

[aryntha]

A little bit upset at the seller as he told me he would double box --

-- he didn't; the laser arrived in the original Melles Griot box from 1995, tattered and torn, with one (1) strip of bubble wrap in it.

I might have had a working 612nm by now.

 

[DJZ]

aryntha, does the tube turn on anymore? I see where you found a crack in the tube. If it turns on, it may still have a chance to lase.

 

[iskor12]

Wow man i really feel for you. nothing like haveing an expensive piece of equipment completely screwed because some jackass thinks its ok to toss ppl packages around they should be beaten

True, however, if the seller packaged it properly...this never would have been an issue.

Always package your items as if it is going to be dropped out of a plane.

Sorry to hear about your loss. I hope you will be able to get your money back.

 

[lasersbee]

Was it shipped Insured...:thinking:
If it was a Claim could be made...

Jerry

 

[aryntha]

It was shipped insured, yes; the shipper/seller has to make the claim, and so far he hasn't responded to the dispute.

I haven't tried turning it on since I found the crack. And I know glass sealant (windshield type) does exist. I just figured 'well, see a crack, this must be why it's not lasing."

Are you saying that may not be the case?

 

[lasersbee]

It was shipped insured, yes; the shipper/seller has to make the claim, and so far he hasn't responded to the dispute.

I haven't tried turning it on since I found the crack. And I know glass sealant (windshield type) does exist. I just figured 'well, see a crack, this must be why it's not lasing."

Are you saying that may not be the case?

I made no reference to the crack you found...:thinking::thinking:

What I'm saying is that if it was insured... the seller loses nothing
by responding to you and making a claim against the courier...
That is what insurance is for...

By the seller loosing a PayPal dispute the Seller gets his damaged item
back and you get a full refund. To make an Insurance claim afterwards
will be difficult fpr the seller because he will need your help and he will
have the laser in his possession..

Jerry

 

[DJZ]

I haven't tried turning it on since I found the crack. And I know glass sealant (windshield type) does exist. I just figured 'well, see a crack, this must be why it's not lasing."

Are you saying that may not be the case?

Absolutely. Can you get a pic of the crack? If it still turns on, then perhaps this crack is superficial. If the tube lights up, and the color looks good, then the only thing keeping it from lasing is the alignment of the mirrors. I hate to see this thing end up in the hands of the courier, only to be scrapped, when it may still work.

 

[Cyparagon]

The only reason a crack in the tube would prevent lasing is if you've lost gas through the crack, but it doesn't sound like you have. If I were you, I would patch up the crack as best I could and give it another go.