Argon Start Pulse

[MarioMaster]

It wants to lase I just know it... I powered it up again to take this picture and it managed to lase for about 2 seconds before the arc went out
Still I wanted to share this image just cause blue is awesome

 

[Greenie]

Well for 2 seconds it was beautiful. Hope you get it up and running soon.

 

[Aseras]

once you get it running KEEP it running. leave it on all night if you have too. Also try setting it in the sun and let it get hot. The hotter it is the easier it will light up if you don't have a tesla coil to fire it.

 

[LaserCo]

you fell asleep in the chatroom buddy

I will repeat here to you :

<+LaserCo> MarioMaster|AFK you there?
<+LaserCo> sombebody somewhere replied to you that you should heat the laser head up, I never resorted to it yet I have a friend that would completely remove the LASER 'head' from the enclosure and throw it in the oven for many many hours

<+LaserCo> Mario with the tube completely removed electrically from the Head you can run HV DC thru it from a neon sign transformer for a few days, you would need a variac to get the voltage to where it is ionizing the laser tube without frying it
<+LaserCo> Mario I said HV DC, meaning you will want to have a DIODE to turn it to DC.. also running it in reverse may help also in your situation
<+LaserCo> REverse HV DC flowing thru it... Hope you read this!
<+LaserCo> better yet and a first step if you have a variac would be to put the variac BEFORE your PSU and attempt to start the tube using higher or lower AC Input voltage to the PSU

 

[Things]

that is a nice colour!! 2 seconds is really good, it deffinatley wants to work!

 

[Tallaxo]

I think I read somewhere that if a tube is not or has not been used for some time it goes "High Pressure" and will not lase properly. The cure above I have heard will work, as Ionising the gas without the laser head attached for a period of time, will reduce the internal gas pressure to normal values and allow proper lasing.

Jase

 

[MarioMaster]

i would like to try it, but i don't have any HV diodes to try the neon sign transformer trick, nor a variac. It seems that just trying to start it on a daily basis is doing something to it, each day i try and fire it it seems to lase for longer periods of time, like 5 minutes ago it lased for about 4-5 seconds so hopefully the trend will continue and i will have a working argon with only 400 hours on it for the $400 i spent

 

[Tallaxo]

Keep doing that MM , I have read a little more, and I am sure that your tube has indeed gone "High Pressure" . Keep doing what you are doing and you will soon get it back to the correct pressure to allow constant lasing.

Best of luck.

Jase