Aussie pulse laser enthusiasts: ebay: Big Sky Er:YAG pulse laser head + 2200 w PSU ..

[Eye]

Please note: Australian buyers only, sorry no international shipping.

Big Sky Er:YAG pulse laser head + 2200 w PSU + Aerovox HV capacitor PARTS ONLY | eBay

So I bit off more than I could chew starting a Er:YAG pulse laser project, both in terms of my lacking technical skills and cost involved. This project will cost you a bit to finish, as I have described in my ebay listing there are quite a few other circuits and parts needed to make this a working system. It is best suited for someone who has a practical final application for this hardware, it seems a bit too expensive and arguably dangerous for just showing off to friends or adding to your laser collection.

Includes:

Er:YAG Big Sky laser head
PSU that is designed for pulse lasers
Aerovox 1.7 kV pulse cap, apparently 80 uF

All parts are untested and as I received them. This project should only be undertaken by someone who understands the risks posed by: Class 4 pulse lasers, High voltage and high amperage powersupplies, and High voltage pulse capacitors.

 

[Lase]

Hi Eye and welcome.

You live just down the road (read: couple of suburbs away) from me!

How though, do you buy all this on a whim without the knowledge to do anything with them?

-Er:YAG Big Sky laser head (approx 2940 nm output) (untested but appears in good condition)
-Kaiser Systems 2200w high voltage power supply (untested, comes in original box with original OEM manual and some plugs and pins) 1.5 kV @ 1.7 amp, 24 V @ 8A
-Aerovox High voltage pulse capacitor 1700 v, untested by me, supposedly 80 uF and 'new'

Lase

EDIT: What would be the weight of the unit? If there is interest expressed I would be happy to pick-up this and ship it internationally.

 

[Eye]

I started ordering parts thinking that I would have no trouble setting it up, and perhaps I would not have, but I later realised that a decent pair of safety glasses would set me back perhaps $300, doubling the total project cost at that point. I then realised I'd already spent a few hundred on just those 3 parts, not including the further expense of the watercooling (rervoir+pump+radiator), the firing circuit too.

When I purchased the PSU, I had no idea what to expect, the guys selling it were from a surplus company and had never seen anything like it. It's clear that either they or a client of theirs had scavenged the parts from some medical equipment but not provided the surplus company with any info. I did not realise that the PSU was digitally controlled, and required a interface to control and monitor it, yet another expense. Obviously, I should have just sat down and made a worse-case budget for the projects total expenditure before I started buying parts.

When I say I lack technical knowledge, it is mostly in regards to Er:YAG heads specifically. If there is something wrong with the bulb or alignment, I almost certainly will be pulling my hair out trying to fix it. Also, while I have dabbled with high voltage before, and for about 5 years posted daily on a high voltage enthusiast forum, I do not feel confident playing with 1.5 kV at several amps with a digitally controlled PSU, to make matters worse, the head is watercooled, and I don't like that combination. At those kinds of currents, you literally have no warning or second chance; you touch the wrong lead or component at the wrong time and you die.

Also, the triggering/firing circuit is not a well understood thing, as best as I can determine. The guys at PL seem to think that it should simmered, but others say it shouldn't, and its unclear how that will effect the total longevity of the bulb. The original manufacturer of the head has merged into another company, and there is essentially no 'official' information about the bulb head such as maximum performance characteristics to help judge just how far you can push it without causing permanent damage to the flash bulb or rod.

 

[Lase]

Yeah if I'd had the money when I started, I'd have jumped straight into something like this too without much forethought. I'd definitly pick it up for myself if I knew what to do with it.

There's quite a few people on here that might be willing to take on this project though, depending on their current time restraints.

Good luck with your sale :beer:

Lase