Can I point other lasers at my HeNe?

[drevil]

Could anybody tell me if shining another laser (1.3w 445 and others) through an HeNe tube can damage it? thanks for any feedback.

 

[Bluefan]

HeNe lasers are pretty tough, I think you won't damage it but be carefull with high powers, you might hit something that absorbs it (a mirror mount maybe) and heat it.

 

[Event_Horizon]

Shining laser light through a HeNe tube might cause power instabilities in the HeNe laser itself, but is otherwise harmless. I wouldn't shine your 1.4W 445nm laser though it, though. That seems like you're just asking for trouble. I don't know how the HeNe optics behave at that wavelength but if they absorb it even slightly, they could be destroyed.

 

[drevil]

thanks guys, just to be safe I will not shine any lasers through my tube.

 

[Benm]

I'd be a bit careful with that much power - perhaps it could damage the mirrors. Shining a low power laser into it is no problem though.

 

[qumefox]

Low powers are no problem but i'm not sure what you were wanting to accomplish by doing it. I've used a hene shining down the bore to help align mirrors in an argon before, but i'm not sure what good shining a 445 down a hene bore would do. You'd lose most of the 445 when the edges of the 'line' clipped the bore in the hene.

 

[hakzaw1]

I am guessing you have a bare tube HeNe and are palnning to take some pics etc.

I see no potential harm(to the HeNe) w/ low powers but the advice above on doing that with your 445 should be followed. One risk could be a reflection back at your eyes. One cannot blink/close quickly enough to avoid possible injury.
Also if a laser reflects back into itself that could be a bad thing FYI.


hope this has been helpful............></////*>------------hak

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[james1095]

Mirrors on red HeNe tubes will be virtually transparent to blue light, however I wouldn't recommend shining a high powered laser at anything shiny, it's too easy to get nailed in the eye by stray reflections. You won't damage the laser though.