good buy?

[ferd19]

Hey all, found this on ebay and was wondering if this looks like a good buy? USED Spectra Physics HeNe 155 Laser | eBay Would i be able to open up the casing and view the tube itself? That's what i'm trying to find, one where you can see the light being emitted. Would make a very nice light for a room!

-Fernando

 

[daguin]

This is what you will find inside

If it works, it will have plasma from the center of the side tube (where the red wire is connected) to the end where the laser beam is emitted.

It is worth whatever you are willing to pay for it

Peace,
dave

 

[ferd19]

thanks for the info! I have been looking for an HeNe for quiet some time where i can see plasma being emitted! I may jump on this then!

 

[james1095]

The tubes in these are soft seal, very old, and usually dead. You might get lucky, but don't count on it, especially since it's sold as-is and you can bet they plugged it in and if it worked they would say so. It's a cool case you can install a modern tube in though, and the power supply ought to run a typical 1-3mW tube.

 

[ferd19]

Interesting, thanks for the info! Though in item specifics, it's stated as fully operational, just a bit used. Does it sound like a good deal to you guys?

-Fernando

 

[james1095]

Where does it say that? I see where it says that it has not been tested by them and is sold as-is, which when it comes to laser equipment more often than not means tested dead. It's a decent deal as a collector's item if it works.

 

[ferd19]

Where does it say that? I see where it says that it has not been tested by them and is sold as-is, which when it comes to laser equipment more often than not means tested dead. It's a decent deal as a collector's item if it works.

it says in the description tag right next to the shipping and handling tag right above where all the info on it is. I'm assuming if it weren't working, than that tag wouldn't be saying it is fully functioning. it's right under the main pic on the page.

 

[james1095]

Oh I see now. You might want to double check with them before bidding, because it also says this, and they can't both be true:

This item has not been tested by us. The manual can easily be found online. Check photos to the right for physical conditon.

Condition:


This item is USED and is being sold AS IS. No returns will be accepted on this item.

 

[ferd19]

ya, i sent them a message asking about it. though i would assume that it would be a false sale if the description stated that it's fully operational. That wouldn't seem right on their terms, but w/ other sales, i have seen sellers state that the lasers are parts only due to them not working. Hopefully i'll get a response back, if the price doesn't go up much, then it's a tempting buy!

 

[ferd19]

Oh I see now. You might want to double check with them before bidding, because it also says this, and they can't both be true:

This item has not been tested by us. The manual can easily be found online. Check photos to the right for physical conditon.

Condition:


This item is USED and is being sold AS IS. No returns will be accepted on this item.

You may be right! got an email back by the seller
"We have not tested it and are unable to due to a lack of knowledge and equipment to do so. The statement about it being fully operational does not apply. It is a blanket statement added by eBay to any item with the condition "used". OUR description and statement about this item are the ones on the gray background below that."

- electro-mavin
If the tube does not work, is it a simple job to remove and replace the tube w/ a newer one?

-Fernando

 

[james1095]

Depends how handy you are with silicone caulk, zip ties, etc, but generally speaking yes it's pretty simple.

Don't be too quick to condemn the tube though. Some HeNes are hard to start but work fine once they do get going. Also the occasional soft seal tube will clean up and recover to some extent if you let it run for a few days. If the problem is helium depletion, you can sometimes soak the tube in a bag of pure helium gas and the tiny molecules will diffuse back in due to the much lower pressure inside the tube. It may be fixable, just saying that most soft seal tubes that old are shot by now so don't count on it.

 

[ferd19]

Thank you so much for your time in helping me! I really appreciate it alot ! i may get it and see if the tube can be replaced, but while looking ebay, i also found this which caught my eye. GreNe (tm) GREEN LASER-MELLES GRIOT! | eBay seems to good to be true IMHO. May bid on this if it is really is true and the price stays down!
-Fernando

 

[james1095]

If you want the price to stay down, you shouldn't post a link to it in a public forum full of others who might want it

I'm not bidding on it, I already have a green HeNe, but 3 days left with two people bidding on it already, I'm gonna predict it sells for ~$150.

 

[ferd19]

true, but i already have the feeling that the price is gonna shoot up before it ends, even if it wasn't posted on the forum. If i can't afford it, then somebody else will get it, but other deals will post up in the future. No rush right now!
-Fernando

 

[Bluefan]

About changing the tube of a SP-155: finding a replacement tube may be an even bigger challenge. Testing this laser is pretty easy, plug it in and flip the switch. Anyone not testing that probably already knows it's dead.
The green HeNe is nice, but it's probably already spotted by enough people to end up expensive. Note that the seller claims a 5mW rating, but that's the CHDR rating. It will put out 2mW at best. I'm not that aware of green HeNe prices, but they are usually more than I want to spend on them. Besides, I already got 2. I have a 2mW REO head with power supply, costed me 60 euro, but that was probably cheap.

 

[james1095]

Finding an exact replacement tube would definitely be a challenge, but a modern hard sealed HeNe tube could be transplanted into the case without too much difficulty.

It is also possible for the thing to be dead but still have a good tube. Usually these old soft seal tubes will be dead, but the power supplies can develop faults too, or tubes may be hard starting but savable.

60 Euro for a green HeNe is a steal, especially one made by REO. They are top of the line, the cream of the HeNe crop. New they cost thousands.