Help w/ JDSU 1508 'wall wart' (pics) HeNe (Now Working!!!)

[kingdave2357]

Okay I bought a JDSU 1508 novette HeNe from ebay, edmund optics quoted me $750.00 for it, I paid around $100 from ebay. Well it came in today without the 12v wall wart! The seller said he didnt have it, but it was supposed to be included. He offered a full or partial refund. I would rather keep the laser.
Here are the specs:http://www.jdsu.com/product-literature/schnl1500_ds_cl_ae_020906.pdf
Standard JDS Uniphase Helium-Neon Lasers - Edmund Optics
I attached some pics below.

The power supply is enclosed in the laser housing and just needs the wall wart plug to run, It says it has an input of 12v at .7A and while I was deciding if I should return it, I bravely tried it with my laptop adapter at 19v 3.95A! It came on and ran! But I quickly turned it back off afraid of damage. So I know it works, and have been looking at wallwarts on ebay and found an exact match except for the connector, and I emailed JDSU with the part # hoping they will help me out. But I only have 7days to return it or get partial refund, so can I run it with a different adapter and how close to the lasers rating should it be? I suppose the my laptop adapter is a bad idea? Thanks for any help :beer:

 

[kingdave2357]

Re: Help w/ JDSU 1508 'wall wart' (pics) HeNe

Alright, I have been looking around the house and found some adapters close to 12v 700mA but they dont fit the laser, then I found one that did fit but says its 12v output is AC not DC, not sure if it is accurate, but again, im afraid to damage the laser. Now Im wondering if the laser's internal power supply needs the specific 12v @ .7A(700mA) to run correctly, or if I use one with a higher output(like 19v @ 3.95A) from my laptop adapter, would this damage the power supply? I am hoping JDSU will sell me the part, but after calling them earlier today (with a different question) I am doubtfull. I do not want to have to send this laser back, especially since I got it at a nice price.

 

[Tech_Junkie]

Re: Help w/ JDSU 1508 'wall wart' (pics) HeNe

You can use a PC power supply if you have an extra laying around. Id go for the partial refund. You know it works (although you never want to do that again) so take whatever refund he will give you for the missing wallwart.

 

[kingdave2357]

Re: Help w/ JDSU 1508 'wall wart' (pics) HeNe

You can use a PC power supply if you have an extra laying around. Id go for the partial refund. You know it works (although you never want to do that again) so take whatever refund he will give you for the missing wallwart.

Thanks TJ! Your reply reminded me about two wallwarts from my modem and wifi router that I had not yet checked, and as luck would have it, the one from my DSL modem was a perfect match, fits nice and tight, and has a 12vdc @ 1.0A output rating! I now have the laser working perfectly

I will call the seller back later today and see how much I can get back, but I am definitely keeping this baby, I will go to radioshack and see if I can get an adapter to either replace the modem one or fit the laser.

Here is a mini review and some pics of the laser working, perfectly round TEM00 dot, very tiny close to the aperture but divergence isnt that great, nice steady output around .7mW! Minimum rated output is .5mW after 10min warm up. Beutifull bright orange color(632.8nm) is brighter than my 635nm at 2mW!!!

 

[kingdave2357]

I went to radioshack and got a perfect matching plug for it so my modem can continue to function at the same time as my laser

Took some great pics of my uranium marble with the 632.8nm beam, looks like the sun!

The color is alot brighter than you would think, much more so than 2mW 635nm and twice as bright as a 650nm at 3-4mW

 

[aryntha]

Kingdave,

Can you tell me the polarity (center pin +, or center pin -) of the Novette 1508 adapter?

Reason I ask is -- back in 1991 (yeah really) I bought one of these *retail, new, full price* from Edmund Optics. It still works, but the wall-wart is completely hit or miss, (I think the area where the cable joins up to the wall wart got fatigued.)

Doesn't look like they've changed much! If mine is any predictor, yours should work well into 2020.

 

[kingdave2357]

Kingdave,

Can you tell me the polarity (center pin +, or center pin -) of the Novette 1508 adapter?

Reason I ask is -- back in 1991 (yeah really) I bought one of these *retail, new, full price* from Edmund Optics. It still works, but the wall-wart is completely hit or miss, (I think the area where the cable joins up to the wall wart got fatigued.)

Doesn't look like they've changed much! If mine is any predictor, yours should work well into 2020.

Wow, 20 years and still going! Good to hear, hope mine lasts that long. Its really a neat little laser, and when I saw how much it was worth, I had to get it.

Im not 100% positive about the polarity, the adapter I got from radioshack is interchangeable, but I have it on positve because my modem plug was + and it worked well with the laser. Would the laser run with the incorrect polarity or not? I hope I have it right. I do notice some warmth coming from the body of the laser after about a 15min run time, I havet kept it on longer then that yet.

JDSU told me to contact Edmund with the part#, I may just buy one from them if it isnt too much money, but on a $750 laser it probably is.

Here is a pic of the wallwart from RS:

 

[Tech_Junkie]

I've heard bad things about variable voltage wallwarts. Still think you should use a PC power supply. Just look for an old tower laying around. You can find old AT powers supplies for around $5 in most places.

 

[kingdave2357]

Thanks TJ, I will look into it. I didnt really want a variable volt one but its the only one they had that matched correctly, although I'd feel much better just using one from JDSU that is meant for it.
:beer: