HeNe PS woes..[solved] photo update:JDSU 1135P dissection/decanned

[Down with Umbrella]

So here is where we are:
I didn't necessarily want to start a new thread since most of the conversation about this laser was discussed here. After determining the laser was not working I decided to cut it apart to maybe do this in the future with another laser.

First I popped the end caps but the back was so fried it just fell apart.. I used a tubing cutter and steam via lab glass and hot well to remove the tough silicon and can.


This is the front. When I measured this resistor with my DMM it read 12k ohm. I'm guessing this is a two part ballast resistor to =75k ohm. The other one was in the cap that melted. Toast.


Soften the goo.


All the steel is removed


More goo. The tape was almost impossible to scrape off but after some steam it pulled right off. This took hours


Im not ever sure if this laser will fire or do anything. The bore looks suspiciously dirty? That portion of the mirror cleaned up well.


And done! I feel I could do this on another JDSU again without breaking it.


There was one casualty... I left the thermometer In one of the 500mL flask connections and, well, the tail end of the laser caught the thermometer causing the flask to shift in the well and break at the neck.
Anyways, I want to try to hook this up. Will it damage my PS? Can I check it without the other ballast resistor since my ps is current limiting? I'm pretty sure I remember the polarity of the alden plugs.
Thanks


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Soo I am new to gas laser wiring. I read the PS wiring diagram and cut this extra control circuit out.(I assume it is just a safety and control, my other HeNes have it omited.)

I crossed the yellow wire with the black to (ac main) THEN the red wire to the other AC main. It keeps tripping the GFCI I hope I haven't fried the ps or the tube.

Ehh.

 

[icecruncher]

Re: HeNe power supply wiring connection woes..

Hard to see from pics - can't really tell wbat is what.

"So let me 'splain - no better, let sum up"

It appears you have a 12v hene driver connected to a green pcb which is acting as a 120 to 12v power supply.

If the above is true, you probably have connected something backward either from the wall to the power supply or from the power supply to the 12v hene driver.

If the hene driver is 120v (can't read label from pic) than you have a green board of some kind that isn't needed.

one or the other is likely the problem.

I don't think you can fry the tube if it is incorrectly wired this way, but you can fry the driver.

 

[Down with Umbrella]

Re: HeNe power supply wiring connection woes..

Omg, you're totally right. The HeNe driver is a DC power supply. I didn't read it well enough before hooking an AC current to its. How awful of me.

I could wire it back up the way it was but it didn't work the first way(the way it came before I cut any wires) so it's possible it didn't work anyway. Hmm

 

[Sigurthr]

Re: HeNe power supply wiring connection woes..

I don't think you can fry the tube if it is incorrectly wired this way, but you can fry the driver.

Ditto. Most HeNe tubes will easily survive 40,000V of LOW ENERGY (non-capacitor dump) discharge. Even more if they are in their cylinder as it will short out around ~15kV.

Your driver may be toast, but your tube should be fine (though I have seen popped anode resistors, which can be a pain to replace in the head thanks to the potting).

 

[Down with Umbrella]

Re: HeNe power supply wiring connection woes..

Major lesson learned here. Further reading the sellers description he spelled out he was having trouble with the power supply as well. Usually I am fairly well with reading all the material. Multiple times. but this one escaped me.

Apparently I didn't actually break it, I bought it that way. So now I just need to find a PS. Seems I will Polk around on eBay and see what pops up.


Thanks for the tips fellas

 

[icecruncher]

Re: HeNe power supply wiring connection woes..

Major lesson learned here. Further reading the sellers description he spelled out he was having trouble with the power supply as well. Usually I am fairly well with reading all the material. Multiple times. but this one escaped me.

Apparently I didn't actually break it, I bought it that way. So now I just need to find a PS. Seems I will Polk around on eBay and see what pops up.


Thanks for the tips fellas

No problem.

Hope you get it working. Post pics when you do.

 

[Down with Umbrella]

Re: HeNe power supply wiring connection woes..

I've noticed that these PS can be hard to come by. Last year around this time I almost purchased a 1145P but the power supplies were scarce. 1216 is the magic number I believe.

I'm relatively new to the HeNe world and I don't take apart my jdsu argon head but it's something I should do to clean. Actually someone recommend Everclear and cotton swabs work great. Might get that a try on some basic optics first.

 

[ultimatekaiser]

Re: HeNe power supply wiring connection woes..

Is that the 1135 you were asking about? You'll need a 3kV/6.5mA supply for it. You might ask chad at Meredith instruments what he has. New supplies are expensive, but sometimes he has surprising deals on used stuff.

 

[Sigurthr]

Re: HeNe power supply wiring connection woes..

Likewise, shoot Dr. Sam an email, he usually has a supply available for just about every HeNe ever made. He typically charges only $50 as well.

 

[icecruncher]

Re: HeNe power supply wiring connection woes..

Likewise, shoot Dr. Sam an email, he usually has a supply available for just about every HeNe ever made. He typically charges only $50 as well.

Thats what I was thinking too.

I've gotten several from him for various lasers, but I think the big ones (like for SP-127s, maybe 1145s, etc may be a little more.

 

[Down with Umbrella]

Re: HeNe power supply wiring connection woes..

I'll shoot Sam an email later today. Over the past year I have been on and off about getting an 1145P.
I read in another thread where the user had 2 tubes (1135P & 1145p) and one PS the 1218-1 And he wanted to power both tubes.
The difference was
1135P 3100v@6.5ma
1145P 3700v@6.5ma.
What I would like to to ask Sam if he has the 37kV supply and use it for the 1135P and if I decide to drop the money on an 1145 I'll have the PS.

At the very least I would take the 1216.

Great suggestions, thanks guys

 

[ultimatekaiser]

Re: HeNe power supply wiring connection woes..

yeah I rebuilt a 1218-1 for the 1145P and its spec'd at 3800V@6.5mA though honestly they run better at 7mA like the MG tubes of the same size. a typical 2500-3200V supply is what you'll want to find for the 1135, or if you're going big, there's a brick that does 2500-4100V for the 1145s (as mentioned above) so it'll run both, but it's an AC only supply.

 

[Down with Umbrella]

Re: HeNe power supply wiring connection woes..

I haven't sent Sam a message yet up I did skim his classified board and he has one for my exact laser for $175.
I went over to Meredith instruments and found an adjustable power supply. If you take them apart is there a pot?
This one was for $188. No luck on ebay.
https://www.mi-lasers.com/product/ac-hene-laser-power-supply-for-16-to-20-heads-2/
I was hoping to pick something up for less than that :undecided:
Jez lab style PSs like you have Ultimatekaiser are 400+.

 

[ultimatekaiser]

Re: HeNe power supply wiring connection woes..

Yeah they're not cheap new. But I meant actually call chad at MI sometimes you can get used stuff cheaper. Not everything they have is listed on their site. But I will give props to Voltex. Expensive new, but they have a handy near instant bleed down when turned off.

DC supplies are often cheaper than AC ones, but need a wall wart to go with them. That Voltex is worth it as a lab supply tho. They come with a low ripple, low noise input, and fused controllers along with the brick, so while pricy, they're worth every penny. Best to never run those bricks unfused. you do NOT want to be around one if it fails from a power surge. I've heard of instances with them literally becoming a grenade under certain circumstances.

 

[Down with Umbrella]

Re: HeNe power supply wiring connection woes..

Mi sells a vortex lab supply S-28 for $389 but that would power most HeNes I could readily find. Certainly the 594.1 I have in the GB.
I'll shoot some correspondence to maybe find something used. No I don't want a brick to explode.

 

[ultimatekaiser]

Re: HeNe power supply wiring connection woes..

Yeah I use the S-28 probably the most of all my supplies. The best ones I've found are voltex, Melles Griot/Laser Drive, and Power Technologies. They probably make up the vast majority of the market. The voltex and PT ones generally have a very fast bleed down, The MG ones take a few minutes so I usually have to use a resistor or something if I'm in a hurry. They have a really nice power technologies module over there too for about 100 bucks