High power Nd:YAg or ruby laser

[Mato92]

Hi all,
I would like some info about these lasers. The power of laser I want should be several kilowatts, and pulse duration more than 1ms. I know about some SSY-1 laser head sold on ebay, but they don't ship it out of USA, and pulse lasts only few nanoseconds (if I read right). Can someone tell me what I need to build a complete laser? And how much does it all cost? I don't want to spend more than $400 on this.

Thank you.

 

[digital_blue]

For starters, you will need a flashlamp, laser rod, precision designed cavity, PFN circuit, HV circuit, HR/OC mirrors, etc... Most of these components are readily available but it's not as simple as slapping parts together; the laser cavity needs to be tuned and designed for the rod and flashlamp you intend to use.

I recommend looking around for a flashlamp pumped YAG head; some of them have blown flashlamps and can be had at a very modest price. You should be able to replace the flashlamp with one of a similar size.

 

[Mato92]

Thanks for a reply. Yes, I also think a laser head would be the best for me. But where can I get one?
This looks good, and the price is also nice:->LINK<-

But these are only available for USA customers, and I am from Europe. The pulses are very short, but it is better than nothing. They also have "Trigger transformer" for sale. I think that is a power source for the flash lamp. Is there any e-shop that ships these (or similar) worldwide? Thanks.

 

[digital_blue]

Thanks for a reply. Yes, I also think a laser head would be the best for me. But where can I get one?
This looks good, and the price is also nice:->LINK<-

But these are only available for USA customers, and I am from Europe. The pulses are very short, but it is better than nothing. They also have "Trigger transformer" for sale. I think that is a power source for the flash lamp. Is there any e-shop that ships these (or similar) worldwide? Thanks.

That is an SSY-1, it is not exportable. You should generally try to stay clear of these rangefinder lasers as they are generally not exportable.

Consider laser heads like this:

Nd:Yag Flash Lamp House & Rod Spectra-Physics Laser - eBay (item 200261194397 end time Apr-30-10 09:04:05 PDT)

 

[Mato92]

So it is illegal to export ragefinder lasers? Well, this is a disappointment. That laser head from your link looks good, but it has no flashlamp, and I have no idea what flashlamp I have to use to make it working. Also, I will need a power supply (PFN and HV circuit, as you wrote). Thanks, I really appreciate your help.

 

[digital_blue]

These pulsed range finder lasers are military surplus, military technology is usually not exportable.

In all honesty, you're going to have a hard time finding a turnkey system for $400. Building one from scratch is probably out of the question so the next best thing is to buy a non-working/broken laser head (Such as the one in my link) and modify it to work.

 

[Mato92]

A non-working laser head is a good option, but I would need to know what exactly I have to buy to make it functional.
Could you please find some flashlamp for ->THAT-> laser head and a power source for that lamp? Thanks.

 

[digital_blue]

A non-working laser head is a good option, but I would need to know what exactly I have to buy to make it functional.
Could you please find some flashlamp for ->THAT-> laser head and a power source for that lamp? Thanks.

Not to sound rude but since this is your project, maybe you should take the time do your homework and to look for parts; I'm merely helping to get the ball rolling. I'm no expert in pulsed laser systems nor do I have the time to hunt down every component required.

There is a flashlamp on ebay that just "might" work. I'll give you one clue, search "xenon flash tube", you should see it.

For a PFN, you will need to design/find one. They aren't too common and are generally pretty specific to the type of flashlamp you're using.

Since you don't appear to have much experience in this area, I highly recommend you do your homework/reading before attempting this project. The voltages you are dealing with are potentially deadly and the flashlamp itself could easily blind you if you're not careful.

 

[Mato92]

Ok, thank you for your help. I will try to find something.

 

[Grix]

Why not buy from here? http://laserpointerforums.com/f39/pulsed-ruby-laser-head-43019.html

 

[Mato92]

That looks great, I will ask him about it

 

[Mato92]

He sold it