Laserglow Hercules series unstable in high humidity environment??

[Minamoto Kobayashi]

Lately I have encountered a lot of issues with my Hercules lasers, and I have also spent a lot of money for nothing, seeking for issues that was default issues, not a problem regarding only my laser.
This winter I have bought an Herc 550, I have tried it also in a low temperature environment (5 °C or less) during a fogging night.
So, the conditions was very bad for a DPSS unit, but the unit worked decently ... at least some hopping mode, but nothing more.
Some weeks ago I bought an Herc 650 and I try it in my bedroom: after some minutes of good work the unit weak a lot, under 50 mW!
The batteries (Tenergy Premium 10.000 mah) was fully charged, and the unit showed the same issue also with the use of the power supply.
So I have sent back the unit to Laserglow, but after an intensive laboratory test for more than 1 hours, the verdict was: unit ok.
Only the external diode regulation screw was misplaced, probabily due to the delivery shocks (the suitcase was damaged in the aluminium part), and was tuned again.
When the Herc comes back here in Italy, it shows again the same issue!
Thus, also my Herc 550 showed the identical problem!
Really, I was near to launch both the lasers thru the window, but in that bad time a lighting pop up in my brain: the first try was in Winter, now is Summer ... and if the problem was the different environment conditions?
So I have turned on my air conditioner, and after 30 minutes I have tried again both the Hercules ... miracle miracle, any issue completely disappeared!
Sincerely, I cannot understand why the Herc, and not all my other lasers, suffer that environment conditions.
So, with low temperature and high humidity the Herc works, but with 30 °c and a high umidity the Hercules stops after 5/10 working minutes.
The specs claim: operating temperature 15 - 35°C, true duty cycle, and no mentions to the humidity percentage.
So, in the same humidity environment, under the operating temperature area the laser works, but inside the operating temperature area the laser sux after some minutes!
Really, I do not understand how this laser works.
But in any case, before stating a 100% duty cycle, it might be better to introduce the environment humidity variable, what do you think?

 

[DJNY]

Justin should be the man able to answer your questions!

Gonna Email him this thread, he should reply soon then.

 

[Minamoto Kobayashi]

Hello!
I have already emailed Justin more than a time recently, but he has never replied.
The only contact available for me is Mr. Scott, but only for commercial questions.
Sincerely I'm not too happy of Hercules laser. It's beautiful, it's powerful, it's incredibly big, but it is too delicate and sensible to the external environment for an unit that claim a 100% duty cycle. And If I use that machine within operating temperature, and the temperature led alarm does not turn on, the unit must works!
It's not a fault of my laser, since both 550 and 650 show the same issue after a while.
So the final verdict is: over a certain temperature threshold, humidity adversely affect the proper functioning of the device.

 

[Cyparagon]

Sounds like post hoc to me. AC takes a while to lower humidity, and not by a large amount either.

I don't see how humidity would affect anything in there to begin with. The cavity and driver board are sealed.

 

[Minamoto Kobayashi]

Hi!
Hercules driver board is sealed? However could it be sensitive to an high humidity environment?
When the power drops, the heatsink quickly become warm, but the overheating led does not turn on.
Might be a problem of resistance, and the current, instead of flowing toward the diode, in some way is wasted through the heatsink. But that 's just my guess.
I found that humidity alone does not affect the correct functioning. Is also necessary a relatively high temperature (29 degrees is enough to start problems).
But just a few degrees less, in the same humidity environment, and the problem disappears.
Mr. Scott has told me that should be a condense issue.
It 'a real pain in the ass!

 

[jander6442]

That Herc uses a peltier, is that right?.? if so could the peltier be overburden hence saturating the unit with heat.

 

[Event_Horizon]

It sounds to me like the humidity isn't the problem. It's likely just overheating. You sound like you're using it in an unusually hot environment.

 

[Minamoto Kobayashi]

Hi!
Probably Hercules uses only a fan .. Peltier cells drain a lot of current, and if You add a Peltier cell to a fan and a 2.5 watt pump diode, 3 batteries 10.000 mAh each probably runs no more than 10 minutes continuously.
I uses that laser for more than 30 minutes is a cold environment without any loss of power, and the batteries was 50% of the total charge available.

Herc loss its power in a environment >29°C with a high humidity percentage (80% or more). The hi-temp led never light on, so the unit was not overheated.
The specs claim the range temperature from 10 to 35, and 29 is not so hot.
But it may be enough to cause issues if there is also an high humidity percentage.
If the module and the driver are sealed, I cannot imagine where the problem born.

 

[Encap]

Have your tried running them in a 30C low humidity environment to determine if they exhibit the same malfunction regardless of humidity?

If not give them a try in 30C room temp at 45% relative humidity.

 

[jander6442]

Well it says thermal electric cooled. I looked everwere for a vid and noon came up. Found some on the fan test. I remember someone here saying they haven't overcome some of the condensation problems sooo I don't know.

 

[Minamoto Kobayashi]

Sorry I cannot lower the humidity without lower also the temperature ...

I cannot imagine where in the laser can create condensation.
Surely not over the crystals nor in the lens, because is the power that sucks, not the quality of the beam ...

 

[Encap]

Sounds like the units should be shipped back to Laserglow for test and evaluation to determine why they are not functioning per specification and product descriptions of LaserGlow.

 

[Minamoto Kobayashi]

Already done!
No problems found in their laboratory, but they have different environment conditions. My only chance is use inside home in a conditioned rooom, otherwise I must wait another szeason for outdoor use ...