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FrozenGate by Avery

Making a portable CO2 laser?

well...
worth resurrecting that topic for some art. A few light weight brass appointments, a 70 year old mA meter for tube current, and a little gothic touch here and there and you got a nice steampunk laser. Very authentic 80 Lb backpack as well.. but why skimp on batteries or go for short-duty stuff? Might get 2 hours of beam time from a 100AH 12V AGM. Coolant temp could become an issue as most of those tubes want 20-25 deg water.. chiller's not practical to carry. Palte cooled thermoelectric maybe but still it's a 400W heat load!
laser tag 40W_CO2--64.jpg
 
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I for one don't fancy carrying around a >60lb lead acid battery. Not to mention everything else.
 
I have tried myself something similar but nothing so i bought a new one from China
 
Cyparagon said:
Not unless you have a heart condition. They only need 20-something mA, and the flyback would be current-limited to this value. 20mA will hurt a lot, but it's not lethal.



RF pumping is way less efficient than electrical pumping. Something like 5% for RF and 20% for electrical. Not ideal for battery power.



I looked it up, and the RF is 45MHz. The biological absorption profile and penetration depth is different at this frequency. It is also at less than half the power of a microwave magnetron. The energy is not directional like a magnetron is. The physiological dangers are therefore categorically quite a bit less.
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I don't disagree with you very often Cyp', but that statement about the current limit on a flyback in a ZVS circuit......

I've built quite a few ZVS+flyback circuits and the higher power ones will do several hundred mA into an arc. The flyback will be destroyed in under a minute at those kinds of currents but that's plenty of time to electrocute yourself.
 
Well that was nearly 5 years ago. This thread was bumped by a newbie who may potentially be a returning banned member that just got banned for posting porn. Please keep in mind the dates in the future guys
 
diachi said:
That goes for HV in general - not just high frequency stuff. Interesting fact: RF stuff generally won't hurt because your nerves don't have time to depolarize and thus send a pain signal to your brain. Even if RF stuff doesn't kill you, it'll give you nasty burns.
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And don't ever touch the high impedance foils on the laser tube. They will arc before you contact them !!!
 
Sta said:
Hello folks!

I've recently been considering constructing a portable CO2 laser.
I realized that when I built my 7W NUBM44 lightsaber, I dug myself into a bit of a hole - in order to make my next 'viral' video, I have to top that!

I essentially have two options:
(1) a diode array, which will be expensive and have a very spread-out beam,
(2) a portable CO2 laser, which will have short runtime but much more concentrated power.

I would much prefer a portable CO2 - it has not been done many times before, and I think it would be unique and impressive.
Anything in the range of 30-40W would be fine, and the duty cycle does not have to exceed 30 seconds.

Unfortunately, I don't quite know where to start. I haven't dealt with CO2 lasers before.

What kind of battery would be necessary to accomplish this? What kind of power supply? And how should the wiring be done?
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Is this solved now?
 
  1. Understand the Basics: A CO2 laser consists of a gas-filled tube, which is the lasing medium, along with a power supply to energize the gas, and a resonator that amplifies the light. The gas mixture usually includes carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen, and helium.
  2. Safety First: CO2 lasers can be extremely dangerous. They can cause severe burns and eye damage, even from reflected or scattered light. Proper safety gear, including infrared laser goggles, is essential. Ensure you have a safe, controlled environment for testing and using the laser.
  3. Sourcing Components: You'll need a laser tube, a power supply, cooling system, mirrors, and a housing. Portable designs often use a smaller, sealed CO2 laser tube. Remember, the power supply needs to match the requirements of your laser tube.
  4. Designing for Portability: Traditional CO2 lasers are bulky due to the need for a stable resonator and cooling system. For portability, you might need to compromise on power output. Using a smaller tube and a compact, efficient cooling system (like a Peltier cooler) is key.
  5. Electrical Knowledge: You should have a good understanding of electronics, as building a laser involves working with high-voltage power supplies. Incorrect wiring or handling can lead to serious injury or damage to your components.
  6. Optical Alignment: The mirrors in the laser need to be precisely aligned to achieve lasing. This process can be tricky and requires patience and precision.
  7. Cooling System: CO2 lasers generate a lot of heat. In a portable setup, managing this heat without a bulky cooling system is challenging. Research compact cooling solutions that can be integrated into your design.
  8. Control System: Depending on your application, you might need a control system to modulate the laser's output. This could be as simple as a switch or as complex as a microcontroller-based system for variable power output.
  9. Housing and Mobility: The housing should protect the components and also be light enough for portability. Materials like aluminum can offer a good balance between protection and weight.
  10. Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Be aware of the legal aspects of building and operating a laser. In many places, there are strict regulations regarding the construction and use of lasers, especially those powerful enough to be hazardous.
  11. Testing and Calibration: Once assembled, the laser will need to be tested and calibrated. This should be done in a controlled environment, following all safety protocols.
  12. Consult Experts: If you're not experienced in laser technology, it's advisable to consult with experts or collaborate with someone who has the necessary expertise.
 
Last reply 2 months ago. Not that old.
But I made a portable CO2 laser a decade ago. Its not really worth the effort with blue lasers around.
 
AnselmoFanZero said:
Last reply 2 months ago. Not that old.
But I made a portable CO2 laser a decade ago. Its not really worth the effort with blue lasers around.
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The post you replied to was 4 months ago. Talk about being way too late...
 
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