My first Argon laser

[tsteele93]

Great photos! Congrats... That dot is perfect and the beam is incredible! I think that I like 488 better than 473!

 

[AUS]

Power readout is 0.1V/mW between pin 8 and 22. Current readout is 0.1V/A between pin 9 and 22. It is wired for constant current (rather than constant power). That means it will top out somewhere around 10-12A which is rather bad for the tube. Run it 8A or lower if you want decent tube life.

Thanks for the advice Cyparagon. That was the first time i had taken the backshell off. I do have the manual. If I get time today I'll wire up another connector for constant power with break outs for the current and power out connectors so I can see what's going on. Long term I plan to build a processor with LCD readout metering.

 

[AUS]

I think a mini-LEM is in order at some stage

I'm sure we can do that at some point. Yes we are 6km apart but I think the next nearest member would have to be about 300km from us!

 

[Lase]

Hehe, wish my argon would still run properly. I think a mini-LEM is in order at some stage

I'd fly to whichever state for an AUSLEM

Bobhaha, LaSeRs and Fiddy are a little closer than me, and I think Nocturnal is somewhere close to me (unless he moved).

That's just the east coast of Aus that I can think of off the top of my head. Than we have those in SA and WA.

Lase

 

[AUS]

It would be interesting, although i doubt we would get many show up.

I think most are in Sydney so would make sense to hold it there I guess, which is 5-6 hours drive or an hour on a plane from here, and about 7 hours from you (from memory). There are some others, VK2FRO is in Sydney, Timelablasers is in Melbourne. There are 63 in the Australian group although not sure how many are active.

Maybe put a feeler out to see who would be interested?

 

[vk2fro]

I'd definatly be in on an AUSLEM, but not before I finish my projector, and get my NEC argon going.

0.1V/mw, thats easy to measure on an arduino, and if you grab a 1024step digital potentiometer (linear), you can also control the power on it. Use i2c or serial to drive an LCD, and a relayboard to control sequencing, and perhaps a K type thermocouple shoved into the head, and you've got the makings of a decent little argon controller with push button control. I2c or serial cuts down on the lines a regular HD44780 LCD screen takes, and your pots gonna need 3 (enable, step and direction). The thermocouple will tie up pins 12-16, if you use the max 6675 driver. Monitor your Tube I with the arduino and you could even program it to never exceed 8A

As for your GF, "Its a laser. Need I say more? Shoes are your thing, lasers are mine!"

 

[bobhaha]

MoonShad0w, bluefusion, aXit and GonianBlood are from Sydney too... Also TTerbo is Brisbane I believe.

There is a hackerspace nearby that all of us from sydney can easily access via car or public transport. Otherwise I'm sure we can find a venue pretty easily around here that everyone can meet at.

 

[AUS]

You are up late Ben!
Yes was thinking of an arduino or picaxe solution, been concentrating on other things lately. I have several serial LCD's (i2c and rs232) in the junk box. I have only fired it up a few times in the last few weeks. Compared to my 100mW 473nm labby and stupidly bright 300mW 532nm its not as visibe, but the colour is still magical, ionized gas lasers are so beautiful. Even my 1mW HeNe is nice.

Put my 9mm 445 in a heatsink today, now just need a driver caoable of 2-3 amperes.

 

[AUS]

Geez half of NSW is still awake!
Saw your post after mine Adrian.
It would be good to do something here LEM wise, pointer legalities aside. And the vast majority of active members are on the east cost. Looks like we have the interest (all 10 of us or so).

@vk2fro - the girlfriend left me last week :-(

 

[Things]

BlueFusion is in Adelaide, TTerbo is in Port Macquarie, kind of a spread of people all around lol.

There's also Dave @ LSP in Melbourne, he'd have some serious stuff to show off if he had the time to go

 

[bobhaha]

Yeah I'm nocturnal these days... Awesome argon BTW... Can't wait till mines up and running!

 

[vk2fro]

Sorry to hear about the GF AUS.

Theres definatly the numbers, and we could probably get a projectathon thing happening as I belive gonianbl00d has a pj, Things does, TTerbo had one, and I'm finishing mine, so there should be a few lightshows to enjoy. I have a cheap antari fogger that is perfect for a small venue (or fogging up my loungeroom). And I just recently bought more fog juice for it.

We should probably plan it for the warmer months so we are not all freezing on the way there, and a venue for those of us with heavy projection gear and no car, near a railway station so its easy to get to for carless / licenseless peeps. Alternativly, someone with a car could act as the shuttle service to the venue (you cab it back to the station), with all people arriving by a certain time so the shuttle driver doesn't miss out on any of the action while ferrying people from the station. Obviously we would need a donation jar for the shuttle drivers fuel.

If I am the only poor sap without a car, well I'll just taxi it to and from the venue (either from home or the nearest train station).

Things, I believe Dave has a 40 watt KTP laser (532 green q switched). Now thats some serious laser

AUS: yes I was awake fairly late - I'm usually up till around 1 or 2 am. If I do sleep early (like 11pm), I'm normally up around 4:30am. That doesnt go down to well when I get out of bed and its -40°C (bloody cold weather!)

edit: yay now have a 4 figure post count

 

[Elektrotechniker]

Geez half of NSW is still awake!
Saw your post after mine Adrian.
It would be good to do something here LEM wise, pointer legalities aside. And the vast majority of active members are on the east cost. Looks like we have the interest (all 10 of us or so).

@vk2fro - the girlfriend left me last week :-(

Why did she leave you?

 

[bobhaha]

Sorry to hear about the GF AUS.

Theres definatly the numbers, and we could probably get a projectathon thing happening as I belive gonianbl00d has a pj, Things does, TTerbo had one, and I'm finishing mine, so there should be a few lightshows to enjoy. I have a cheap antari fogger that is perfect for a small venue (or fogging up my loungeroom). And I just recently bought more fog juice for it.

We should probably plan it for the warmer months so we are not all freezing on the way there, and a venue for those of us with heavy projection gear and no car, near a railway station so its easy to get to for carless / licenseless peeps. Alternativly, someone with a car could act as the shuttle service to the venue (you cab it back to the station), with all people arriving by a certain time so the shuttle driver doesn't miss out on any of the action while ferrying people from the station. Obviously we would need a donation jar for the shuttle drivers fuel.

If I am the only poor sap without a car, well I'll just taxi it to and from the venue (either from home or the nearest train station).

Things, I believe Dave has a 40 watt KTP laser (532 green q switched). Now thats some serious laser

AUS: yes I was awake fairly late - I'm usually up till around 1 or 2 am. If I do sleep early (like 11pm), I'm normally up around 4:30am. That doesnt go down to well when I get out of bed and its -40°C (bloody cold weather!)

edit: yay now have a 4 figure post count

Don't worry I gottcha back! :wave: But I'm going to be swearing the whole time trying to find your house... Pretty sure there is like over 9001 round-abouts in ingleburn :/

 

[vk2fro]

Err: 51 - not in ingleburn - I'm in Erskineville

But yes its a biatch here too - one way streets and giant roundabout landmines to deal with. Fuel wise a helicopter would be cheaper to operate

 

[bobhaha]

Damn... I meant Erskineville. Dunno why I said Ingleburn :/

In anycase welcome to the 1k+ club!