Oh Yeah, New YAG Laser

[jamilm9]

thanks for the info

 

[LiveRock]

Hi

I stumble on this thread; sorry to barge in just like that...

I bought a SSY-1, PFN, trigger, etc. but I couldn't figure how to fire this up..

(a) Where is the laser coming out from? The sides of the YAG rod, or somewhere else?
(b) How do I build a power supply to drive this? Because I read that it uses up to 900 V DC!!

I am still a newbie in laser.

 

[FrothyChimp]

Check out Sam's site for good info on the SSY1: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/laserscl.htm#sclsy1

Here is my SSY1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJGxT2E1Bhk . I built my own pulse forming network and powered it with a commercial 500VDC power supply. The SSY1, PFN, and trigger all work together so you will be able to get it lasing pretty quickly just using alligator jumpers. The beam is emitted from the end with the red wire coming out. You will need a pair of protective glasses if you want to watch it in action. The PFN assembly is pretty tame for the laser head but it'll still emit a good mJ pulse.

As far as charging the capacitors you can find simple HV cap chargers on ebay quite often or you can build your own. Sam's also has schematics for just such circuits.

 

[Hemlock_Mike]

The SSY-1 can be powered up with a power supply from a good camera strobe. Do the math to determine the joule input with your circuit AND wear protective goggles. This isn't DPSS mW country.

Mike

 

[LiveRock]

Isn't the PFN the capacitors too?

I did try with a camera strobe; and managed to get the zenon flash once and that's it.

 

[FrothyChimp]

The PFN is the capacitors and the inductor. The caps provide the juice and the inductor shapes the pulse. To charge them just use the charging circuit from the strobe. You don't need to charge the PFN cap to 900V. It'll trigger around 400-450V. My PFN was fired around 425V and dumped 3600 mfd into the poor little flash lamp. You can find all kinds of power supplies on eBay pretty cheap if you want to go that route.

 

[GooeyGus]

As a side note,

I always love the music in your videos, frothy.

 

[FrothyChimp]

I'll have some more videos up after I get back from San Francisco. I will align the mirrors on my big YAG and install a new q-switch I bought for it. Then do some filming. There are already many black scorch marks on the fiber board I have in my garage setup to protect the garage walls. I think the next video will feature a Duke Tumatoe song if Sweetfinger Music gives me permission.

 

[LiveRock]

Thanks!!

I was thinking of reversing a standard step-down transformer and wire it the other way wrong to get higher voltage....

so for a 240 vac to 12 volt ac transformer, I would connect the 240 Vac to the 12 vac side and hope it step-up to a higher voltage on the 240 vac side...

Is my thinking warped?

Will the current get shorted out internally? If I get a 50 VA transformer, will it work?

 

[MarioMaster]

the problem with doing that is the transformer isn't designed to carry high voltage on the secondary, so while your idea may work for about 5 seconds you may soon get that familiar "burning electronics" smell, not to mention the chance of arcing with high voltage being generated on the primary

 

[LiveRock]

Oh............ ozone and arching for the 5 seconds before going to transformer nirvana...
that's no way to spend $$. ;D

Then, how do you can high voltage DC then. Flybacks transformers are too high in the range of kilo volts... and AC, right?

how to do get just 300-900 volts DC?

 

[MarioMaster]

you could use a step down transformer in reverse, you'd just have to make sure not to exceed the current ratings for the windings

flybacks actually output DC i think, but the voltage is much too high for what you want

 

[Spyderz20x6]

Why... :'(

Congrats

 

[LiveRock]

in other words, the BIGGER the transformer, the safer?