Everybody makes mistakes. It is the biggest driving force behind why we recommend everybody have laser goggles. None of us intend on shining lasers at our faces, but accidents happen.
If you want to start doing research, and want to share your findings in your own thread, I'm sure it would be much welcomed, and it would be the perfect place to ask for help filling in any parts you don't quite understand yet.
I, for one, am excited to hear of these "knock-off" units, and I bet a lot of our non-American members are too. I don't understand terms like acceptable LR, wire should be fine for replacing pulse forming network, trigger coil, and the like, but if I were seriously considering buying one of these units to tinker with, I'd learn what those meant, and record it somewhere for me to go back and look at when I need to recollect that information..
Sorry, Hemlock_Mike, for the off-topic post. I really am thankful for your sharing with us, not just saying that. Next step: grow your own KTP and see if you can double your output frequency :evil: