Kudos for DSLI, MarioMaster, LesioQ and MixedGas

[Eidetic]

I just want to say a public Thank You to these four members of this forum who helped me put on a fine display of vintage lasers at the recent Photonics West. Mixedgas, LesioQ and MarioMaster for kindly selling their dustcollectors, and DSLI for gently transporting MarioMaster's old argon ion laser back to the west coast. That power supply is comically heavy, like a safe.

What an enormous hassle it would've been to have it professionally packed and shipped from MarioMaster's dorm room! Despite logistical communications issues and work related delays, the connection was made and the delicate glass laser head was overprotected for its ride home from Pennsylvania. I drove down from San Jose to pick it up in Van Nuys on a Friday, cleaned it up over the weekend, and installed it with the display on Monday morning.

Thanks again guys!

P.S. I forgot to express my thanks also to Sam Goldwasser, who kindly sold a few of his dustcollectors too! Where would we all be without Sam??? Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou for your dedication to this wonderful device!

[Diachi]

This thread is worthless without pics!

[Eidetic]

OK, here are pics from the exhibit. From the top are:
1965 Electro Optics Associates LAS-101 He-Ne laser
1967 Scientifica & Cook B17/S He-Ne laser
1966 Perkin Elmer 5200 He-Ne laser system


1969 Hughes Aircraft Company 3052 Argon Ion laser system


1963 Maser Optics phonograph record "An Introduction to Laser Technology"
1964 Popular Science magazines showing a homemade ruby laser and wood burning with a ruby laser
1962 Optics Technology 120 Ruby laser system


1962 Hughes Aircraft Company 200 Ruby laser system


From the top left:
1962 Perkin Elmer / Spectra-Physics 110 He-Ne laser (first commercial CW visible laser)
1964 Spectra-Physics 130 He-Ne laser
1960s Perkin Elmer laser power meter
1963 Perkin Elmer / Spectra-Physics 111 He-Ne laser head


1970s Spectra-Physics 125 He-Ne laser system


1979 Spectra-Physics 107A He-Ne laser head
1974 GTE Sylvania 941 CO2 laser plasma tube
1974 Holosonics He-Ne laser plasma tube
1975 GTE Sylvania 948 CO2 laser head with a 950 plasma tube installed

[Diachi]

Now THOSE are lasers! Very impressive, it's amazing to see they are still around after so long. Most appear to be in an impressive condition. Mario's argon looks good after a nice clean up!

What length is that SP125!?!

[Eidetic]

About 2 meters. It's on an 8' long table. Everyone loved seeing it, and the vacuum tubes in the power supply (a true sign of a vintage laser). They all remember using them in college. I still use this one, giving 65mW like it did about a dozen years ago when I picked it up "free for the hauling", to occasionally make holograms in my garage. I have the cavity extender for it with an etalon, but it's not installed.

[MarioMaster]

Wow, your display looks great - I'm glad to have gotten the Hughes to someone who will appreciate it. That SP125 makes my 127 look small

[Jem]

Whoa... What a phenomenal collection of antique lasers!

Working or not they are simply beautiful to look at and a real piece of history.

Thanks for taking the time to post the pictures so that we may all share.

Cheers

Jem

[Diachi]

Whoa... What a phenomenal collection of antique lasers!

Working or not they are simply beautiful to look at and a real piece of history.

Thanks for taking the time to post the pictures so that we may all share.

Cheers

Jem

Agreed! It's certainly worthwhile taking a look at those pictures. Amazing to think a 40 year old HeNe laser can still operate that well!

[Eidetic]

And the 48 year old Hughes ruby can still poke a hole in a razor blade! With original coatings!!!!!

I can probably hide modern red lasers in the spaces used by these old He-Ne lasers for their high reflectors, to provide a beam 50 times more powerful than originally output by them.

[dsli_jon]

Hey Robert! -

I just want to say a public Thank You...and the delicate glass laser head was overprotected for its ride home from Pennsylvania.

Sure thing - my priveledge to be part of continuing that little gem's history... - I only wish I had taken a shot of that little 'jelly bean' cocooned in foam, dwarfed in that 7' long
171 crate! - lol...

And thanks to you, for letting that I-90 ride down with ya... KIT, and will be happy to do any such cool 'task' again for ya...

ciao
j