Argon Temperatures

[HD58PHD]

Hello all,I have a Uniphase 2213-75 Argon head and am looking for "typical" operating temps at idle,etc...
I know they get warm and have overheat protection,and I am using draw-thru cooling,would like to know what the exhaust air and laser housing temps should be. Running it at 40+mw for a few minutes gets the housing pretty warm.
Thanks

[ElektroFreak]

Hello all,I have a Uniphase 2213-75 Argon head and am looking for "typical" operating temps at idle,etc...
I know they get warm and have overheat protection,and I am using draw-thru cooling,would like to know what the exhaust air and laser housing temps should be. Running it at 40+mw for a few minutes gets the housing pretty warm.
Thanks

I have a 2214-40 and after a few minutes it's very warm, almost too hot to touch longer than 4-5 seconds. I've never measured just how warm it is, but the way I understand things is as long as the thermal protection isn't kicking in, you're good.

[Hemlock Mike]

GOOD question-----

I too have a Uniphase 2214-30SLQT and it needs all the fan I can give it. I use a 32 watt fan direct coupled to the butt end and that's just enough for cooling... I've never measured temp.
However --
My Lasos LGK 7872 ML02 laser needs much less air and I try to keep exhaust temps at least about 140 Deg F. This laser functions best when running real warm.

HMike

[mixedgas]

The small JDSUs call for a 140 CFM DAYTON 4C442 at 140 CFM and .95" of water, unloaded, which results in a roughly 50 CFM flow when hooked to the head. larger ones need 2-3 times that.

Steve

[ElektroFreak]

I'm glad you mentioned that Steve, what does the '.95" of water' mean?

[Doc]

I'm glad you mentioned that Steve, what does the '.95" of water' mean?

It is the pressure rating of the fan 2.37 millibars or 0.0343 PSI

What Steve is saying is that when mounted in the head the fan will be pretty free flowing so it will exceed the rated flow value.

[mixedgas]

It is the pressure rating of the fan 2.37 millibars or 0.0343 PSI

What Steve is saying is that when mounted in the head the fan will be pretty free flowing so it will exceed the rated flow value.

Its the reverse of that. The speced fans flow is reduced to less then 1/3 of its free air rating, 140 cfm goes down to 52 cfm mounted on the head.

THe .95 inch of water is the unloaded air pressure, and 140 cfm is the free air flow.

This is fine for a small uniphase/jdsu/cyonics, but anything bigger needs a 250 cfm fan , such as a rotron patriot or dayton 4c440.

Steve

[HD58PHD]

Thanks for the replies,and I have a similar setup to Mike's I guess,a large fan on the end.
Any idea what the over-temp point is,roughly?
Mike

[mixedgas]

If you have to trust the thermal switch in the head, something is wrong with your setup. I do not have nor will I speculate on a JDSU core temp. If someone here has a dead head you can ask them for the number on the klixon switch, but if your running that hot life will just melt off the tube.

They do run pretty hot, with the case often uncomfortable to the touch, but it is best to just be sure you have the rated air flow for a given length of tubing. Also dont try IR thermometers on laser tubes, the emissivity corrections required are horrid. This leads to a warning about being careful about sticking a thermocuple into a laser head, both the stored charge when off and the fact that the unit is "hot chassis" inside the head with both anode and cathode "hot" above earth ground are issues. Also never trust the klixon, the odds of one working after setting stuck in "on" for years without moving is not good.

pop the output end cover and see if your fins are filled with dust or not.

A phone call to JDSU will probably result in valid information.

Steve

[HD58PHD]

I hear you Steve,and get what you mean.
I don't rely on the temp. switch nor would I,as at that point there would obviously be a problem.
I know I don't have the "correct" or "specified" cooling arrangement for this head,but I'm fairly certain the setup I use is adequate,as it works,may I say,,,beautifully blue,,, and has not shut off or caught fire!
My question was meant only to determine from others' experience some temps that might have been noted,just out of my lack of experience with these. I've been playing with HeNe stuff from when MWK was in Aneheim! Bought my first .9mw tube from Mike,and that was the "Shiznit" back then. Now you can get 5 times that free with a fill-up!
Technically,I can't verify the cfm of the fan,but it seems to be enough for as much as I run it for now. I've been watching Ebay for the "right stuff" but haven't come across any. From reading other posts here,they run warm enough to be referred to as room heaters,very inneficient ones.
Thank you to all for your replies,and I will surely have a few more queries soon.
Mike