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Having worked with lasers for years, and done plasma tubes for years, I can tell you much about this. If the difference between my laser working and not working was a copy of an ACE Glass
8192-209 valve with high leak rates, I would not be purchasing that system. I would use all metal valve actuator type mechanisms, or a pinch seal, both of which I have used before, and have the tooling for.
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They also do not bake the tube out under vacuum to drive off water vapor, they only had it at high vacuum for a few minutes, they do not use a heavy flushing gas, no cathode cleaning gas mixture, etc.. I could go on and on about what that does to tube reliability.
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Also for a 150 watt tube, those optics are WAY too close to the plasma discharge for my comfort.
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With respect,
If you think that video shows you how to do a reliable tube refill, well, ROFLOL. It shows you a very simple refill process that we might use in a teaching lab here at the university. I use a proprietary mix of heavy inert gasses to clean tubes while they are running.
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At least they did use a turbo-pump instead of just a roughing pump.
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This is a credible tube refiller for CO2 lasers, and note what he says about Chinese lasers in his rant section:
http://www.parallax-tech.com/services.htm
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That valve and O-ring seal has a heck of a high leak rate for the task at hand. You will be pumping that tube WEEKLY!
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Steve