Hi Powered HeNe laser

[142laser]

Sam and I have a like new Melles Griot 25-LHp-928, the biggest HeNe still made. The laser is outputting 43 mW TEM 00. We will take $1,500 plus shipping for PL members; the laser is on e Bay for more. The cost new is now $5,622 but that is ridiculous. Best, Phil and Sam

[Bradfo69]

Ok... the time has come for me to show my ignorance. I've been around this addiction for 4 years now and, I've seen a couple of HeNe's at SELEM and, periodically hear about them on PL but what I don't understand is... what's the use or point? What are they for? Especially for $5,622 for something that does 43mW? The only use I have heard of is using a little HeNe to assist with the alignment of the big ions. Surely one doesn't need a $5600 spotting laser for only that purpose. Nor, can I imagine one spends that kind of money to admire a little red dot on the wall. I "get it" when perhaps it's a "yellow" HeNe or an "orange" HeNe, since seeing those colors produced on their own is pretty rare but, a basic red HeNe like the above?

I also understand that, back in the day, they were the only - or at least cheapest - game in town for the budding young laserist to shine on a mirror taped to a speaker to admire sqiggles on the wall while playing In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida or something but, in all seriousness... what is the main use of a HeNe and why would it be north of $5k or... even $1,500 for that matter? Is it holography or something?

(Not trying to ruin your sales thread... just looking for a little sorely lacking education on these. Who knows, an explaination might assist the sale!)

[swamidog]

this would be a very good candidate for holography.

Ok... the time has come for me to show my ignorance. I've been around this addiction for 4 years now and, I've seen a couple of HeNe's at SELEM and, periodically hear about them on PL but what I don't understand is... what's the use or point? What are they for? Especially for $5,622 for something that does 43mW? The only use I have heard of is using a little HeNe to assist with the alignment of the big ions. Surely one doesn't need a $5600 spotting laser for only that purpose. Nor, can I imagine one spends that kind of money to admire a little red dot on the wall. I "get it" when perhaps it's a "yellow" HeNe or an "orange" HeNe, since seeing those colors produced on their own is pretty rare but, a basic red HeNe like the above?

I also understand that, back in the day, they were the only - or at least cheapest - game in town for the budding young laserist to shine on a mirror taped to a speaker to admire sqiggles on the wall while playing In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida or something but, in all seriousness... what is the main use of a HeNe and why would it be north of $5k or... even $1,500 for that matter? Is it holography or something?

(Not trying to ruin your sales thread... just looking for a little sorely lacking education on these. Who knows, an explaination might assist the sale!)

[Bradfo69]

But is that the purpose that, for example, Melles created it? Is there that much of a holography market that it's worth it for a company to design and build them?

[142laser]

Yes! For holography one can depend on 15-20 cm coherence length. Most diodes even single transverse more are a crap shoot for coherence but GREAT for light shows. Any experiment where you need almost perfect beam quality, low noide and some coherence length is a good application for HeNe. For holography the power is nice to make the exposures shorter and vibrations less of an issue. HeNe is about the best first laser for holography and professionals use big ones like this. beleive it or not HeNe's are still selling even at todays ridiculous prices. Long live Helium Neon lasers!! Oh yeah and the big ones go 40K hours...ask Lasever or CNI about THAT! Thanks for giving me the opportunity to explain.

Back in the day before diodes got power and a decent beams New Method Lasers used big HeNe's for red in small light shows. I met the owner Bob Ash before NML when he was selling HeNe's out of his computer store "Creative Computer Concepts" back room. I bought a 5 mW bare tube doing 7 mW for like $300! This is now "one Stop Laser Shop and Fred and Amanda are still there.....a GREAT light show company!

[Bradfo69]

I guess come to think of it, all the credit cards now have holograms on them and I think some drivers licenses etc. so, perhaps the market is larger than I thought. Is that how the holograms on credit cards are made? In that case, yes, I can see a company spending $5k for the laser to help do it.

[swamidog]

i used to buy HeNe's from Meridith Instruments. they were my first laser love.

i have a 20mW one here sitting next to an argon, a pcaom, and some gs120's...

Yes! For holography one can depend on 15-20 cm coherence length. Most diodes even single transverse more are a crap shoot for coherence but GREAT for light shows. Any experiment where you need almost perfect beam quality, low noide and some coherence length is a good application for HeNe. For holography the power is nice to make the exposures shorter and vibrations less of an issue. HeNe is about the best first laser for holography and professionals use big ones like this. beleive it or not HeNe's are still selling even at todays ridiculous prices. Long live Helium Neon lasers!! Oh yeah and the big ones go 40K hours...ask Lasever or CNI about THAT! Thanks for giving me the opportunity to explain.

Back in the day before diodes got power and a decent beams New Method Lasers used big HeNe's for red in small light shows. I met the owner Bob Ash before NML when he was selling HeNe's out of his computer store "Creative Computer Concepts" back room. I bought a 5 mW bare tube doing 7 mW for like $300! This is now "one Stop Laser Shop and Fred and Amanda are still there.....a GREAT light show company!

- - - Updated - - -

I guess come to think of it, all the credit cards now have holograms on them and I think some drivers licenses etc. so, perhaps the market is larger than I thought. Is that how the holograms on credit cards are made? In that case, yes, I can see a company spending $5k for the laser to help do it.

those foil holograms are stamped from a master.

[142laser]

$5K is cheap....a new 100 mW green laser can still be $10K to $20K! Cobaly samba....150 mW...$12,600. This is single frequency green, Blue is more money! We sell 100 mW green Holography lasers for around $1,500-$2K used. That is "cheap".

[CountFunkula]

I guess come to think of it, all the credit cards now have holograms on them and I think some drivers licenses etc. so, perhaps the market is larger than I thought. Is that how the holograms on credit cards are made? In that case, yes, I can see a company spending $5k for the laser to help do it.

For the most part, that's how the holographic MASTERS are made.

The adhesive film with the rainbow "great seal of (insert state here)/don't drink and drive" on a driver's license or the shiny silver spot with a holographic bird or planet on a credit card are usually mass-produced with a stamping/embossing process. The diffractive interference fringe pattern on the embossing drum comes from the master.

Security has been the big-$$$ market for holograms for a long time.

FWIW, those "happy party" and "smiley face" laser pointer cap gratings are often made through a similar process.

[Bradfo69]

Interesting. Thank you!