Call Brian Bohen at Cambridge Lasers Labs and get a PDF of the manual. Cambridge owns the rights to the tube design. Don't power it up, let alone start it without READING the manual cover to cover at least ten times. Correct current knob setting for start is half to three quarters of full power setting, not down at idle. . If you have one of the rare psus with variable magnet , the starting magnet setting is at least one half rotation ie 12 'Oclock noon or higher.
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Why read the manual? You will only want to be in the room with a 45 amp Plasma oscillation Once, if ever at all.
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The cost for a refurb tube will still shock you, let alone for a white light.. Think beat up, used, Porsche.. There is still some scientific demand for the tubes, and a few laser show companies that project long throw on mountains still use 171s.
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Its been 15 years since I've used one, and probably seven since I've been it the room with one working, but I would still read it cover to cover.. Things like older ones develop ozone in the intracavity space that can lower output power (carefully filtered purge gas needed for full power) , frying dust/fingerprints on the windows, not getting fingerprintgs on the intra-cavity catalysts, using the search bar properly, how to remove the window covers, things like that.
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A passbank passive check is probably a good idea, too. Taking out seven or ten passbank transistors or more all at once is really easy. That is why you never start one down at Idle.
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The importance of a pair of safety glasses, never looking anywhere down the bore, and a great beam stop with side glow suppression cannot be over emphasized. Especially if it does not start right away.
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Your odds are one in a gazillion of it starting.. Your odds of troubleshooting a passbank with out insight from training, and a big bench DC power supply, not good. Good Luck..
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Steve
Last edited by mixedgas; 08-21-2017 at 06:27.
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