Chances of ancient argon lasers working?

[MarioMaster]

I recently acquired one old and one very old argon laser. Problem is, I doubt they have been used in years, maybe even decades. Is there any real chance that either of these will fire up?

Laser #1 - Coherent Model 54 Argon Ion - Sticker on PSU shows 1970
-Power supply scratched up, but insides of head and psu are very good
-Brewster window dust covers still in place
-Liquid cooling hoses need replacement due to age
-Masking tape placed over aperture crumbled when removed

Laser #2 - Hughes Model 3052H (I'm assuming also argon ion)
-Large secondary glass tube in parallel with the bore, contains large spiral of glass tubing
-Insides of tube are very good, psu is rather dirty and may have some mold or mildew on the capacitors
-One brewster window shield has popped off, optics still look ok
-Missing water cooling lines to connect head to psu

Click Image to Enlarge


Click Image to Enlarge


Click Image to Enlarge

If you need additional information or pics, let me know

[GooeyGus]

Those are cool as hell! In my experience, which isn't a ton, the bigger heads battle age a bit better than the small air cooled heads. Try zapping them with a tesla coil or hene psu or something to see if they are gas in tact. If they are, try firing one up and see what happens, assuming all other components look oK.

The one with the big glass spiral could be a pulsed ion laser, but that is just a guess. Very interesting heads though! You should invest in a bd-10A oudin coil to test for gas. Very neat gadget to have!

[300EVIL]

Calling Dr. Roberts...

[MarioMaster]

The Hughes is gas intact, got a nice purple glow from a hene psu - the coherent I dunno, I blew up my HeNe psu trying to get a gas discharge from it

[Laserman532]

the coherent is a graphite tube, bet my boat (well not really) it is dead, if it does light there is probably graphite on the inside of the brewster. I blew up one of those in my lab one day (dont ask why I had one)...hot graphite disc rolling all over the floor...good times

[GooeyGus]

If it is dead, at least you can use the tube to make a bunch of pencils

[mixedgas]

The 3052 is incredibly old, its a collectors item. The first commercial, mass produced CW ion laser. It has a fill port on it, so its recoverable.
I have full manuals and the plans for the tube and the airborn version of the power supply as it was designed for the air force and was made public domain a while back.

Your chance of it going depends if it has the epoxy seals or the hard sealed windows
If you fire it up, give it about 20 minutes for the getter to work before you try to ignite it.

It belongs in the Smithsonian, it was designed by Bill Bridges, the inventor of the ion laser.

The large glass spiral is the gas return for the plasma tube, cataphoresis causes pumping of the gas in the laser from the cathode to the anode where the gas builds up and causes all sorts of problems until you find a way to make it flow back to the cathode,and that tube is the way. If the plasma lights down the glass, immediately shut down the laser. Like in a second or so.

Its good for a watt or so, design value was 5 watts, but that tube design was really pushing it. It was built by Hughes Microwave Amplifier tube division, and so long ago, that unless you pay the NTIS about 60$ for the right manual, you wont find a thing out about it.

Keep the variac that regulates current dialed back if it lights, it has no current limiting per say and you can cook the tube.

CR52 manual is here at JKLASERS site: Your odds are roughly one in 50, I'd guess, even through you WILL have carbon on a brewster, and if and I mean IF, the gas fill system has not leaked too much argon into the tube. BTW, some older series had soft coated mirrors, so you run the risk of killing the mirrors if you have the slightest amount of water in your cleaning solution. Start with acetone in this case, not the usual methanol.

http://www.jklasers.com/cr54laser/cr54laser.htm

Dr Bridges is still alive if you have questions about the 3052, you might ask him... A working 3052 would be a instant museum piece.

May I ask where you found a 3052 in such great condition? It has no huge financial value, but it has huge historical significance. Kinda like finding a 1988 ford vacuum bagged in a warehouse some place with less then 20 miles on it. Not worth much, but it would put a smile on the right persons face. Whats the serial number? Not many institutions would keep such a old unit. I've seen lots of 54/52s, But only 3 Hughes Argons since 1988, and yours is the only non-airborn version.

Please shoot pics of the 3052 PSU and Tube for the FAQ, Pretty Please!
Steve

[Diachi]

Must be good if Steve is even pretty amazed by it ! They look nice

[MarioMaster]

Thanks for all the great info Glad to see this laser is more than just a pile of outdated electronics and glassware.

I've taken a bunch of pictures, and combined them into one pack - you can download it below.
http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1181169/109SSCAM.zip

[ElektroFreak]

Very nice find, Mario! The condition is impressive, to say the least..