need help (netherlands) spectra-physics 168-35 whitelight

[Laserman532]

well thats what i was looking for...looks like you got a whitelight there.good job nice score

[Stoney3K]

well thats what i was looking for...looks like you got a whitelight there.good job nice score

The cathode plasma wouldn't be much white if it had just an argon fill, since there would be little stuff to produce the colours that make up white instead of blue

(OK, the glow could, in theory, be white because the gas fill is seriously crudded up, but I don't expect that.)

If you look closely, you can see the krypton reservoir on the right-hand site of the cathode (underneath the label), I don't recall non-whitelights having those.

[mixedgas]

If you look closely, you can see the krypton reservoir on the right-hand site of the cathode (underneath the label), I don't recall non-whitelights having those.[/QUOTE]

I'd get very worried if my laser, argon or krypton, did NOT have one of those, or the much rarer pressure pump.

Steve

[Laserman532]

OIC I did not know that

looking for a power output got any beam out of that yet.?

[Laserman532]

If you look closely, you can see the krypton reservoir on the right-hand site of the cathode (underneath the label), I don't recall non-whitelights having those.

I'd get very worried if my laser, argon or krypton, did NOT have one of those, or the much rarer pressure pump.

Steve[/QUOTE]

that is your standard fill only resivour, you might be thing of the krypton pumper which let you control the gas pressure in and out...this is a newer tube than that technology

[Stoney3K]

I'd get very worried if my laser, argon or krypton, did NOT have one of those, or the much rarer pressure pump.

Steve

that is your standard fill only resivour, you might be thing of the krypton pumper which let you control the gas pressure in and out...this is a newer tube than that technology

The reservoir does have a pump/valve attached which seems to be operated by the PSU, and a line that goes to the cathode bell. I know the PSU has a 'FILL' button, but I'm not considering to use it anytime soon!

We didn't get any beam out of it yet, she hasn't made a run since last weekend. Might be anytime soon, since we want to see this puppy throw white beams again just as much as you do

[Laserman532]

The reservoir does have a pump/valve attached which seems to be operated by the PSU, and a line that goes to the cathode bell. I know the PSU has a 'FILL' button, but I'm not considering to use it anytime soon!

We didn't get any beam out of it yet, she hasn't made a run since last weekend. Might be anytime soon, since we want to see this puppy throw white beams again just as much as you do

if you need to give it a shot of gas, you just momentarly touch 110v to the solenoid valve plug...dont plug it in...you just tap it and it will give it a shot of 10 volts (meaning will raise your TV for 10 volts per shot)

I would not use the ps to fill the tube, do it manually ...if you need to give her a shot

[Stoney3K]

if you need to give it a shot of gas, you just momentarly touch 110v to the solenoid valve plug...dont plug it in...you just tap it and it will give it a shot of 10 volts (meaning will raise your TV for 10 volts per shot)

I would not use the ps to fill the tube, do it manually ...if you need to give her a shot

Hate to disappoint you, but over here in Europe we have a mains of 220, er... 230 volts. So that'll seriously fry the solenoid if we even were to try that,

The European grid also means the 208V three-phase input (transformed down from 400V) ended up more like 230V at my DVM.

I measured the tube voltage at 234Vdc, so it's a *little* on the low pressure end if I'm right? I'll do a double check because I can't guarantee the measurement was at 30A and max field. Obviously at 20A the voltage would be a little higher... (Remember, plasma has negative resistance!)

What could be wrong with the interlocks that cause the breaker to trip? Would the lack of water flow (or a faulty flow sensor) trigger a trip on the breakers? Or is there something else going on... Cathode timing relay faulty perhaps? The cathode started to glow the instant we lifted the breakers.

The interlock circuit breaker has a big resistor across it. Is that supposed to be there, maybe to supply power to some small trinkets inside the PSU even with the breakers off, or is that used as a dummy load in case the interlocks trigger, causing the breaker to trip artificially?

[Laserman532]

get a 220 to 110 transformer

the only thing in the breaker trip ckt is, cdrh interlock on head which is shorted in teh head, the plug on the back of the ps and the water flow and water overtemp and the keyswitch, resistor actoss the ckt is correct it is a loop through the interlock ckt. if you have a proteous flowswitch it needs to be calibrated. if it is a brass spring loaded flowswitch it needs to be opened up and cleaned (and stretch the spring a bit) It could be a clogged filter screen (big nut thing in bottom of power supply) open and clean.

234 @30 amps max field is perfect and will not need a fill until it goes below about 228 or so

[Stoney3K]

OK, so my suspicion on the water flow sensor may be correct. The WATER light wasn't on during the entire run, there was adequate flow through the circuit, but it wasn't seriously impressive.

Flow light off + lousy flow = crudded up filter. Time to clean that one out. See if we can get the WATER ON light on again.

I was pretty surprised about the tube's operation. Remember, the counter was at 5000+ hours before it was salvaged, and had been neglected for 13 years after that. Taking off the cover, the head was just squeaky clean, and the tube firing on the first button hit with 234V of voltage sounded a bit *too* good to be true. Guess this shows the bulletproof-ness of these units.

Time to get the mirrors straight, slap a PCAOM and SCANPRO40 on there, and get some *really* nice beam shots going... IN THE OUTDOOR DAYLIGHT!