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Thread: Cool Little Old He-Ne...

  1. #1
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    Default Cool Little Old He-Ne...

    Here is a cool looking He-Ne I picked up at a hamfest last weekend. Too bad it's broken because it looks really old and probably belongs in a museum.



    As you can see, it has Brewster windows.



    It also has heater filaments. I wonder what that is for?



    Another cool feature is that the bore is supported only at the center where the two bell ends meet. Really neat looking design and I'd love to own an intact tube. Anyone have one?

  2. #2
    mixedgas's Avatar
    mixedgas is offline Creaky Old Award Winning Bastard Technologist
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    Because before someone discovered oxygen processing of Al cathodes, hot cathodes were used. Thats the second one of those I've seen, no idea who made it....

    Try Goldwasser, he might know... He knows everything, after the rest of us tell him. funny how a guy who never leaves the same 25 mile area (Doesn't own a car, uses public transit, last time I asked) Gets the scoop.

    The cathodes are from 40 watt flourescent lamps. Jodon, maybe? The tiger striping in the bore means it lived a very long life.

    methinks it should go into a lab oven to remove the epoxy, the brewster faces should be relapped with 600 , then 1200, then cerium oxide, a glassblower should rejoin it, and then you get some fused silica brewster windows AND some mirrors from me or laserman 532... 7:1 hene mix, a few torr.

    Steve
    Last edited by mixedgas; 01-13-2010 at 07:54.
    Qui habet Christos, habet Vitam!
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    When I still could have...

  3. #3
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    I knew this one would catch your interest, Steve.

    I'll send some pics to Sam and see if he knows more about them. What exactly causes the bore to become so dirty looking? As you can see the anode side of the bore tube is cracked off. Do you really think this tube can be salvaged? If so. What do you think that would cost? I may just do that in the future if not too expensive. Thanks again for all the great info!
    Adam

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    Quote Originally Posted by 300EVIL View Post
    I knew this one would catch your interest, Steve.

    I'll send some pics to Sam and see if he knows more about them. What exactly causes the bore to become so dirty looking? As you can see the anode side of the bore tube is cracked off. Do you really think this tube can be salvaged? If so. What do you think that would cost? I may just do that in the future if not too expensive. Thanks again for all the great info!
    Adam

    LOL WHUT??? why the heck would you want to resurect that thing. I mean it would be cool if it wasnt broken just for historical reasons but to bring it to life (hot cathode henes, lol) Nah... it probably did less than 1 mw or may be 2 at the most. I would make a wind chime out of it
    Pat B

    laserman532 on ebay

    Been there, done that, got the t-shirt & selling it in a garage sale.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Laserman532 View Post
    LOL WHUT??? why the heck would you want to resurect that thing. I mean it would be cool if it wasnt broken just for historical reasons but to bring it to life (hot cathode henes, lol) Nah... it probably did less than 1 mw or may be 2 at the most. I would make a wind chime out of it
    Yeah, I know but it just looks so cool!

  6. #6
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    Iīd try to repair it, tho itīll need extensive glassworking skills, but mixedgas could probably help with the vacuuming and refilling.

    Seeing a old broken HeNe tube makes me

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