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Thread: Old spectra physics ~35mW HeNe laser

  1. #1
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    Default Old spectra physics ~35mW HeNe laser

    I have an old spectra physics HeNe tube of unknown pedigree... got it off eBay in the mid 90's, and it ran great for a while, but it's been in storage a good many years and doesn't currently start. Since I haven't used it in ages and it's taking up space, I was thinking of bringing it down to SELEM to see if anyone wanted to give it a good home. I'm going to spend a little time trying some of the tips in Sam's HeNe repair page, but if that doesn't work, is it still worth anything if it won't start?

    I can post pictures later this weekend if there's interest. It looks like one of the embedded units without a nice external case.

  2. #2
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    Zap it with AC. Does the tube even light? Is it up to atm?

  3. #3
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    Running, they go for between $800 and $1500. Dead, they're useless.

  4. #4
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    Roger. Well, sounds like it's worth cleaning off and poking a little to see what the story is. I won't have time for that until Saturday, but I will come back here and update after I get a chance to clean and try a few things.

    Thanks!

  5. #5
    mixedgas's Avatar
    mixedgas is offline Creaky Old Award Winning Bastard Technologist
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    Better tell Sam he needs to bring a known good PSU with the right connector.
    The big PSUs die as often as the tubes do.

    Steve
    Qui habet Christos, habet Vitam!
    I should have rented the space under my name for advertising.
    When I still could have...

  6. #6
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    I had one of those on the top of a 4' high stack of laser filled crates after a show once, riding another foot off the ground on a fork lift on the way to the dock as I walked along side. The driver of the lift saw a girl he wanted to talk to, hit the brakes, and I saw that head roll off the top, slam into the concrete floor and roll out another 8' before it stopped, tube intact.

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    LUCKY AS HELL!

    Send pics of cathode; if getter is bad forget it.
    Phil Bergeron( AKA 142laser)

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eidetic View Post
    The driver of the lift saw a girl he wanted to talk to, hit the brakes, and I saw that head roll off the top, slam into the concrete floor
    AHHHHHH! Noooooooooooooo! I think my heart just stopped...

    and roll out another 8' before it stopped, tube intact.
    Whew!

    Adam

  9. #9
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    I am planning to take the outer shell off Saturday and get a better feel for what the issues are... I will report back! The weekend can't come soon enough. :-)

  10. #10
    swamidog's Avatar
    swamidog is online now Jr. Woodchuckington Janitor III, Esq.
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    Quote Originally Posted by tribble View Post
    I am planning to take the outer shell off Saturday and get a better feel for what the issues are... I will report back! The weekend can't come soon enough. :-)
    it's always weekend... somewhere.

    why wait?
    suppose you're thinkin' about a plate o' shrimp. Suddenly someone'll say, like, plate, or shrimp, or plate o' shrimp out of the blue, no explanation. No point in lookin' for one, either. It's all part of a cosmic unconciousness.

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