GREEN (543.50nm) HeNe LASER TUBE

Green (543.50nm) HeNe Laser Tube, retail $TBA
Manufactured by (unknown)
Last updated 05-05-10





(In reference to the box I received from a Candlepower Forums Marketplace member in mid-2007):
{sung like the Foreigner song "Feels Like the First Time"}

This is a green HeNe laser tube. It consists of a green-emitting helium neon (HeNe) laser tube and ballast resistor with a cord terminated in a special polarised DC high voltage Alden connector -- this is rather typical of products sold as "laser heads".

You do need to be aware though, this laser uses a partially-evacuated glass tube and high DC voltage, not a small metal can and very low DC voltage like laser diodes might come like and are operated with.

This is one case, however, when "vaccuummnne" tubes are better than solid state: the beam emerges in a true Gaussian profile (brighter center falling off to extinction) and the coherence length could be measured in meters, instead of in millimeters for most diode lasers, which makes producing and viewing holographic images much, much easier.


SIZE



To use this laser tube, you'll need a source of high voltage low current DC; many companies (including Melles Griot) sell small "brick" power supplies specifically made to operate these lasers.

Plug the white connector on the end of the laser's cord into the mating receptacle on the power supply "brick", and connect the power supply itself into the type of electrical current it expects -- this may be 12 volts DC or 110-130 volts AC depending on the power supply.

After several seconds (this is an intentional delay by the power supply itself!), the laser tube should spring to life.
***EXTREMELY, CRITICALLY, SUPER IMPORTANT!!!***
You ***MUST*** be aware of the exposed high-voltage DC present around the "business-end" and on both mirrors of this laser tube when operating it AND for some period after power-down!!!

You don't want baby brown recluse spiders or Africanised honeybee larvae...er...uh...I mean
YOU DON'T WANT TO GET ZAPPED!!!


When you are finished using the laser, disconnect the power supply from its source of power -- you may leave the laser tube plugged into it.

I'm using a Melles Griot "brick"-type power supply that operates from 115-230 volts AC.
Part number is 05-LPM-903-070; I purchased it in the mid-1990s to use with a green HeNe laser head (the laser head has since gone tits-up) -- both the laser & PSU were purchased from MWK Industries.
Here is a photograph of it in operation as proof I once did have it:





This is a plasma laser, not a flashlight meant to be bashed, thrashed, trashed, and abused; I won't throw it against the wall, stomp on it, try to drown it in the toylet bowl or the cistern, run over it, swing it against the concrete floor of a porch, use a medium claw hammer in order to smash it open to check it for candiosity, fire it from the cannoņata, drop it down the top of Mt. Erupto (I guess I've been watching the TV program "Viva Piņata" too much again - candiosity is usually checked with a laser-type device on a platform with a large readout (located at Piņata Central), with a handheld wand that Langston Lickatoad uses, or with a pack-of-cards-sized device that Fergy Fudgehog uses; the cannoņata (also located at Piņata Central) is only used to shoot piņatas to piņata parties away from picturesque Piņata Island, and Mt. Erupto is an active volcano on Piņata Island {In the episode "Les Saves the Day...Again", Paulie Preztail says "Hey, ever wonder why this park's called 'Mount Erupto' anyway?", then Franklin Fizzlybear says "I think its an old native term. Means 'very safe.'"}), send it to the Daystrom Institute for additional analysis, or inflict upon it punishments that flashlights may have inflicted upon them.

It is supposed to generate a green beam (typically, 543.50nm or 5,435Å) -- this is a very standard wavelength for green HeNe lasers and I see no reason to state otherwise.

Since this laser tube was defective right from the get-go (it has never produced laser radiation!!!), I'll be issuing that dreadful "dead on arrival" icon at once; the only tests I was able to perform at all were the four spectrographic analyses of its discharge column that you see directly below.


Spectrographic analysis
Specrographic analysis of this laser plasma tube's discharge column.


Spectrographic analysis
Specrographic analysis of this laser plasma tube's discharge column; spectrometer intentionally "overloaded" to show weaker spectral lines.


Spectrographic analysis
Specrographic analysis of this laser plasma tube's discharge from the OC (Output Coupler).


Spectrographic analysis
Specrographic analysis of this laser plasma tube's discharge from the OC (Output Coupler); spectrometer intentionally "overloaded" to show weaker spectral lines.

USB2000 spectrometer graciously donated by P.L.






TEST NOTES:
Test unit purchased from a Candlepower Forums Marketplace member in early-June 2007.

It is not known where this laser tube was manufactured.
A product's country of origin really does matter to some people, which is why I wanted to publish it on this web page.

Since it was defective right from the get-go, I'll be issuing that dreadful "dead on arrival" icon at once; the only testing I could perform is spectroscopy of its discharge column.


UPDATE: 00-00-00






    MANUFACTURER: Unknown
    PRODUCT TYPE: Green-emitting HeNe laser tube
    LAMP TYPE: HeNe plasma laser tube
    No. OF LAMPS: 1
    BEAM TYPE: Very narrow spot (if it produced one!)
    SWITCH TYPE: N/A
    CASE MATERIAL: N/A
    BEZEL: None
    BATTERY: N/A
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Unknown/unable to measure
    WATER- AND PEE-RESISTANT: No
    SUBMERSIBLE: NO WAY HOZAY!!!
    ACCESSORIES: None
    WARRANTY: Unknown/TBA

    PRODUCT RATING:

    This is a laser tube in its feral state, so conventional ratings will not be assigned to it.





Green (543.50nm) HeNe Laser Tube *






Do you manufacture or sell an LED flashlight, task light, utility light, or module of some kind? Want to see it tested by a real person, under real working conditions? Do you then want to see how your light did? If you have a sample available for this type of real-world, real-time testing, please contact me at ledmuseum@gmail.com.

Please visit this web page for contact information.

Unsolicited flashlights, LEDs, and other products appearing in the mail are welcome, and it will automatically be assumed that you sent it in order to have it tested and evaluated for this site.
Be sure to include contact info or your company website's URL so visitors here will know where to purchase your product.


WHITE 5500-6500K InGaN+phosphor 
ULTRAVIOLET 370-390nm GaN 
BLUE 430nm GaN+SiC
BLUE 450 and 473nm InGaN
BLUE Silicon Carbide
TURQUOISE 495-505nm InGaN
GREEN 525nm InGaN 
YELLOW-GREEN 555-575mn GaAsP & related
YELLOW 585-595nm
AMBER 595-605nm
ORANGE 605-620nm
ORANGISH-RED 620-635nm
RED 640-700nm
INFRARED 700-1300nm
True RGB Full Color LED
Spider (Pirrahna) LEDs
SMD LEDs
True violet (400-418nm) LEDs
Agilent Barracuda & Prometheus LEDs
Oddball & Miscellaneous LEDs
Programmable RGB LED modules / fixtures
Where to buy these LEDs 
Links to other LED-related websites
The World's First Virtual LED Museum
Legal horse puckey, etc.
RETURN TO OPENING/MAIN PAGE
LEDSaurus (on-site LED Mini Mart)



This page is a frame from a website.
If you arrived on this page through an outside link,you can get the "full meal deal" by clicking here.