12V HENE LASER
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Somebody set up us the bomb.


12 Volt HeNe Laser, retail $(Unknown) (www.laserdrive.com...)
Manufactured by Laser Drive, Inc. (www.laserdrive.com)
Last updated 06-25-10






This is a small HeNe (helium neon) laser and low-voltage DC power supply in one compact, tidy unit.

It is a small PSU (Power Supply Unit) with a small HeNe tube already installed; all you need to do to fire this baby up is connect it to any source of 12 volts DC that can furnish at least 900mA.

It produces laser radiation with a wavelength of 632.8nm {6,328Å} (the standard orange-red HeNe wavelength) with a power output of 467.0ĩW (0.4670mW).
This is a perfectly acceptable power output for a HeNe laser of this size


Size of product w/hand to show scale SIZE



To ue this little baby HeNe laser, connect it to a source of +10 volts to +14 volts that can sink at least 0.90 amps (900mA) on a continuous basis.

Red is (+) positive, black and yellow wires (connected to one another) are (-) negative.

If you wish to have a power (on/off) switch, you'll have to procure it yourself. Connect it between the red (+) positive wire of the laser and the (+) positive connection of the power source. O, and be certain to choose a switch rated for at least 1.50 amperes.



This product is not designed to use disposable batteries; though you could rather easily power it from 8 C or D cells.

In normal use, connect it to a source of +10 volts to +14 volts that can sink at least 0.90 amps (900mA) on a continuous basis.

Like I said above, red is (+) positive, black and yellow wires (connected to one another) are (-) negative.



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.

This laser produces a bright primary beam, and a dim, wider (higher divergence) secondary beam. This is perfectly normal for a small HeNe laser like this, and does not in any way indicate a problem with the laser.

The laser & power supply unit appears to reach a peak temperature of 144°F after approximately 4 hours of "on" time. This temperature was measured with a non-contact IR thermometer. Input voltage (loaded) is 11.95 volts DC; which is right where it ought to be. Unloaded (open circuit) voltage is 12.18 volts; no surprise there.

If the upper cover is slid off, that exposes the laser tube -- but it also exposes electrical contacts that can spawn baby funnel web spiders, bumblebee larvae, and Mourningcloak butterfly caterpillars (larvae)...er...uh...I mean SERIOUSLY "ZAP YO ASS" IF YOU AREN'T PAYING ATTENTION!!!
This power supply is rated to have an output of +1,250 volts at 4.00mA.



Beam photograph (yes, of the actual beam!)
Measures 0.4670mW on a laser power meter.

The tube is marked as having an output of 1.270mW; however, as this tube is many years old, power output degradation is fully expected and not indicative of a problem of any type.



Beam photograph (of the spot itself) at ~6 feet.
At the lower left of the primary beam spot in this picture, you can see the larger, dimmer secondary spot.



Beam photograph on a wall at ~6 feet.




This photograph shows the laser tube that normally lives inside this tiny little thing.



And here's the laser tube in my hand, showing you just how small it really is.


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of this laser.


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of this laser; spectrometer's response narrowed to a range between 623nm and 643nm to pinpoint wavelength.


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the secondary beam from this laser.


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the secondary beam from this laser; spectrometer's response narrowed to a range between 623nm and 643nm to pinpoint wavelength.


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the discharge column of this laser tube.

USB2000 spectrometer graciously donated by P.L.






TEST NOTES:
Test unit was sent by a fan of this website and was received on 12-24-03 (or "24 Dec 2003" if you prefer).

When I started this web page on 06-23-10 (23 Jun 2010), the unit was deader than a doorknob, so I used the Melles Griot power supply pictured below and the ballast resistor from this laser tube in order to fire up this tube for spectroscopy. And even with the power supply's current turned down to minimum, the tube was still running hot -- it could not be kept on for more than two or three minutes without a "hot" odour becoming noticeable.



As far as I'm able to determine, this product was manufactured sometime in 2001; so it is ***FAR*** beyond the one year warranty period.


UPDATE: 00-00-00



PROS:



CONS:



    MANUFACTURER: Laser Drive (PSU), Seimens (laser tube)
    PRODUCT TYPE: Small HeNe laser
    LAMP TYPE: Plasma laser tube
    No. OF LAMPS: 1
    BEAM TYPE: Very narrow spot
    SWITCH TYPE: None
    CASE MATERIAL: Plastic
    BEZEL: None
    BATTERY: N/A
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Unknown (labelled as being at or just below 900mA)
    WATER- AND URANATION-RESISTANT: No
    SUBMERSIBLE: NO WAY HOZAY!!!
    ACCESSORIES: None that I'm aware of
    SIZE: 6.40" L x 2.250" T x 1.270" W
    COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: United States (PSU), W. Germany (laser tube)
    WARRANTY: 1 year

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Product went to pot before I added it to this website,
    so I cannot in good conscience furnish it with a rating.





12 Volt HeNe Laser * www.laserdrive.com...






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