Is this a bad tube?

[FlyGuy007]

I just hooked up my laser and in the test mode, I get a visible ray inside the tube but it does appear to have a hot spot near the output end and it looks like a short. I can't tell for sure and without enough experince I am hoping someone here has an opinion. Definately no output as a peice of paper is quite safe at the output end. Sorry for the poor quality

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQmJfVPpRDE

Opinions?

Thanks
Mike Purcell

[Laser.Tech]

Hard to tell from the video, but the arc/color do not look right at all. So most likely yes, a bad tube. See CNCadmin's video in the 'bad laser tube' thread at the top of this forum.

Laser.Tech

[FlyGuy007]

Well, the tube appears OK now, or at least I think it is. The PCI driver card MPC03 is/was acting up. After a dozen reinstalls all of a sudden the I get a much brighter beam inside the tube and can actually cut some 1/8" acrylic at about 7mm a sec at 95% of the 80w available.

I thought it would cut faster but maybe something is not adjusted right yet.

Mike

[WilliamD]

Something is definetly not right. I have a 40 watt tube and I could cut through 1/8" acrylic at 30 ipm at maybe 70 to 80 percent power. I was surprised at how much power those things produce. I very rarely take mine to the full 40 watts. I can only imagine with 80 watts.

[smartcut]

Hello !

I am using a 100W CO2 laser tube and the fluorescent light (due to nitrogen transitions) is very uniform across the tube even much below the lasing threshold (around 6 mA). No hot spot like with your tube.

If you think your tube is producing more lasing power than it should, perhaps there is something wrong with your power supply. If the tube current is to high, your tube will be destroyed within a short while !

[FlyGuy007]

I have the laser up and working well. It seems that the PCI card was restricting power somehow. I installed it in a different slot on the computer and everything now appears fine.

Thanks
Mike

[ImanCarrot]

The PCI driver card MPC03 is/was acting up

There was another guy on these forums having exactly the same problem- installed the card in 4 different PC's and still having problems with an 80 watt laser cutting only at about 50% or something.. I'll find the thread for you.

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37833

oops the other guy was you lol sorry