I have a vevor Model# KH7050 80 watt laser. Where can I purchase a tube at and what is compatible with mine which I have pics..thanks and any help would be greatly appreciated.
Connectors are mostly standard and similar. What is important is the physical dimensions of your tube, length and diameter. Use this data and look in the list from Cloudray for example. they definitely have something that fits your machine.
Is your existing tube dead? and are you sure that your power supply is not (also) broken?
I got my last tube from Light Object in the Pacific NW.. Assuming USA…?
Measure the tube length and use a caliper on the diameter.
@bernd.dk has it down.
I was just starting the first cut of the day about 30 seconds into it I heard glass break and a hissing sound for about 5 seconds but it was still running but no power. I hope I dont have a bad power supply also. I appreciate the help
So after doing the measurements I would look for an 80 Watt with those dimmensions. is that correct
Do you know what is causing it?, lack of cooling, frost…, it is important that you find the cause. As a starting point, I would not think your power supply is defective, but it can be measured/checked, ask @jkwilborn he can probably guide you.
80 Watt tube with your current measurements should be the right thing.
No matter what you do, you should not be hearing glass break and escaping gasses.
Tubes start to lase when they reach the trigger voltage. The laser power supply (lps) keeps increasing voltage until the tube starts conducting at it’s trigger voltage, then the current limiting starts to occur.
If the tube doesn’t conduct or has failed, the high voltage will usually climb high enough to punch through any normal HV wiring, so you end up with an arc to the chassis.
Even though there are ways to check an lps for these low cost machines, I don’t recommend it. Some of the older K40s came with a 20W 10 Ohm resistor they they placed across the output of the lps and measured the voltage across the resistor. I don’t recommend this approach as it tends to expose you to the 30kV + voltages possible from the lps.
The other option is to purchase a HV probe for measuring HV values. This is usually outside the price people want to spend for test equipment.
This one plugs into your regular low voltage meter. The same probe from Fluke is $340.
You still need to get directly at the anode to measure it.
I’ve been across 20kV before, as have others I’ve worked with and it just isn’t worth attempting to check or fix one of these lps without the proper equipment and puts you in danger. Never heard of anyone dying, but it’s all over the Internet that it will kill you, much like the eye protect myth of instant blindness.
Tube watts out are based on physics and relate to gas volume, but most of us just measure the tubes length and diameter, most are 50mm until you get to 60W, then the diameter increases which increases the amount of stored gasses.
I’d replace the tube and then check it. I’ve never heard of a case where a replaced tube was damaged by the lps, there’s always a first time for everything. However, I can’t see how it could damage the tube.
I’m on my third tube, same lps as was shipped with the machine.
I asked AI how to check the lps, it answered to measure it with my voltmeter, good way to get lit up, so be careful with AI.
If the tube fails the lps usually generates a high enough voltage to punch through the normal 30kV of insulation, so if your tube is bad, I’d expect the lps to arc to your case.
I’d suggest to change out the tube and check it. If it doesn’t lase then you can change out the lps.
If you hear glass break, it’s likely the tube, since it’s the only thing I know of in these that’s made of glass. The hissing noise needs to be located. It’s likely from the lps unless your tube broke and you heard the gas escaping.
Make sense?
Back in the day, IBM made us watch the laser safety video where the rabbit’s cornea instantly burned over, then charred through.
Made an eye safety believer out of me, it did …
One good thing about COâ‚‚ laser eye damage: cornea transplants are a thing.
Visible-light diode laser energy goes through the cornea and lens (because visible), then overcooks retinal cells. We always glance toward the bright-and-shiny, so the energy will land on the fovea, the only place where we have detailed vision; those cells are not replaceable.
Non-specular reflected laser light isn’t particularly dangerous, because it’s no longer coherent, but … I don’t feel lucky on most days.
Most likely a high-voltage arc to the machine frame, in which case the charred HV wiring needs replacement.
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This is the moron that lays on their back and looks directly into the beam with their remaining eye.
Did the same thing with drunk drivers, movies such as blood highway… Works for a day or two.
Know how they work and use common sense. If you don’t have both, maybe this isn’t the best hobby for you.
You best safety device is between your ears.
IMHO.
BTW even with the outputs going through buffers, the output transistors in the Ruida can still fail.
It only hissed for a few seconds, I figured it was the gas escaping from the tube
The power supply has an internal fuse that should blow during a catastrophic fault, but ya never know what happens in there.
Examine everything for damage!
It turns on and the water pump still works, also I can move the laser head around and I can lower and raise the laser bed. Is there something specific I am missing. Also the red dot comes on
Jack, what are you doing with your tubes? (before they break…)
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I pretty much babied the first one, abused the 2nd and am on the third. First two have lasted a bit over two years. Doesn’t seem to matter how I use them, they seem to have a finite life.
The probably cause is they are garaged and it heats up in the summer to over 110F and I think this really takes it’s toll on tubes and gas inside.
I know some people have machines with tubes that are 8 years old, they claim, there isn’t any reason for them not to tell the truth..
I have always adjusted the lps to match my maximum operational current and usually run under 70% but I wouldn’t have a problem running them as needed at 100%, it’s well within the tubes current limit.
Yes, that is not the LPS supply controlling those parts.
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It must be an unfortunate coincidence that you are on no. 3 tube.
On my old K40 the tube was broken during delivery, I could glue the outer coolant inlet back on with epoxy, but I still ended up with a new one.
My OMT 60 watt that I bought about at the same time as you bought yours, maybe half a year later, still has fine cutting properties. However, I have almost no temperature fluctuations in my workshop, here it is 20 +/- 2-3 degrees C. year round.
I am convinced that our standard Chinese laser comes with a variation of quality that also applies to tubes. They keep the tolerances but if you are lucky you will get a better tube than others, otherwise I cannot explain to myself that my tube still presents so well.
I have a modest “production”, a little more again recently, but rarely over 6 hours per day.
The only thing I could think of that has an influence here with me is that I do not exceed 16 mA. Not because I don’t dare, but I don’t get more effect in the material with, for example, 18 mA.
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Wow! You on the Equator, in the mountains? Guatemala, C.A. is like that, no seasons.
.. no just underground. I heat all year round to keep it dry and at a comfortable temperature. It doesn’t actually take that much energy and we are connected to district heating which is very common here and doesn’t cost much.
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Neat! Everytime energy costs go sky high, there is a rash of Berm houses built. Not so much in Florida but lots of them in Kentucky.
