Helium Neon laser, what's so special?

Brian10962001 · Oct 19, 2010

I have an old Helium neon laser (dated 1980) that I have kept around as a curiosity for a while now. I've read some stuff about them being used on assembly lines etc. but what's special about helium neon? Is it just the old way of doing things? I remember seeing a laser just like this on top of Arnolds Desert Eagle in the first Terminator which is why I've hung onto it for so long :laughing:.

csshih · Oct 19, 2010

helium neon gas lasers will not come remotely close in power to your new diodes, but they usually have a superior beam, and low divergence.

and, they look cool

:wave: :nana:

if you don't want it anymore... :paypal:

Brian10962001 · Oct 19, 2010

LOL good to know there's a market for it. I actually listed it on eBay a long time back and it never sold but I'm not even sure I listed it right. It's a Hughes, and yes, it looks cool. I'll try an throw some pics up here in a few.

Brian10962001 · Oct 20, 2010

Here she is. I just threw that blue tape on there because I've never had screws for that panel, it's like an electricians box.

The_LED_Museum · Oct 21, 2010

HeNe lasers not only have a narrower wavelength peak and lower divergence than diode lasers, they have a coherence length that could be measured in meters, instead of in millimeters as with most diode lasers -- making them an exceptional laser to perform holography with.

fixorater · Oct 22, 2010

I was playing with a HeNe laser just the other day. I'm making a DIY laser tunnel effect for a haunted house. I can personally attest to the HeNe being significantly more precise a beam than my DPSS Green laser. Heres a vid... can't tell much from the video but the red is a remarkably thin beam whereas the green is a thicker beam. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJlIZQlOt1M

Lighty · Oct 24, 2010

Most likely if it has been sitting for that long it will not even turn on or if it does will have a reduced lifetime. HeNe's were the work horses before laser diodes were developed.

Helium Neon laser, what's so special?

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