We have an old phosphorimager that contains a Uniphase 1135P laser which is no longer operational. Near as I can tell the rest of that scanner is working properly. The 1135P is 632.8nm laser, 20mW. They still sell lasers like that but they are $$$, and the lab that owns the instrument doesn't want to spend much to fix it. I think for this application the key requirement is that the replacement laser's output be stable (
How much are they willing to pay? 1135Ps are available surplus in excellent working condition for a small fraction of the new price.
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Where? The ones I have seen on ebay are pretty iffy - no estimate on remaining life, usually they don't even say if the tube is known to work. Plus I don't know if it is the tube or the power supply blown.
Is there a simple way to test the power supply at the leads that go into the tube? The power supply is out of reach in a part of the instrument case that I could not disassemble. (There is no instrument service manual.) None of the voltmeters at my disposal can handle kV measurements, at least not directly.
Thanks.
I think you're right to be skeptical of used items, in this case. The gas laser, a HeNe type, depends on the correct gas mixture, and the helium will, with time, diffuse out of the envelope.
Buy a new part, if you can.
In related news, all the common CF fluorescent globe-bulb replacements use a small bit of radioactive material to get 'em started: don't stockpile those lamps, because the half-life of that item is only a decade or so. For infrequently used lights (attic, crawlspace, guestroom closets) you'll get better service from incandescents.
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