Red dot "splitting" on epilog mini.

[Wes Reeve]

Hey guys, I ran into an issue when I sat down to double check the alignment on my red dot and laser that I don't want to go messing with until I have some insight on it. I did a search and nothing really stood out in your archives, so here we are;

The red dot is splitting... I don't think the laser itself is being affected, but its very possible.

This picture was taken on the top right hand and side of the laser.
250754

[Dan Hintz]

Check all optics for junk. If there's no junk, I'd check the alignment to make sure the beam is not reflecting off of an edge somewhere.

[Ernie Martinez]

I saw the same thing when I aligned mine. Epilog support said it was normal, and not to worry.

[Wes Reeve]

Dan, I checked the mirrors and lenses, nothing there. I'll quadruple check to be sure, but I haven't seen anything thus far.
Whats odd is that the bigger of the two dots is perfectly aligned, so I'm guessing its splitting immediately out of the diode. I thought it might be hitting an edge at first too but it seems to be splitting either out of the orange box with the mirrors or the diode, but wouldn't it hitting something in the mirror box change my engraving as well, not just the red dot?

Ernie, thats good to hear, and makes sense... It hasn't affected my engraving in any negative way so far but I'm still curious as to what causes this, if only for peace of mind.

[Ernie Martinez]

Its a forth order optical diffraction artifact.........Just kidding, I have no idea what causes it :), support said it's normal and I just accepted it.

[Chuck Stone]

I'm not a tech, but I'd think if it were 'normal' then more users here would have said so. If it were my machine, I'd be looking around for a cracked mirror or lens. (provided alignment is already ruled out) I'm sure the designers wouldn't let something like that go.. especially if the red dot and laser beam follow the same path. (they do on mine, not all are like that) A stray laser beam is nothing to take lightly, and if the red dot is split, it could be that the laser beam is also split.

[Nick Michalares]

It could be a bad laser pointer, too. Those things are not the most expensive piece in the machine. If it was under warranty or it bothers you enough to get another, tech support should be able to predict if that will cure it.

[Chris DeGerolamo]

It's a problem with just the red dot laser, ours does it too. This is completely independent of the laser tube. Don't sweat it.

[Glen Monaghan]

One of mine does that too, the other doesn't. It comes out of the periscope that way. Tech support says "it's normal" but I too was worried that, if the red dot is split, maybe the invisible CO2 beam was too. However, I couldn't detect any secondary CO2 beam using scorch tests at the exit of the periscope and finally quit worrying about it...

-Glen

[Greg Bednar]

FWIW - one single spider web between the origin of the red dot and the termination point will cause this too. They are hard to see also. Sounds strange, but the little buggers like some areas of the laser engravers.

[Joe Pelonio]

FWIW - one single spider web between the origin of the red dot and the termination point will cause this too. They are hard to see also. Sounds strange, but the little buggers like some areas of the laser engravers.
Might be fun to vector across a spider if he happened to cross the material at just the right time. :D

[Chuck Stone]

Maybe in this case 'normal' means 'we don't know so we're not gonna worry about it'
Seems strange for a company that specializes in getting light to a very specific place..

[Steve Clarkson]

Mine does it too........

[Dan Hintz]

I'm surprised to see so many who have this effect.

I can think of one possible explanation, but I'm not sure I really like it... if the combiner mirror passes most of the red pointer light on the first surface, and a small portion is re-reflected off of the second surface, the difference in glass thickness (at a 45 degree angle) may show up as a second reflection.

As I said, i don't like it as I would hope the coatings on the combiner are more efficient, but it's a possibility...

[Martin Boekers]

I have it on mine, EXT 36, It was pretty strong a few years back, to a point if I held the "laser fire" (maintenance)
it would slightly burn the tape. I have replaced mirror and a lens since the, it's there but not as strong. I keep an eye on it so
alignment doesn't throw it out of the circle area. Epilog said not to worry about it.

Not knowing exactly how the Red Dot is set up, not sure if the laser goes through the same lens as the red dot. The mirrors
shouldn't be an issue since they are front surface.

[Larry Bratton]

If you can avoid removing the pointer..do so. It ain't as simple as it looks. The housing has some very sensitive set screws in it that have to be exactly right. Whatever you do..don't remove the wrapping that's on the pointer, it is insulation and put back in without it will short the machiine and the board. At least that's what happens with an EXT.

[Chuck Stone]

I have it on mine, EXT 36, It was pretty strong a few years back, to a point if I held the "laser fire" (maintenance)
it would slightly burn the tape. I have replaced mirror and a lens since the, it's there but not as strong. I keep an eye on it so
alignment doesn't throw it out of the circle area. Epilog said not to worry about it.

I'm not sure which concerns me more.. that you're getting the tape to burn, or that
they say not to worry about it. If the tape is burning, you've got a laser beam going
off someplace it isn't supposed to go. And that's just the one you know about.

[Jiten Patel]

My galvo has this too. One clear point which is the actual point and a blurry-faded out ghost spot too. Never really worried about it.

[Dan Hintz]

My galvo has this too. One clear point which is the actual point and a blurry-faded out ghost spot too. Never really worried about it.

Hmmmm, maybe my mirror-split theory isn't far off base...

[Mark Ross]

We have 2 Epilog 36 EXT's. A 45W and a 75W. The 75W does it and the 45 does not. No degredation in performance on the 75W. If you were having problems cutting then I would say the laser was bouncing off the surface of the periscope tube, but if you aren't noticing problems, it is indeed considered "normal".

[Mike DeRegnaucourt]

My Epilog Legend 36EXT 60-watt has this too. Tech support told me the same thing about it being "normal". When I was doing an alignment is when I noticed it. I did not noticed when I placed a piece of tape over the opening prior to entering the periscope (after the combiner). Then I place a piece of tape over the opening to the mirror just above the periscope and I noticed the secondary red dot there. Seems like somewhere between that bottom mirror (bottom of periscope) and prior to the mirror above the periscope is where this secondary ghost red dot appears. I thoroughly cleaned that lower mirror and that did not resolve the problem either. Checked the inside of the periscope and did not see any crud either. Very strange indeed. I finally decided to not worry about it once Epilog tech support said it was "normal". I cannot help but wonder if there is the possibility of losing a little bit of power because of this.

[Chuck Stone]

I finally decided to not worry about it once Epilog tech support said it was "normal". I cannot help but wonder if there is the possibility of losing a little bit of power because of this.

I wouldn't be as concerned with loss of power as with misdirected power.

[Talley Boatwright]

I run an Epilog Legend 36EXT. I found that if you initially adjust your periscope mirror, let's say...180 degrees out to far. It would cause this effect. It is easy to do and trying to correct with the remaining mirrors. I notice this mistake when I have to realign my beam and over corrected the first mirror. It is an easy fix just by going to the periscope mirror, adjust, then the lens...adjust, and fine tune your mirrors.