Low laser power on new tube and newish power source!!

[daniel coyle]

Hello out there. I recently posted about replacing a RECI tube (100W) in my YGH 9060 machine from china. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?212800-is-there-a-quot-breaking-in-quot-period-protocol-for-new-RECI-tubes&highlight=coyle

The advice was great and the machine did well cutting cork the first 4 hour run I did with the brand new replacement tube. The next time I ran it the power seemed low relative to the settings I had always used. As I tried to problem solve this by resetting the power parameters etc (fix through the software settings) I noticed no improvement and even less power after several short trial and error runs of a few seconds a piece.

I checked the lenses and mirrors and they seem ok. I took the nozzle off and tested the laser without it for a few seconds just to make sure it wasn't a focus issue/nozzle wall itself somehow. Still a beam with, I would estimate, about 30% of the power I would anticipate based on the settings I had.

So, I am worried that I have somehow damaged either this brand new RECI tube or the 130W power supply I got a few months back.

Any ideas? Any ideas on how to diagnose before sending/shipping out for diagnos
tics/repair.?​

[Dan Hintz]

Are you sure the PS is not dying a slow death?

[daniel coyle]

HI Dan

Thanks for the reply. I just bought the ps this fall and it has less than 80 hours on it. Don't know how/what would cause it to die this fast aside from being a piece of junk. If that seems like the most likely thing to think about though then I would pull it and send it out to Ray at Rabbit lasers to have it diagnosed. Was hoping for a more benign possibility. Ouch.

[Dan Hintz]

Chinese laser power supplies are pretty much bottom of the barrel in terms of quality. I always suggest a 100% increase in listed power versus what you actually run with it... if your machine needs 300W, use a 600W "rated" unit.