Homemade TEA Laser Running At 120 Hz.

More info is now available. http://www.sparkbangbuzz.com/tealaser/tealaser7.htm
TEA Laser is running at 120 hz. It is connected directly to the output of a neon sign transformer having no rectifier or series resistor. The laser fires on each half of the 60 hz high voltage cycle causing it to pulse at 120 hz.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• homemade
• tea
• laser
• ultraviolet
• light
• show
• science
• fair
• high
• voltage
• photonics
• fluorescence
• nyle
• steiner
• k7ns

[jpjnet]

I have tried to duplicate this setup unsuccessfully with 10,000V supply and a thin glass plate as the dielectric (Scanner platen DK~7.6 about 2.89 mm thick). Inductor is a 26 turn piece of 12 Ga wire. those are the only notable differences however still no joy. Presumably my setup should run at 120Hz un-rectified. Any ideas?

[nylesteiner]

I would say from reading The Professor's website, that your glass dielectric is way too thick. The dielectric should be only a few mils (thousandths of an inch) thick. Thicker dielectrics create too much inductance in the capacitors for the TEA laser to operate.

[jpjnet]

Thanks for the reply, I had my suspicions about the glass myself. However I am having difficulty obtaining inexpensive (free) PET or other material for the dielectric suitable for the 10KV. I have burned through many materials of varying thicknesses so far. This is why I resorted to the glass. I wonder about using 2 liter bottles cut and laid flat. or would this be too thick as well? Are there any other issues I should keep in mind when looking for materials? Thanks again for your guidance

[nylesteiner]

Go to a copy store and get the clear stuff used to make transparencies for overhead projectors. That is what I have been using. So far it has worked very well.

I would be interested to hear how the 2 liter bottle stuff works. I may try that myself.

Also, using a lower voltage, in the 4 to 5 kv range, and running at a low rep rate will make things a lot easier on the dielectric. Running 120 hz is tough on dielectrics.

Use a dc hv supply through a 1 meg resistor to get the lower rep rate.

[GearzVoNKod3]

I'm curious about how these lasers work in high pressure or near-vaccuum pressures. Any information?

[BankaiIchigo12345]

0:05 it isn't JUST an NST. It's an NST and a Capacitor. Forgot that on your equipment list. This type of laser must use a capacitor.

[stalkersas]

@nylesteiner i made a setup too :( but no resaults... just alot of sparks between the paralel electrodes and a headake from the horible noise. even when i put a glass over the spark gap still sounds loud as hell. i used a transparent protective sheet i have from when i bought my lcd monitor. it is thiner then transparent projector film, but it's like imposible to make it fail. my spark gap can be as big as 1 cm, but just noice, no laser :( tested like 100 diferent gaps, still nothing.

[prototype9000]

does all that have to be sitting exactly on the top of the capacitor cant you just put the capacitor somewhere else

[MadHatterTruth]

that looked cool

[SpecklePattern]

Its tea time already? :)

[TiagoTiagoT]

what frequencies and with what intensities does the body without covers emit? (by the look of the artifacts i would guess it's at least pulsing infrared, though it could just simply be too bright visible light)

[AnselmoFanZero]

Not that easy dude...guess you have found out already all alone.

[n17ikh]

Interesting! I have a neon sign transformer and a whole bunch of angle aluminum, I'll have to give this a try someday. I never would've thought that plain air at atmospheric pressure is such a good lasing medium.