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  1. Marco Polo

    Idiot co-worker brags about his laser misbehavior.

    I noticed a co-worker had a cheapie DPSS green laser. We work in a factory and the air is a bit hazy so even with the bright lighting the beam was clearly visible. I thought, "cool! he has a laser!" and asked him about it. The conversation that followed made me want to take it straight off...
  2. Marco Polo

    I'm still here :D :D :D

    I'm still here, and I haven't forgotten about you. I just got a new job that pays actual, real money, so I hope to get back into the thick of things soon. Who is the current go-to host maker? Is DTR still around?
  3. Marco Polo

    Fired brand newPL-E mini 1W green jet laser with cap on (solved)

    Glad to hear it. Yeah, those high-wattage diodes pull the battery voltage down pretty hard when the cell is running out of energy. No need to be sorry about worrying. I know that feeling very well, when it comes to the lasers we love.
  4. Marco Polo

    Powerstat 136B terminal boxes

    Good morning. I've just moved into an apartment and I think it would be a good idea to install boxes on the Powerstat 136B's, to cover up the terminals and associated wiring. This is also a good time to install proper power indicators and switches on the units as well. The main thing is...
  5. Marco Polo

    18650 Powered Green Laser for Astronomy

    The common Laser 301 will do just fine for star pointing. The laser you linked to is also fine. It's amazing how inexpensive they have become. I still remember when a green DPSS laser would have cost hundreds of dollars. Please be careful when pointing into the sky or at anything else - you...
  6. Marco Polo

    Custom hosts.

    Here's the Ehgemus host with the 638nm diode from DTR and Jayrob G2 lens. It's still my favorite by far and I love this general style. It works really well as a star pointer and the beam looks wicked in fog!
  7. Marco Polo

    Custom hosts.

    Been out of the loop for a while, but as it happens my last job was cheating me out of overtime and there's been a class action and settlement. So, I'm going to be in the market for a new laser soon! Is Ehgemus still in business? I have one of his hosts and it's great, but I know he took a...
  8. Marco Polo

    Diode glitch.

    A few years back - quite a few years now - I bought a host from Ehgemus and installed a 638nm Osram diode into it. This laser has seen it all - hard drops onto concrete and brick. Sub-freezing temperatures from being left in the car all night. Searing summer heat from being left in the car...
  9. Marco Polo

    Who makes custom hosts these days?

    Hey all, It's been a while but I'm still here and I still have 20-odd lasers on my desk that I like to have fun with. I'm happy to say I haven't lost any of them despite having them for years and years now. I have much better income now and it's way past time to expand and get back into...
  10. Marco Polo

    Analog panel meter questions thread

    Are the 750-volt, 1kV, etc. higher voltage meters safe? It seems a bit dangerous to have 1000 volts going to a 10-dollar chinese panel meter. At the very least I would want to put fuses on the meter leads in case something shorts out. I hope these questions aren't too silly. I can't find...
  11. Marco Polo

    Analog panel meter questions thread

    300V meter Is that volt meter a direct-connect type, or does it need a current transformer? I'm honestly not sure. It's pretty clear when an ammeter needs a CT because it will say something like 200/5A on it, but I'm not sure about this meter. It looks like it should be direct-connect...
  12. Marco Polo

    Pole pig and electric service question.

    I live in the USA so my house's electric service is 240V split single phase. The main breaker on the service panel is 200A. But 200 amps at 240 volts is 48kVA. The pole pig feeding my house is 25kVA, and there are three other houses (4 houses total) connected to it. I assume this is fine...
  13. Marco Polo

    Large filament transformer 6.3V 168A

    Two of these transformers in series running on a big 240-volt variac would make a fun car starter. Just need a rectifier and a big cap to get DC out. Honestly thinking about building one using my 136B's. The user manual for the 136B includes wiring diagrams showing how to gang them series to...
  14. Marco Polo

    Large filament transformer 6.3V 168A

    Been shorting this out tonight with a section of 3/4" copper pipe. The current output of this transformer is just stupid. At 80 VAC input and dead short on the secondary, it pulls 30A off the variac and the primary winding doesn't even get warm. The secondary winding also apparently couldn't...
  15. Marco Polo

    Large filament transformer 6.3V 168A

    Some photos of the unit. It's a Basler Electric BE-1823. It's not the only one of its kind and might not even be terribly rare. Definitely used, but in good shape. Shorting it out is serious business and heats things up quickly. The transformer has so far not complained or even gotten warm...
  16. Marco Polo

    Large filament transformer 6.3V 168A

    I bought a Basler Electric B-1823 transformer on Ebay and it arrived Fed Ex over the weekend. Seems to be the heater transformer for large RF vacuum tubes. According to the seller, it came out of a 20kW Gates radio set. It's 1kVA, rated output is 6.3V and 168A. Input is 200V, should be ~5A...
  17. Marco Polo

    5000mw(5 watt) green laser emitting dim red light

    Lazerer used to sell a 1W 445nm in a 303 host. I suspect it was probably close to spec back in the days when it was still a good company. I have no idea if they still sell them now. It's a shame I didn't get one. Be careful with DPSS because the usual safety glasses won't stop the IR...
  18. Marco Polo

    Should I register my lasers with my university as weapons?

    Sure, go ahead and register your laser as a weapon. Don't forget to register your car as well, not to mention any mechanical pencils you might be carrying. They're pointy, and you can even make a zip gun out of them if you're really on the ball. This was sarcasm btw.
  19. Marco Polo

    WTB: UK/AUS microwave transformer 240V 50Hz

    I finally got a MOT from the UK. 45 dollars shipped, doesn't seem too bad. Feasible to get another one if I kill this one or want to do the anti-phase inputs and split-phase secondary thing for twice the volts. The seller didn't pack it worth a damn though, no padding whatsoever. a bit...
  20. Marco Polo

    New variacs - Powerstat 136B - 22 amps

    So the month of May is shit for me. My birthday is on the 7th but the BMV pisses all over that by demanding I fork out 50 dollars for car plates. Happy birthday, you crooks. Then my PO box fee hits, there's the monthly car payment theft, and the much more annoying car pizzo theft, a.k.a...