Reci laser tube experiences and knowledge?
Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2021
I am relaxing for a month cooling down [what remains of] my brain. I have been struggling with a new 1800x1300 [50x70"] machine with one W6 Reci tube and one W4 Reci. The W6 [130w agreed] has a strange 'O' shaped beam which is larger than I would expect and seems to be quite divergent- by the time it passes thru MI and M2 and gets to the laser head it is almost the size of the 'tunnel' in the head leading to M3, making alignment next to impossible. I sent picts to Russ and he sez it is a 'crap' beam and reports that Reci's QC is slipping and a lot of marginal [and bad?] tubes are on the market. Let's call that Reci #1.
I sold my old 1300x900 machine to an old friend and wanted to update it with a new tube [it was built with a ERF tube [F6- 130w agreed] and after 4-5 years of continuous use the measured power was down to 80w which I consider a good tube. The beam from this tube is 'normal' and, while the machine bed is half the size of the big machine it is easy to align. I ordered a Reci W6 tube from Sign-in-China and received it in due time- wooden crate enclosing the Reci cardboard box and very well packed. This tube [#2] has the same beam pattern as the other [#1] tube- also an 'O' beam pattern and a lot of divergence- a large unruly beam by the time it gets to the #3 mirror [which is 10-12 ft away at the extremity.
I am running out of... everything. I have my old EFR tube in the new machine to make it functional.
I have dealt with LightObject for 5 years and Tech_Marco has been helpful and seems very knowledgeable. Reading their website they claim to test every tube before sending them out and I trust if I ask for the tube to be tested that they will do it...
They sell Reci and GSI and SPI tubes- Russ seems to like SPI as far as he has had experience with them. GSI seems to be well thought of from the little I have been able to find. Does anyone know where to get a good 130W tube? Please? Gene
I sold my old 1300x900 machine to an old friend and wanted to update it with a new tube [it was built with a ERF tube [F6- 130w agreed] and after 4-5 years of continuous use the measured power was down to 80w which I consider a good tube. The beam from this tube is 'normal' and, while the machine bed is half the size of the big machine it is easy to align. I ordered a Reci W6 tube from Sign-in-China and received it in due time- wooden crate enclosing the Reci cardboard box and very well packed. This tube [#2] has the same beam pattern as the other [#1] tube- also an 'O' beam pattern and a lot of divergence- a large unruly beam by the time it gets to the #3 mirror [which is 10-12 ft away at the extremity.
I am running out of... everything. I have my old EFR tube in the new machine to make it functional.
I have dealt with LightObject for 5 years and Tech_Marco has been helpful and seems very knowledgeable. Reading their website they claim to test every tube before sending them out and I trust if I ask for the tube to be tested that they will do it...
They sell Reci and GSI and SPI tubes- Russ seems to like SPI as far as he has had experience with them. GSI seems to be well thought of from the little I have been able to find. Does anyone know where to get a good 130W tube? Please? Gene