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Investment Opportunity Advice Needed

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Pianoman

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Hello to all. I volunteer at a local Science Theater. They have a Approx. 10yr old Laser show system from a company called Lexel lasers. It uses 4 colors, however the red gas tube is broken and was quoted at $12,000 to repair. The science theater doesn't use the laser anymore anyways, so they just want to get it "out of the way." :) good for me I hope. I made them an offer and they said they would take it. I need expert opinion. If I buy this laser system, will I be able to resale it and come out ahead? (after playing it with it some first of course :)

More info about laser: it has a power and "shape"? control system. I think you can program it. However, from what I understand it has, ADAT tapes with music and a show that it reads (comes with and adat reader). However it also has cables for connecting it to a computer. It has a color pro box, and a laser housing box. It has a variable output power controller that maxes at 1W~.

Update on output power** read more recent posts, is a 4W white light system***
It is very nice, looks new and was well maintained. All the original material and boxes are with it!
Please forum, help me out. What do you think. I don't know enough to determine the resale value of a laser system such as this. Does it's age matter much? I didn't think laser technology has changed A LOT in ten years, I might be wrong. Thanks for any help you can offer guys!
~pianoman~
 
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Well, I'm thinking it's probably an Ar/Kr system with a bad krypton laser.. $2-300 isn't a lot of money for an argon and a dead krypton. The parts alone are worth more than that.. I wouldn't think you'd get hurt buying it. You should be able to recoup at least you $2-300 back. It would cost a bit to refill those tubes since most likely the argon laser has as many hours as the krypton, which has died already. I'm not an expert on gas lasers, though.. there are other people here who are.

I say buy it, since the housing and scanner systems are likely good and worth a bit on their own, not to mention AOMs, beam steering servos and mirrors, etc. The system has value without taking the lasers into account.
 
The optical system alone might be worth $300 depending on the galvo system and associated optical table and whatnot. Plus there's gotta be a PCAOM to modulate the lasers. Elektro is on the money in the fact that it's probably an argon/krypton system. Ion lasers are very costly to have rebuilt hence the massive sticker shock when they asked about having the krypton tube rebuilt.

With more details and maybe some pictures a better estimate of worth could be given :)
 
ok, i'll try and get some pics, right now the only ones i have are on my phone. Ill try and upload them
 
Without knowing anything specific about the system in question, I'd say that while it may be possible to make a small profit, you'll have to be prepared to invest a lot of your time. Any hardware more than 10 years old is completely out of date and will probably be of interest and use only for someone maintaining something of similar age.
 
Lexel 88 small water cooled system , argon does 2.2W at ~20A tube current when it's newer. The tube with the Kr fill will do 500-700mW or so. If you add some new galvos and find a PCAOM for it you should be able to make some money back on it if you can get it working as good as new ( so that means getting the argon back to >2W at ~20A and getting the krypton back to original power, or just getting the argon working and selling it as a blue system rather than whitelight ). If we knew what was wrong with the krypton it would help, if it's $12,000 for a repair it needs more than just a new fill. It could have a broken bewster stem , or stems. It could have bad gas seals or it could just be a completely fried tube in need of a complete replacement.

If you can find out more information that would help. It's certainly worth it if even if you can only get the argon tube to work and do 2W at 20A. Add a PCAOM and a nice set of scanners and it'll make quite a system ! :cool:

Regards,



EDIT: If you're getting the Kr tube redone you'd be as well getting an Ar/Kr mixed gas fill and selling it as a complete 1W whitelight system and THEN selling the argon system for even more profit!
Adam

EDIT2: Unsure if Lexel 88s can take an Ar/Kr fill , I'd need to check that


EDIT3:
We do quite a large amount of regassing of units. Lately there has been more activity concerning regassing of "great whites" and lexel systems to white light. Many of these system can be regassed, but some, in particular 8100 and 5100 white light lexel systems usually don't work very well as a regassed tube. The reason is as follows. White light systems are mostly krypton and lexel in their bid to get customer loyalty gave two year warranties on these systems. Lexel did not put a fill system on these tubes initially. The tubes would use up the gas and the pressure would lower. This condition would cause more metallic vapor from the discharge components to cycle in the tube, much as is vapor deposition used today. This metal deposition would cool in the return and on the windows, making the tube hard to start, destroying the mode, and reducing the output. This effectively makes most lexels difficult to regas, unless it has low hours or light duty on the tube. Keep this in mind when looking at these to purchase, thinking that a regas would bring the tube back. We normally will evaluate the tube very carefully before we attempt a regas, and will notify the customer the condition of the tube and if a regas should be attempted. Nothing worse than having a customer bring a 5 watt argon to convert only to get a 1 watt, shaky mode white light. :(
Click to expand...
 
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ok, thanks for the info. You might have to explain some of the technicalities, because im not exactly a laser expert. I was really into them for a while, but I got side tracked building a tesla coil. haha, I only own one laser unfortunately, my budget doesn't allow me to buy lasers, since they are very expensive. What are galvos and a PCAOM?
 
ok, sorry but I really don't know the technical stuff, or the laser lingo since I am new to the laser scene, what are my PM's and I will be sure to read them. :)
 
PM = Private Message. Click the "Your Notifications" link on the top right. You got mail.

You should never invest in something you don't understand. That's just gambling, and you'll probably lose.
 
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