Laser and Parts Sources

Sub-Table of Contents

• Where to Find Laser Equipment and Parts
  • Sources for Everything from $5 Laser Diodes to $100,000 C02 Laser Welders
  • Locating Laser Specifications
  • Buyer Beware for Laser Purchases
  • Some Tips for Sellers
  • Packing Laser Equipment to Withstand Drunk 900 Pound Gorillas During Shipping
  • Comments on Shipping/Export of Small Lasers

• New, Surplus, Walk-In, Mail Order, Kits/Plans (Commercial)
  • Walk-In/Mail Order
  • Mail Order - Lasers, Laser Parts, Optics, Accessories
  • Mail Order - Electronics Surplus, Some Lasers - Varies from Month to Month
  • Mail Order - Electronic Components
  • Electronic, Optics, and Laser Project Plans, Parts, Kits, Specialized Components
  • High Quality New and Surplus
  • Scrap and Salvage
  • How to Get a Laser Without Really Trying - Part 1
  • How to Get a Laser Without Really Trying - Part 2

• On-Line Sources (Non-Commercial)
  • You Don't Have to Buy from Companies
  • Newsgroups and Similar Forums
  • Internet Classifieds
  • Sam's Stuff for Sale or Trade and Items Wanted
  • Auctions

• Laser Sales and Service Companies

• Laser Diode Manufacturers, Part Numbers, and Specifications

• Laser and Optics Manufacturers and Suppliers

Where to Find Laser Equipment and Parts

Sources for Everything from $5 Laser Diodes to $100,000 C02 Laser Welders

It is also possible to buy from private individuals on-line via classified ads in USENET newsgroups, other discussion groups and bulletin boards, auctions, and private Web sites.

Where actual manufacturer's model numbers are listed in the catalog or on the Web page, it is a good idea to confirm that the specifications actually do match. Inaccuracies in catalog entries are very common (like a HeNe laser listed as 5 mW that turns out to be only .5 mW, oops). Similarly, it would be disappointing to say the least if you blew a visible laser diode because the driver board actually required a regulated input when the listing claimed otherwise. :-(

Compare prices as well. There can be a wide variation in the price of the identical system or component among the various surplus houses or other suppliers. Haggling (at least with private individuals) may get you a better deal especially if you can identify lower prices elsewhere. More expensive items may be in better condition or newer, but not always - and it may not matter for your purposes. Consider using COD (Cash On Delivery) for payment if available (instead of a check, money order, or credit card) when dealing with a company for the first time or when in doubt about their integrity. For purchases from individuals, in addition to COD, a partial payment arrangement (e.g., 50% percent up front, 50% after receipt and inspection of merchandise) shouldn't scare off someone who has nothing to hide if they can verify *your* integrity. The latter shouldn't be a problem if you are a regular contributer to USENET newsgroups or frequent buyer and/or seller on eBay! :)

A commercial supplier should know how to pack and ship fragile merchandise to prevent damage. However, when ordering from a private individual or if you should need to send laser parts through the mail, or via UPS, Fed-X, Airborn, etc., packing should be done such that the box can withstand being drop-kicked from a 10 story building. Four inches of bubble-wrap or styrofoam peanuts on all sides should be considered a minimum with adequate protection between items as well. Insurance is also a worthwhile expense though successfully filing a claim could be an ordeal. Stickers marked 'Fragile' and 'Do Not Drop' may just make the package a more inviting target. :-)

Then, when you receive your merchandise, make sure you actually were sold what was expected. Confirm that it behaves as advertised. I have received HeNe laser power supplies marked with reversed polarity, for example. Honest (or otherwise) mistakes in packing and labelling do occur. And, of course, DO NOT open the inner packaging or attempt to power an item that was shipped in error as getting a refund may be much more difficult if the seller can honestly claim you damaged something.

I've only had to file an insurance claim once, with the U.S. Post Office (USPS). That was for a 15 to 20 mW HeNe laser head I had gotten along with a power supply on eBay. The bore of the laser head was fractured, most likely due to the package falling onto a concrete floor. (The power supply was not damaged.) From my perspective, the packing was not totally adequate but would have been fine for ordinary handling, even tossing it onto a pile of boxes. Thus, I would have not been terribly unhappy to have the the claim denied with an excuse of "inadequate packing". Then, I would go back to the seller and it is likely we would have come to some acceptable agreement. However, I filled out the claim form, obtained the insurance receipt and an itemized cost receipt from the seller, and included a description along with a diagram of the damage. I went into my local post office with these as well as the box and all packing material, the broken laser head partially disassembled so the damage could be easily seen, and a mockup of the power supply to show how everything was arranged. Since the claim was for only $50, they paid it on the spot. It turns out that $50 is the USPS limit for this - otherwise it would have had to go through the system, with an uncertain and no doubt long time to completion. (I did forgo reimbursement for part of the shipping cost but figured that a bird in the hand.....) Aside from just getting in under the instant payment limit in this case, one key to getting an insurance claim paid without hassle is no doubt having all the original packaging and complete documentation to present when filing the claim.

Also see the sections: Laser Sales and Service Companies and Laser and Optics Manufacturers and Suppliers for sources of mostly expensive laser products. However, some of those companies may have overstock and surplus sales as well as items like diode laser modules that are more reasonably priced.

Locating Laser Specifications

Obviously, for a model that is still being sold, the manufacturer's literature or Web site will often provide enough info. User and service manuals may also be available as well as for older lasers that they still support. In addition, there may be many variations on a given model depending on the type of optics installed and possible tube replacement or upgrade.

Unfortunately, few manufacturers maintain detailed specifications or other information readily accessible (e.g., on-line) for older models. After all, why should they help you fix the laser that you've been happy with for the last 5 years for only $500 when they can sell you a shiny new and improved one for $20,000! :(

There are a variety of other places to look for specifications but their accuracy can vary based on the objectives of the provider (e.g., honesty, vested interests, optimism, technical knowledge).

• Companies that sell used or surplus laser equipment - If the model in question is in their catalog, the information you seek may be there. For example, Laser Resale, Inc has extensive listings for virtually all types of laser systems. Many others can be found in the sections: Mail Order - Lasers, Laser Parts, Optics, Accessories and Laser Sales and Service Companies.

  Just keep in mind that these are items for sale so power output ratings must be taken with a sliver of optical glass (at least for lasers like ion and ruby/YAG where output power is adjustable).

• Identifying Stuff with Interesting Lasers Inside has a few entries (not too many unfortunately) but welcomes contributors.

Also see the section: Buyer Beware for Laser Purchases.

Buyer Beware for Laser Purchases

Here are some comments on laser power and other claims that you should be aware of before purchasing a used laser:

• Helium-Neon (HeNe) lasers: The power discrepancy is particularly evident with HeNe lasers where the model number and/or dimensions are provided. The tendency seems to be - possibly due to lack of knowledge, possibly for other reasons - to use the CDRH safety sticker rating (which is an upper bound for the laser safety classification) rather than the actual measured or specified optical power. Sometimes they do say 'max' (possibly in the fine print). This doesn't mean it is (or ever was) possible to run the laser at that power, and the actual output may be less than half of the maximum value listed (assuming the laser is functioning near its new product ratings). HeNe tubes are essentially constant optical output power devices - there is no way to get more power either with greater tube current (beam power actually goes down) or by using pulsed drive. For example, a HeNe laser with a CDRH Class IIIa 5 mW sticker may produce as little as 1 mW when new and even less after thousands of hours of use! A true 5 mW HeNe laser head will be at least 15 inches long and have a Class IIIb safety sticker. A classic defense of using the 'max' rating is to say that "the laser was spec'd as (say) 5 mW and thus calibrated at the factory for this power level but could go much higher". Balderdash! The only way to trim power of an HeNe laser (without an external attenuator) is to (1) run it with reverse polarity to sputter overcoat the anode-end mirror (which is irreversible) or (2) to slightly misalign one or both mirrors (which would compromise beam quality and stability and isn't likely to be done on purpose). Having said that, it is true that slight misalignment of the mirrors is common (either from use, thermal cycling, shock, or less than perfect quality control at the factory) and boosting power by some (usually modest) amount may be possible, even likely, by tweaking the mirrors - just don't count on it - or on a huge increase. But, first see the sections starting with: Problems with Mirror Alignment because it is very easy to totally mess up the alignment (or even break the tube) and never see any coherent light from your buy of a lifetime HeNe laser forever-after!

  Note that there are some multi-mode (non-TEM00) HeNe tubes with wider bores and a different mirror curvature that produce up to perhaps twice the power output for a given tube length. However, with multiple axial modes, these are not suitable for many applications like interferometry and holography. They are also not very common compared to single-mode TEM00 HeNe tubes.

  Also, the power output of non-red HeNe lasers - green (543.5 nm), yellow (593.9 nm), and orange (611.8 nm) - will be only about 1/10th to 1/4th that of an equivalent red (632.8 nm) one. Thus, a 20 inch green laser head is good for about 2 mW (compared to 8 to 15 mW for red) and a 10 inch head, perhaps only .2 mW (1 to 2 mW for red). As with normal red HeNe lasers, there is no way to boost power and the CDRH sticker rating is normally much greater than what is actually possible. However, the beam WILL look a lot brighter mW/mW compared to red due to the response curve of the eye, which can be misleading to sellers and buyers alike.

  Note: Since the gain of these wavelengths is so low, they also have a shorter life and the chance of finding working surplus green or yellow HeNe lasers is much lower than for red. I would not recommend bidding on an eBay auction for one of these unless guaranteed to be working. The likelihood of the problem for an "unknown condition" green or yellow HeNe laser being just mirror alignment is small to none!

  And, just because the male Alden connector of the laser head fits into the mating female socket of a randomly selected power supply doesn't mean they will work together! HeNe lasers of all sizes usually use the identical connectors! (Many people have been known to throw out perfectly good HeNe tubes and heads if they failed to start or operated erratically when in fact, power supply compatibility was the real problem!) On the other hand, don't assume compatibility just because the laser tube or head and power supply were supposed to work together - many of these same people have no idea what this means and make the assumption that because the laser worked once (if that), it would be fine forever. The life of the HeNe tube and/or power supply may be shortened and/or power output may suffer.

  Large-frame HeNe lasers like the Siemens LGK-7676/L/S and functionally similar Spectra-Physics 107/907 which show up on eBay and from surplus dealers either untested or without measured output power are probably high mileage tubes which may run but will not meet new power specs. However, they are very well built, really nice to play with, and probably have a lot of life left. Just don't expect good as new performance from them. Around 50 percent of rated power is typical.

  Finally, HeNe laser heads in like-new condition that show up as surplus or on eBay without end-caps (output aperture and Alden connectors) were probably manufacturing rejects pulled from the line before being completed since they didn't meet spec in any of a number of areas including: output power value, stability with warmup, mode cycling percentage, polarization ratio, or other aspects of beam quality. Thus, what you end up with may have undisclosed problems. This is also likely true of bare HeNe tubes (often without any identifying labels) - especially 'other color' (than red) types in pristine condition but where the locking collars or mirror adjusters are loose and the seller suggests that "alignment is all that is needed to make them lase and then you will have gotten a great deal". Note that it is likely that some of these have found their way to resale via less than legitimate channels - especially if the serial numbers have been removed! Even if they do work or can be made to work, items like this have trouble written all over them. And, don't believe claims that tubes were "purchased new and used very little" if they don't have any labels. A tube sold as a tube (not part of a laser head) will almost certainly be labeled with model and serial numbers at the very least, usually with a sticker on the side. Similarly, a laser head should also have a similar label. It's the law in both cases. And, even the manufacturer can't tell specs by inspection! :)

  Having said all this, a used or off-spec HeNe laser may still be just fine for many purposes as long as you understand exactly what you are getting. For more information on HeNe laser sizes and power output, see the sections starting with: Internal Mirror HeNe Tubes up to 35 mW - Red and Other Colors. And some have very interesting and unusual behavior. :)

• Argon and/or krypton (Ar/Kr) ion lasers: It is much more difficult to determine actual ratings of small air-cooled Ar/Kr ion lasers based on size alone because the output from the same size laser head can span a range of 100:1 or more depending on specific model, age, operating current, or condition. The advertisement may specify the output when running at a current level that would result in a tube life of only a few hours or one not even obtainable with a typical power supply.

  Also see the section: Expected Output Power and Used Ion Lasers.

• Carbon Dioxide (CO2) lasers: For CO2 and other gas lasers where models are even less well known and physical size may be an even less reliable indication of capabilities, examining a photo on a Web page or in a catalog isn't enough. And, damage or deterioration of the laser tube, water jacket, or optics cannot be determined without a detailed (in person) inspection.

• Diode lasers: There is often even less info available on these unless they are from a well known laser company distributor like Edmund Scientific. Both wavelength and color may be optimistically specified. For example, laser pointers listed as 650 nm may actually be much closer to 660 nm which does not appear as bright and is therefore less desirable. The absolute maximum output power may be advertised but a laser diode really cannot be run at this level without a proper driver circuit, cooling, and a calibrated laser power meter to set it up - else bye-bye laser diode. :( And, the power ratings on the CDRH sticker, if it exists, may be grossly higher than what is possible even for a microsecond.

  I would recommend against even considering the purchase of high power diode lasers or laser diodes from eBay or other similar source unless they are supplied in their original sealed packaging, there is a no questions asked money back warranty that is enforceable, or you know the seller to be honest and aware of proper handling procedures for laser diodes. If you insist on bidding on one of these, compare the any specifications provided by the seller with the device's datasheet if possible. Sometimes, very professional looking charts will be included on the auction page without mentioning that they show a weak or damaged diode.

  Note that there are several sellers offering what they claim to be high power laser diodes suitable for DPSS laser pumping where a wavelength in the 808 to 810 nm range is needed. However, many of the surplus high power laser diodes originate from graphics arts equipment like platesetters which almost invariably use 820 to 880 nm diodes, most likely for cost reasons. So, an unscrupulous or unknowledgeable seller may be passing these off as DPSS laser pump diodes when in fact they are pretty worthless for that application. In fact, the only hobbyist use I know for these would be as burning lasers since the beam can be focused very nicely to carve wood or plastic or an unsuspecting finger. :( :) If what you're interested in is a diode pump for a DPSS laser, make sure the seller guarantees the wavelength to be close enough to 808 nm that modest cooling or heating (+10/-15 °C from 25 °C based on 0.3 nm/°C can tune the wavelength to the optimum value for peak absorption in the lasing crystal (usually, Nd:YVO₄ or Nd:YAG). Just showing a photo of one of these diodes producing green light from a DPSS laser crystal is not a sufficient test as there may be some output but it will be only a small fraction of what's possible with a diode emitting at 808 nm. Some sellers claim to have gotten significant green power from a DPSS laser crystal using diodes that look identical. My guess is that either (1) they were smoke'n sump'n or (2) the particular diode they were using was actually around 808 nm but that's no guarantee that the one in the auction will be as well.

• Lamp Pumped Solid State (LPSS) lasers: Likewise, for pulsed or CW LPSS lasers provided as kits of parts (which is probably most common for types like Nd:YAG or ruby other than the M60 rangefinder), be aware that some surplus laser parts suppliers are offering components that simply will not work as advertised. See the section: Comments on Surplus Solid State Lasers and Components for additional details.

  Where an entire LPSS laser head or complete laser is offered, the only way to really know what is can do is to check the manufacturer's specs or test it. In most cases, the seller isn't able or won't do this so you're on your own.

• Diode Pumped Solid State (DPSS) lasers have all the potential problems of both diode lasers and solid state lasers so the comments above apply. In addition, it is quite likely that a complete DPSS laser being offered on eBay - especially with a low opening bid or low reserve - if it works at all, is likely to have end-of-life pump diodes and thus reduced output power and poor stability. Green DPSS lasers like the Coherent Compass 532 series show up with reduced output requiring either an expensive (and possibly very complex or impossible) pump diode transplant to meet specs, or a total electrical realignment to operate stably at reduced power. Those like the Coherent Compass 315M and 415M often are sold without the ($2K) Coherent controller. Both of these require a laser diode driver and three (3) TEC drivers to achieve their rated output power and stability - not something for a casual hobbyist type to construct. Unless the condition and requirements for a DPSS laser can be reliably determined, such a system could turn out to be entirely useless for serious applications including holography and laser shows.

  Furthermore, as with other types of lasers, the CDRH rating is almost always much higher than anything that can be achieved and sustained in practice. For example, Coherent C315M-100 lasers have a "300 mW max" rating and Uniphase uGreen 4601-10, -20, and -50 lasers have a "125 mW" max rating. Realistic maximum output power is not likely to exceed 1/3 to 1/2 of either of these and may be much less in the case of the lower power uGreen lasers.

For more info, also see the section: About Laser Power Ratings.

Attempt to determine what is actually possible - don't take the seller's word for it. You can't confirm actual output over the Internet or from a catalog but at least you will know that you aren't likely to get 5 mW from a HeNe laser head only 10 inches long, 300 mW from a surplus ALC-60X argon ion laser without a meltdown, or 125 mW from *any* Uniphase uGreen laser!

Many people also claim that the lasers they are selling have low hours or were only used briefly a few times ("only driven by a little old lady to church on Sundays."). In most cases they actually don't have a clue and such claims carry about as much weight as the campaign promises of politicians. :) Unless the laser was originally purchased new, they (or you) may have no real way of determining how much it was used. For HeNe lasers, this may not matter that much since if the laser works when you get it, it will probably continue to work for as many hours as you are likely to care. But for ion lasers, you could be getting a low pressure tube that is on its way out. While there is usually an elapsed time meter present on ion lasers it isn't a reliable indication of past use as the tube may have been swapped or a mechanical meter may have recycled back to zero (more than once!) and like automobile odometers, can be reset. With other types of lasers, it may be even more difficult to determine the amount of use. High power diode lasers and diode pumped solid state lasers may have a life expentancy of only a few thousand hours to begin with and the one being offered may be near the end of useful life. And, if abused at any time, all bets are off and it may not even make a good boat anchor!

Finally, here are some other common statements paraphrased from various actual eBay offerings:

• Description: Laser tube ionizes but I don't know if it lases.
  Translation: There is no beam when driven with my power supply.

• Description: Power supply arcs trying to start tube. It needs minor repair.
  Translation: Laser probably needs new tube.

• Description: These argon ion laser tubes are nearly new and ready to use.
  Translation: They are not split in half but their condition is otherwise unknown.

• Description: I bypassed the switch and it powered right up.
  Translation: The Power light came on.

• Description: This auction is for three unused lasers.
  Translation: I haven't attempted to power these pieces of junk since pulling them from the dumpster.

• Description: This laser has very low hours.
  Translation: I haven't used it much since pulling it from the same dumpster.

• Description: This HeNe laser power supply is rated 5 mA at 1.5 kV but will run four foot long tubes if the input voltage is tripled.
  Translation: The long tubes might flash just before the smoke comes out of the power supply.

• Description: Untested.
  Translation: It looks like a laser. :)

• Description: Laser is marked 15.3 mW and came from working equipment.
  Translation: Original power output was 15.3 mW but now may be much lower.

• Description: Laser has power output of 8.5 mW but I am unable to test it.
  Translation: Original power output was 8.5 mW but it may be dead now.

• Description: Laser is in original factory crate.
  Translation: Broken laser was removed from service and put into the crate in which the replacement was shipped.

• Description: The resale value is over $1,000.
  Translation: The original highly marked up price for a replacement in one particular piece of equipment was over $1,000.

• Description: This laser is used, working condition is unknown. Tube is cracked and broken.
  Translation: The remains of this laser may be useful as a doorstop.

• Description: Laser system is complete, just plug it in. Untested but in excellent cosmetic condition.
  Translation: I plugged it in and nothing happened but it looks nice.

• Description: The capillary on this green HeNe laser tube is broken off inside the cathode, but this won't affect operation as it doesn't block the beam.
  Translation: The already very marginal for the green wavelength is now much lower - it's now only useful to salvage the mirrors.

• Description: This laser is a little scratched up on the outside but looks great inside.
  Translation: I plugging it in, turned it on, and nothing happened.

• Description: These lasers haven't been tested in over a year and are sold as-is.
  Translation: Over a year ago they didn't work.

Whether buying from a surplus outfit or a private individual, don't expect to get a new laser for bargain basement prices. The well known laser surplus places may buy up reject inventory from major laser companies like Melles Griot - laser heads and tubes that didn't meet spec even when new. Unless the item is clearly stated to be new and meets new specs, this can probably be assumed. If the model number is given, sometimes it's possible to tell a reject. For example, with Melles Griot lasers, a '-Q' suffix (e.g., 05-LYR-171-Q) means that the yellow HeNe laser head (in this case) didn't meet specs but still lases somewhat - its performance wasn't so terrible that it went to the crusher. (I have one that varies between 1.5 and 2.5 mW of yellow on a several minute cycle due to 3.391 um IR mode competition. It's still a very nice laser but not useful for many applications.) However, even if you know what to look for, the Q designation may not make it to sticker attached to the laser. With private sales there are several more levels of unknowns unless the laser was purchased new (unlikely!), the seller worked for a company that purchased it new before the project was cancelled, or the pedigree is completely known. :)

And the most amusing listings I've seen on eBay lately go something like: "Argon-Ion Laser Tube Air-Cooled Add Gas and Go". Right, like all that is needed is a bottle of argon gas from your friendly welding supplier. Not! Even if these are usable at all (they could very well be rejects), just a bit more is needed. See the chapters on argon/krypton ion lasers before you end up with an expensive paperweight.

The only real way to protect yourself from deceptive or exaggerated advertising claims is a combination of getting the detailed specifications, buying from a reputable supplier, and obtaining a purchase arrangement that includes a binding money back guarantee in writing or some other way of cancelling a deal for merchandise that turns out not to be or do what was claimed!

Of course, once you receive your laser, the only way to be truly sure of the output power is with a laser power meter or by comparison with another laser of known performance.

Remember: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You aren't likely to be the only one to have 'discovered' a bargain - if no one else has bid it up at eBay there is probably a very good reason!

Also see the section: Equivalent Brightness Ratings and Laser Pointer Visibility since this is another area where the real and the imaginary are often jumbled together!

Some Tips for Sellers

• Be truthful and complete in your description. For lasers, include the actual output power if relevant, not just the safety information. If the item has known defects which affect functionality, list them. You might get away with stretching the truth a few times but eventually, your reputation will suffer.

• Include a few selected small photos of the equipment, inside and out. Use thumbnail links to high resolution photos but don't force them to be loaded unless requested. Not everyone has a cable modem, DSL, or a T3 line!

• Make some effort to compose the photos so they show your item(s) in the best light and with decent clarity to show knob and meter scales, labels, etc.

• Take a minute to do some basic dusting and cleaning. If the item looks like it has been at the bottom of a sewer, you won't get the best price!

• If you can't take photos of the actual equipment and want to use some stock photos from a manufacturer's Web site or brochure, state clearly the origin of the photos and that they are "typical" and not of the exact items that are being offered. Above all, don't just grab something off the Web without permission! That's a copyright violation. If you can't or don't want to get permission, use a link to their Web site instead. The laser community is small enough that it's usually obvious when there is plagerism.

• Include all label information in the text description even if it doesn't make sense to you.

• Keep the listing simple. My advice is to NOT use Java or Javascript since it doesn't add anything. Flashing and gyrating animations take longer to load and may annoy viewers of your auctions. Also, keep the Web HTML to the basics as well - various browser versions may choke on fancy tables and other more involved HTML. Avoid pop-ups like the plague. :) And, view your listing once its uploaded and "live", make sure everything is there and the photos show up! Then you can easily fix it before there are any bids.

• As with photos, don't drop someone else's description into your listing without permission. Use a link to their Web site instead.

• Be clear about the shipping and any other costs above the asking or bid price. Include the approximate shipping weight and your ZIP code so buyers can estimate shipping costs if you don't have them listed. Don't short change yourself by omitting the cost and weight of essential packaging materials. Just don't be greedy and attempt to boost your income with clearly inflated S&H. People don't like to be hit with IPM (Increased Profit Margin)!

• Make an attempt to test items if at all possible. The bid price is likely to be many times higher for a "tested and guaranteed not DOA" item than for the identical item "untested, sold as-is". For a single one of a kind HeNe laser power supply, this may not be worth it. But if you will be selling a couple dozen, the cost of a laser head for testing will easily be made up on the first or second sale and the laser head can always be sold afterwards.

• For "reserve auctions", my recommendation is that the reserve price be included in the description but that's your preference. I get annoyed bidding on something to only find out there was a ridiculously high reserve on it. Better yet is to simply start the bidding at what you consider the minimum acceptable price for the item.

• List the forms of payment accepted and any additional charges for the use of money transfer services like PayPal.

• Include a brief summary of the conditions of sale including whether there is any sort of guarantee. This can be a link if desired.

• With respect to returns, my recommendation is that items should be returnable in undamaged condition within say, 10 days, minus shipping charges if they were correctly represented. If misrepresented, then the seller should pay shipping both ways as well as any buyer costs (e.g., money transfer service fees) associated with the transaction.

• Respond to email promptly, be courteous, and answer in complete properly punctuated sentences. This will give the potential buyer the feeling you care about them.

• After the sale, make an effort to pack the item properly with enough cushioning so the gorillas at the shipping company can't break it even if they try really hard. :) For a small laser tube, this means 3 or 4 inches of styrofoam peanuts and/or small-bubble bubble wrap on all sides; for large lasers, this plus a box within a box or crate approach with appropriate damage insurance and documentation to show original condition and fair market value. See the other sections on shipping in this chapter.

• Use either a shipping company that has tracking (UPS, FedEx, etc.) or the USPS with "Delivery Confirmation" so you know the package at least got to its destination and the buyer can't claim non-delivery.

• An automated "checkout" procedure is most convenient for buyers but only if it works smoothly and it's clear how and when to use it!

Packing Laser Equipment to Withstand Drunk 900 Pound Gorillas During Shipping

Having said all that, I did a very scientific test with one of my dead Spectra-Physics 084-1 barcode scanner HeNe laser tubes from which I had already cannibalized the mirrors. This is about 10 inches long with a spider supporting the bore (the most fragile part in an HeNe tube subjected to mechanical shock) at about the halfway point. I used about 2 to 3 inches of bubble wrap all around and stuffed it into a worn cardboard box about 5" x 6" x 13" 'sealed' with an elastic band. I then abused this package to every way possible short of using a nuclear bomb (which were temporarily out of stock): tossing it across the room, dropping on various sides and corners with and without spin from 7 feet onto a concrete floor, kicking it through the uprights, sitting on it, etc. The mirrorless tube survived just fine - the bore was well supported. What does this mean? Probably not much except for this particular model HeNe tube and it is still possible that the bore shifted slightly within the spider. There is no way to know that for sure without testing on a live tube (but it can also generally be corrected). However, in all likelihood, the typical HeNe tube would work just fine if packed in this manner (or better) even after all the abuse OOPS could dish out. :) Of course, an entire external mirror laser would likely be a much different story, especially one with a long plasma tube. And even if the glass parts survive, circuit boards and structural components can fracture from relatively low G forces if not well supported.

Of course, the general rule is: If you ship a dead laser wrapped only in a single layer of brown paper, it will arrive in perfect condition. But, if you ship a functional laser in 6 inches of foam inside a box inside 12 inches of bubble wrap inside another box inside a crate, it will arrive in a thousand pieces. :)

Note that no matter how well packed a laser is, shipping companies may give you a hard time about insurance claims and point to some disclaimer in their contract printed in 2 point type that disallows any coverage for lasers and other scientific apparatus. Some don't even consider the manufacturer's original packaging to be adequate even for computer monitors, let alone lasers. Further note that the seller may have simply sent you a broken laser. :(

(From: Laserprod (laserprod@specialtymile.com).)

If you have ever made a claim for a laser. or not, you may at some point. Check out this article about the Carmack Amendment: Things to Know About Shipping a Guitar. Just substitute the word "laser" for "guitar".

(From: Sam.)

However, lasers can be considerably more fragile than guitars it is possible for the carrier to insist that any amount of packing material was inadequate.

Here are some somewhat humorous but all too true guidelines. This was originally posted to the USENET newsgroup alt.lasers for a specific shipping company, whose name I have deleted.

(Based on a posting from: NiteliteProducts.com (dglassburn@mindspring.com).)

Many years of experience has shown that insurance claims through shipping companies are next to impossible to recover. Their reasons are as follows and they will deny claims in the following order:

1. You did not insure the product. If you did go to Step 2.
2. Item was incorrectly packed. They will stall about 1 to 2 months to have someone inspect the package. If packed well go to Step 3.
3. Read the print on the shipping booklet. Glass and ceramic items are probably not covered. Go to Step 4.
4. Take them to court. Unless you feel like supporting the legal profession, you won't win anyway. give it up. Go to Step 5.
5. If the item was insured and clearly damaged in transit (like a forklift went through it, a truck rolled over it) they won't pay.
6. Major companies that ship all the time provide their own extra insurance coverage for this problem.
7. Best bet is to ship with properly packed and supported parts so that anything short of (and possibly including) a nuclear bomb won't damage the laser.

(From: Steve Roberts (osteven@akrobiz.com).)

I carefully build crates around my lasers, and insulate the lasers from shock with spray in foam that self hardens. Its a wonder how two of my crates have been reduced to kindling lately. One arrived sans crate! A third CO2 tube marked for special fragile handling by UPS (often pronounced OOOPS) didn't make it, it's been reduced to scrap glass. Same for an incredibly well packed 50 mW HeNe laser last year. I specified and paid for FedEx, but the seller used OOOOPPS to pocket the difference and ended up paying for my dead laser as a reward.

As for the broken CO2 tube, I'm driving 250 miles each way to replace it for the customer to keep my sanity, and my truck has a good suspension. According to a local driver, all OOOOOPPPSS packages drop 6 feet into a rotary sorting bin. I've had a few customers spec OOOOOPPPPSSS lately because FedEx was too expensive. Never again!

I've had good luck with FedEx, only one package ever got smashed. Delta Air Freight also has done a decent job for me.

For small air-cooled lasers I've used the U.S. Postal Service, sent 'registered', so it's hand carried and locked up each night in a safe. I Had remarkably good results with the snail mail folks - slow, but it gets there in one piece. A little pricey, but competitive.

Some suggestions:

1. Pack the laser in several layers of bubble wrap, tightly taped round the unit.

2. This then goes in a cardboard box, with several INCHES of foam pellets around it.

3. This then goes into a crate with 3 to 4 inches of spacing between it and the cardboard box, either filled with solid foam or sprayed in foam. Expect the crate to disappear by the time the unit arrives at its destination (if it ever does).

4. If it's a Spectra-Physics or similar glass tube, pull off the Brewster stem covers so they don't break the long glass stems by inertia or vibration.

5. Put a block of soft foam under the tube at the brewsters and under any long runs of unsupported glass.

6. Gently tape or somehow hold down (RTV or Liquid Rubber?) long glass return paths on lasers that have them.

7. Glass does flex a little and will break, so any appendages on the tube like gauges, fill stems, and gas reservoirs, must be anchored down in such a way they can flex to survive vibration but not snap off.

8. Sometimes it's best to remove the plasma tube and anchor it to a carefully designed board shipped in a different box insured as a plasma tube so they can't wiggle out of an insurance claim if it arrives in pieces. Joe Sixpack at OOOOOOOOOPPPPPPSSSSS figures his 4,000 pound car isn't fragile, so your 600 pound laser must not be either.

9. If it's a big heavy laser system, put it on a proper skid, so they don't jury rig it onto a forklift.

10. Finally, clearly mark it as a HEAVY IRON ANVIL, SO THEY WILL HANDLE IT LIKE IT'S MADE FROM BIRDS EGGS. ;-0

(From: Bob.)

I recently had a problem with UPS breaking something on me, and although they paid the insurance claim, I looked to ways to better package fragile items. I have come up with the following: Wrap the breakable in a few layers of small bubble bubble wrap. This provides a layer of cushioning for the object. Then use self expanding polyurathane foam just like the stuff used in foam-in-place machines, but this stuff is the 2 pounds/cubic foot foam used in building boats. Two gallons of the stuff runs about $40 and is enough to fill a 55 gallon drum about 2/3rds full. The cool thing about this stuff is that if you use it to ship your items, they truly become indestructable. Use cheap industrial type trash bags to keep the foam from getting on the cardboard box and what you are shipping. Make a 'seat' of foam to lay the breakable in, then fill in the box with another trash bag and then foam fill, so that the box is totally full of foam. Make sure you use at least 4 to 6 inches of foam on all sides. So long as you start out with a cardboard box of decent integrity, you now have an in-destructable shipping box. I recently shipped a large X-ray tube in a double corrugated cardboard box that was 18 x 18 x 18 inches. At first the UPS manager didn't want to accept the shipment saying it wasn't properly packed for a fragile item. I then knocked the box off of the counter it sat on, stood on it, and hopped up and down a few times. Needless to say a proper application of marine foam is super strong!!! It still has some give to it, so if a box was dropped on a corner it would dent a small bit (you want some degree of deformation, otherwise you don't have any shock absorption effect going on!), but it makes your box virtually drop and or crush proof. I use the stuff to ship ANYTHING thats fragile now.

(From: Laserlover (rpoulin@rohcg.on.ca).)

I use MSAS Cargo International and add "All Perils" Insurance coverage to cover my butt and packing has to be up to their standards. All the other carriers like Fed-Ex, DHL, Purolator and the infamous UPS (OOOPSsss) will only pay for loss (mechanical damage) - and forget about anything made of glass or ceramic. MSAS Cargo International won't try to screw you as long as you can prove value of goods with quote from the original company or second source in the industry. Also take pictures before and after packing to prove integrity of goods being shipped.

The following definitely belongs in the humor department though it would be effective.

(From: Rob (rob@lasers.org).)

Ship all lasers in coffins or caskets!

1. Most shipping people honor the dead as they can relate to dead relatives.

2. No fork lift driver is going to stab a casket, Think of what smell or guts might come out the hole.

3. They are usually rounded on top, and the sides are not flat (delicate handles) so no stacking.

4. They aren't going to stand it on end, just in case a body falls out, they don't want any part of touching a dead person.

5. They will be eager to get your package there on time. They don't want that thing sitting in a corner, or in their warehouse.

6. If they lose it, the may fear criminal prosecution, or surely a investigation.

I can see it now. When picking up the package from the airport, opening it up for inspection just to see the looks in their face as you open it on their dock. Shippers may feel sorry for you, and airlines may give you a free ticket to fly along with it, or at least priority seating.

Didn't they do this during Prohibition? Well, at least in the Jack Lemon movie "Some Like It Hot". :) --- Sam.

Comments on Shipping/Export of Small Lasers

At the very least, you will need to provide an invoice to the shipper (e.g., USPS, UPS) listing the item(s) to be shipped and the declared value. I do avoid using the word "laser" so as not to risk an overzealous or just greedy inspector from attempting to dig out an overdriven laser pointer. So far, I've shipped several small HeNe lasers overseas without incident. I just put "barcode scanner tube" (for the SP-084) and "particle scanner tube" (for the one-Brewster Climet 9048) with a declared value of $0.00 on the invoice and on the little green Postal form (for total weight under 4 pounds), marked them as a "gift". These weigh next to nothing so they don't attract the attention of overworked customs inspectors and there's nothing illegal about shipping these lasers to most foreign countries anyhow. Putting some small value other than $0 may attract even less attention though. For example, for the UK in particular:

(From: Mike Harrison (mike@whitewing.co.uk).)

"Anything which has a declared value below UKP18 (about US$25) as merchandise, or UKP36 ($50) as a gift will not be charged import duty, so putting these values will not cause a problem, and might look more credible. Above this there is duty (typically 17.5% VAT) on the goods value PLUS the postage charge, then another UKP3.75 'handling charge', and the package can be delayed by 1 to 2 weeks."

(Portions from Steve Roberts (osteven@akrobiz.com).)

On a simple unstabilized cheap HeNe laser there are no export controls as far as I know. I have never heard of any regulations on anything that did not have strategic importance, especially if you're only shipping one. Were it a dozen then I would be concerned. Several U.S. HeNe laser manufacturers have sold entire state of the art HeNe production lines to China. Don't loose any sleep over it.

Besides, it's importing things where customs is concerned with lasers. And unless it deals with drugs, murder, or white collar crime, the U.S. is never going to extradite you. :-)

However, for high power diodes lasers or parts of lasers, green YAGs, lasers over a few watts, lasers that can be used as weapons, lasers that stabilize themselves, lasers that can blind pilots, LIDAR, something like research picosecond or Terawatt lasers, and lasers that can be used for semiconductor or uranium processing, one has to be careful. These need approval from the State Department. In addition, shipping to laser or other high tech equipment or parts to certain specific countries will raise red flags with the Government so you will have to do your homework to avoid a serious hassle or worse.

(From: John_LeB (jleb_888@hotmail.com).)

All proscribed technology is covered under the Bureau of Export Administration. The Export Administration Database provides links to the files listing various technologies.

There is a PDF file which you can find that will list proscribed technology. There are links on the web site to regional and national phone numbers where reps will talk with you. You want category 6 - Sensors and Lasers.

I went through all of this to get my crypto software licensed for export and got an exemption on it. So it is relatively easy to navigate once you get to the page and find the PDF files with the info.

To export out of the USA, you would just need either an export license or an exemption. Then in the packaging you would need to put the export license number on the packing list, if I'm not mistaken.

New, Surplus, Walk-In, Mail Order, Kits/Plans (Commercial)

The listings below are mostly in alphabetical order, domestic (US) followed by foreign. Their position or even their existence on these lists does not imply anything about my impression of their quality, reliability, or integrity. However, there may be additional specific comments included in the description.

Walk-In/Mail Order

• Radio Shack offers a variety of laser pointers which may be suitable for various types of simple laser experiments. While they have a variety of electronic components as well, don't expect to find those that you would need for serious laser power supply construction. I now understand they do have some sort of "650 nm laser modules" for about $10.

• Edmund Optics/Edmund Scientifics (formerly just Edmund Scientific) used to have a retail store located in Barrington, New Jersey. As far as I can tell, this is no longer in existence (or at least no longer open to the public). Too bad, it was a must-see for anyone in the area (and worth a cross country detour if not). The company is now split into two divisions: Edmund Optics (Industrial Optics including lasers) and Scientifics (All sorts of neat consumer scientific items for astronomy to weather and everything in between including laser pointers).

  They still offer nice thick free catalogs which are a must-have. All ordering is via the Web, telephone, or snail mail.

• Some of the places listed in the section: Mail Order - Lasers, Laser Parts, Optics, Accessories also have retail outlets.

• Some of the companies listed in "Some Laser and Optics Manufacturers and Suppliers" have surplus departments as well.

• The term 'mail-order' now also includes purchasing via Email and the Web!

• Also see "Sam's Neat, Nifty, and Handy Bookmarks" for additional web sites.

Mail Order - Lasers, Laser Parts, Optics, Accessories

Offerings include new, used, or surplus lasers and laser components. Quality and prices may vary quite widely - check them out before ordering!

• Anchor Optical Surplus, 1-856-573-6865, http://www.anchoroptical.com/. All sorts of lenses, prisms, mirrors, windows, filters, and some optical equipment like breadboards, posts, and mounts. This company appears to be associated with or part of Edmunds Scientific.

• Dfreshh Laser Lighting and Sound, 1-941-726-4774, http://www.dfreshhlaserlighting.com/. Laser show equipment rentals and sales including air-cooled ion lasers.

• Edmund Scientific, 1-609-573-6250, http://www.edsci.com/. High quality and high priced but their catalogs are a must. Also see the information in the section: Walk-In/Mail Order.

• Electronics Information Online, 1-800-543-0540, http://www.eio.com/. Surplus electronics, computer items, lasers and laser components, and much more. Includes general, weekly, and monthly specials, hot deals, searchable inventory list, and classifieds. Of particular interest are a number of non-commercial technical forums and email discussion groups on a variety of topics including lasers, laser light shows, and holography.

  This site is one of the best kept secrets of the Web. It is definitely worth checking out since there is so much there!

• EOL Surplus Lasers and Optical Equipment Page, 1-949-388-1282, http://www.eolsurplus.com/Lasers.html/. EOL has argon ion, helium-neon, CO2, and diode lasers, collimators, optical instruments, and other miscellaneous equipment.

• Electronic Surplus Online, 1-505-296-6389, http://www.surplus-electronics.com/. Aside from the usual test equipment and ham radio gear, they offer optical surplus, tubes, high vacuum stuff, HeNe, HeCd, CO2, Nd:YAG, and diode lasers. However, it appears that unless you are in the neighborhood (Albuquerque, NM), you'll have to email a request for info - there is no on-line catalog at present (except for a few specials). They also auction some of their items on eBay (linked from their Web site).

• Europe Laser Exchange has everything from the very small to the very large (though mostly very large!). The prices for small lasers appear decent but I don't know what shipping to the USA would add to these.

• HSC Electronic Supply (formerly Halted Specialties Co.), 1-800-4-HALTED, http://www.halted.com/. Includes a few complete laser systems, many HeNe tubes and power supplies (AC, DC, and kits), laser pointers, laser diodes, and diode laser modules. The catalog at their web site may be much more complete and up-to-date than the print version but you may have to ask about the HeNe laser components via email since there is currently no detailed listing of these. Their other offerings include a variety of electronic components, small kits, scientific instruments, test equipment, PCs and peripherals, RF and video gear, and other new and surplus items.

• Herbach & Rademan, 1-800-848-8001, http://www.herbach.com/. Includes some HeNe tubes and power supplies, a few optical components, motors, and a variety of other interesting and useful electronic parts. New arrivals and closeouts are listed at the Web site and a quarterly catalog is available by telephone, fax, or email request.

• High Tech Surplus. Offerings include: audio, components, computer items, laser and optics, manufacturing and hand tools, miscellaneous, pneumatics, power supplies, RF, robotics/automation/CNC, test equipment, and video. Some lasers, mirrors, and other optics accessories. (This Web site disappeared for a long time but is not back "coming soon". So, I suspect it isn't the same company and products may differ.)

• Holograms & Lasers International, 1-713-650-9204, http://www.holoshop.com/. Holograms and holographic artwork and jewelry, surplus and pre-owned lasers (HeNe to multiwatt argon), optical test equipment, accessories, and gadgets.

• Laseramazers.com, 1-765-864-9684, http://www.laseramazers.com/. Laser show systems including HeNe, diode, DPSS and ion lasers and controllers.

• Laser Laser Productions, 1-505-328-5273 (1-505-FAT-LASE), http://www.specialtymile.com/laserprod/. This is actually a laser show production company but their Lasers for Sale lists a variety of larger (mostly argon, krypton, and mixed gas, ion) lasers and power supplies for sale in all sorts of condition.

• Laser Resale, Inc., 1-508-443-8484, http://www.laserresale.com/. They claim to be the 'largest used laser market in the USA'. On-line catalog.

• Lasershop, 1-909-369-0204, http://www.lasershoppe.com/. Complete on-line catalog with prices of all items. New and used offerings include many complete lasers and laser parts (HeNe, argon ion, CO2, diode, DPSS, etc.), power supplies and drivers, light show equipment, optics and optical tables, plans for a variety of lasers and laser projects, and more. Note that the DPSS components (under the "Crystals" link, which include laser and non-linear crystals and optics) sold by Lasershoppe appear to be from CASIX and are much less expensive direct from U-Oplaz Technologies, Inc., the authorized CASIX distributor in the USA

• Laser Surplus, Inc., 1-423-457-5082, http://www.lasersur.com/. New and used laser equipment and accessories including tubes, heads, power supplies, optics, modulators, galvos, etc. Also some computer, video, and test equipment. On-line catalog (print catalog may be requested) and weekly specials.

• Laser Surplus Sales, 1-214-824-LASER (5273), http://www.lasersurplus.com/. On-line catalog of lasers, powers supplies, optics, hardware, cool stuff, and laser/optics test and measurement equipment.

• Meredith Instruments, 1-602-934-9387, http://www.mi-lasers.com/. Extensive on-line catalog with prices for all items. In addition to the usual diode, HeNe, and argon ion lasers, power supplies, optics, books, etc., check out their Miscellaneous Laser Parts page for a variety of inexpensive components from Alden connectors and HeNe ballast resistor, to CO2 laser optics and ruby lasers.

  Check out their Blue Light Argon Lasers for low cost Cyonics/Uniphase systems and laser heads. They may still have a limited quantity of very inexpensive ($50) argon ion laser heads that could be weak, in need of mirror alignment, or near end-of-life but are still good for things like ion laser power supply testing. Some may be repairable. Send email to info@mi-lasers.com.

• Intelite, Inc., 1-775-267-5959, http://www.intelite.com/. Laser systems, laser components, laser pointers (including green DPSS types), fiber and electro-optics, equipment, and accessories. Also known as Meshtel at http://www.meshtel.com/.

• Midwest Laser Products, 1-815-464-0085, http://www.midwest-laser.com/. New and surplus lasers (HeNe, ion, diode, DPSSFD, ruby, etc.), laser components, optics, books, more. On-line catalog and ordering.

• MWK Laser Products (formerly MWK Industries), 1-800-356-7714, http://www.mwklasers.com/. After a lapse of several months, MWK's Web site is back up. Complete on-line catalog with prices for all items. HeNe laser tubes and laser heads, argon ion lasers (including high power modified ALC-60X laser heads) and power supplies (including a set of plans), CO2 lasers and parts, DPSSFD green lasers, diode lasers. Light show equipment and software, optics, and other laser/optics related items. They also have plans for home-built CO2 (two designs), ruby/Nd:YAG, copper vapor, argon ion, nitrogen, and dye lasers, laser listener and laser beam tranceivers, pulsed laser holography, and other projects. Note: Currently (Fall, 2001), MWK appears to be selling exclusively on eBay as that's where the product links on their Web site lead.

• Neodymium Glass, http://www.laser-rods.com/. These are rods, slabs, and other assorted shapes and sizes of (supposedly) laser quality Nd:Glass optical components originally manufactured for Lawrence Livermore National Labs. Some of these are HUGE - with dimensions measured in FEET! This is where to go if you must have the BIGGEST pulsed laser on your block. You'll need a fairly hefty wallet as well (by hobbyist standards, at least). :)

• NVG, Inc., 1-912-379-9000, http://www.nvginc.com/. IR and visible laser diodes, diode laser modules, drivers, optics, more. On-line catalog with prices includes a Manufacturer Overrun page with (currently - Winter 1999) some really good prices on a visible laser diode (660 nm, 5 mW, $2.50) and driver ($3.00) - both quantity 1,000 unfortunately. :( See the section: Comments on Some Commercial Drivers and Detectors for information on modulating these modules. NVG products are now distributed by DigiKey.

• Resources Un-Ltd., 1-603-668-2499, http://www.resunltd4u.com/. Their Web site lists specials, optics, components, test equipment, batteries, etc. Some lasers including diode laser modules and other laser related equipment including argon ion and CO2 lasers or laser heads and power supplies. (They are also supposed to have a full page ad in Nuts and Volts magazine every month.)

• World Star Technologies, 1-416-204-6298, http://arcos.org/laser/. Laser modules and laser pointers.

• Bull Electrical (UK), Phone: 44 (0)1273 203500, http://www.bullnet.co.uk/shops/test/. This is an interesting site, though their descriptions of some of the items on their Laser Page leaves something to be desired. They list HeNe lasers up to 30 mW including a 3 mW yellow one; Chieftain Tank pulsed diode lasers for your next wargame simulation; plans for CO2 and CuCl lasers, a laser light show, laser bounce listener; and other laser related items. There is much more interesting and strange stuff at this site.

  One person who bought a red laser rated at 5 mW said that what they received was an apparently new in box, bare HeNe laser tube made by "The Shanghai Institute of Laser Technology" (S.I.L), whoever they are. Though marked 8.5 mW, it probably didn't output more than 5 mW. He recommends against buying Bull's supposedly compatible power supply as it may fry if used with tubes larger than about 2 mW (as he found out after 10 minutes). (However, I didn't see any HeNe laser power supplies on their lasers page.)

• HB-Laserkomponenten GmbH, http://www.hb-laser.com/. This German company appears to have some really good prices on second-hand lasers and laser components (in addition to new equipment). I don't know how this all works out once shipping and taxes are included but it is worth checking out their on-line catalog. Note that since most of this laser equipment originated in the US, there may not be any import duties for shipments back here. Items include helium-neon, argon and krypton ion, and CO2 laser tubes, heads, power supplies, and accessories. Also some Nd:YAQ and other solid state lasers; laser show, welding, and medical laser systems; optics, scanners, and more. Get your ion laser tubes refilled as well! For used/surplus equipment, go direct to: Second Hand Laser.

• MediaLas Laserproducts GmbH, +49 7471 91661 (Germany), http://www.es-laser.de/. Laser show related products including new and surplus lasers, components, scanners, PCAOMs, software, more. On-line catalog with prices in U.S. dollars.

Mail Order - Electronics Surplus, Some Lasers - Varies from Month to Month

• All Electronics, 1-800-826-5432, http://www.allelectronics.com/. Mostly electronics surplus with occasional lasers and laser related items.

• American Science and Surplus, 1-847-982-0870, http://www.sciplus.com/. Their catalog (which is on-line) is a must-see for the humor alone but the print version (which is free and they will mail to you) is much more convenient for bedtime reading! Their Web site currently (Summer 2004) lists a nice polarized 5 mW (actual output power) HeNe laser head for under $25. Someone who bought one says it's a Melles Griot 05-LHP-153.

  They also have a separate optics catalog (Stock number 24799) which you can also request via email (but they may want to charge you a whole $1 for it if you don't order something at the same time. Hint: Commenting that "Sean is a cool guy" will almost assure a free catalog!). This looks like a very nice source listing hundreds of inexpensive (mostly glass) lenses, mirrors, and other optical items.

• CTR Surplus, 1-419-683-3535, http://www.ctrsurplus.com. All sorts of surplus equipment from computers to modular buildings/trailers. :) A bit of laser stuff from time-to-time. Some of their items are offered at the eBay Auction Site.

• C and H Sale's Company, 1-800-325-9465, http://www.candhsales.com/. Electronics surplus, a few laser and optics items, some larger items like a complete neon sign bombarder/pumping station and other industrial equipment. Their On-line catalog includes prices. Everything from AC adapter and accelerometers to waveguides and wire. OK, so it isn't quite A-Z. :)

• DIY Electronics (Hong Kong), http://www.kitsrus.com/. Over 140 electronics kits and several visible diode laser modules with built-in drivers and adjustable focus. On-line catalog, world-wide shipping, major credit cards accepted.

• Electronic Goldmine, http://www.goldmine-elec.com/, surplus parts, electronic kits, etc.

• Haltek Electronics, 1-415-969-0510.

• Hosfelt Electronics, 1-800-524-6464, http://www.hosfelt.com/index2.htm/, or direct to their Laser Specials Page. Laser offerings include a nice selection of interesting inexpensive laser pointers, some with multiple (diffractive optic generated) pattern options.

• Jameco, 1-800-831-4242, http://www.jameco.com/, electronic components and computer products. A recent catalog lists a (1, one, singular) 670 nm laser diode and low cost compact laser diode driver (don't know if it uses optical feedback or just a current regulator), as well as two diode laser modules, some optics, and of course, a whole bunch of laser pointers.

• Marlin P. Jones & Associates, Inc., 1-800-652-6733, http://www.mpja.com/. Surplus and new parts, electronic kits. The on-line catalog at their Web site currently (Spring, 2000) lists a HeNe laser power supply brick of unknown manufacturer (similar to the one from Herbach and Rademan described in the section: 1 mW HeNe Laser Powered by 12 VDC, 1 A Wall Adapter, a flyback based HV power supply kit suitable for small HeNe laser tubes, other power supplies, at least one laser pointer, and a mini 'laser show'. They used to have several types of HeNe laser tubes but these seem to have disappeared.

• Mega Surplus, 1-314-291-7618, http://www.i1.net/~mega/.

• Parallax Technology, Inc. (actually a manufacturer and servicer of CO2 lasers) has a Surplus Vacuum and Electronic equipment for Sale page which has some items that may be of interest to the laser enthusiast even if you aren't in the market for a CO2 laser tube.

• Pendex Corporation, 1-920-749-0838, http://www.pendex.com/. Wide selection of refurbished test equipment and laboratory equipment including a variety of complete laser systems and optical components. On-line catalog with prices.

• OATLEY Electronics (Australia), http://www.oatleyelectronics.com/. In addition to general electronics parts and kits, their Laser Products include some HeNe lasers and power supplies, laser diodes and drivers, diode laser module kits, small light shows, etc.

Mail Order - Electronic Components

• Allied Electronics, Inc., 1-800-433-5700, http://www.alliedelec.com/.

• DigiKey, 1-800-DIGIKEY, http://www.digikey.com/. Digikey now has a fairly decent selection of visible laser diodes and diode laser modules including those from Coherent, Lumex, NVG, Panasonic, and others.

• HV Component Associates, Inc., 1-732-938-4499, http://www.hvca.com/.

  This company is of the 'I thought I died and went to heaven' variety (whether you believe in that stuff or not) if you are need specialized high voltage rectifiers for your HeNe, CO2, or other laser or general high voltage power supply projects. They have an on-line catalog with complete specifications and offer to send a print catalog as well as free samples. I don't know to what extent this includes free samples to hobbyist types who may not be ordering $1,000,000 worth of merchandise. They say: "qualified OEMs only" which suggests not but it may still be worth a try if you only need a little diode or two, or will then need to buy 100 more. You can never tell when a company will consider the possibility of a referral or future loyal customer to be worth a modest initial investment! However, please don't abuse the privilege if they are accommodating.

• Mouser, 1-800-346-6873, http://www.mouser.com/.

• Computer Component Source, 1-800-356-1227, http://www.ccs-sales.com/.

• Dalbani, 1-800-325-2264, http://www.dalbani.com/.

• MCM Electronics, 1-800-543-4330, http://www.mcmelectronics.com/.

• Parts Express, 1-800-338-0531, http://www.parts-express.com/.

(From: Kim Clay (bkc@maco.net).)

I live in West Palm Beach, Florida & there aren't any surplus or discount electronics places close but I have found some nice sources on the web. Like

• Dan's Small Parts, for 1N4007's and disk caps for HV ladders (just noticed he's got 1N4007's for 100/$1.00 now! Great for making custom high voltage rectifiers.),

• W. J. Ford Surplus, for inexpensive meters (found a matching set of Simpson meters - 5 kV 1 mA full scale meter and 5 kV 5M series dropping resistor along with a 10 mA meter).

• Angela Instruments, where I found a 1,300 VRMS "Mystery Power Transformer" for $10.00 - he sometimes has good deals on small Variacs also. The 1300v transformer is waiting on a couple of HV caps (microwave maybe?) when a good deal comes along. Currently (end 1998), they have a 2180 VRMS CT at 46 mA DC (whatever that means) transformer for $18. This would be suitable for a power supply to drive high power HeNe lasers (e.g., HeNe tubes of 25 to 35 mW or more).

• BG Micro, where I got my 556 chips. They also have some deals on Power FETS and lots of other stuff.

  (To get an idea of what Kim has been putting together, see the section: Kim's Mid-Size HeNe Laser Power Supply (KC-HL1). --- sam)

Electronic, Optics, and Laser Project Plans, Kits, Parts, Specialized Components

• Arbor Scientific, Phone: 1-800-367-6695, http://www.arborsci.com/. Kits, demonstrations, parts, and equipment related to lasers, optics, holography, and other physical sciences. On-line catalog with prices.

• Information Unlimited/Amazing Concepts, Phone: 1-603-673-4730, http://www.amazing1.com/.

  This place is definitely worth an 'at least check out their Web site'. Much weird stuff including specialized parts (as well as plans and complete kits) needed for the laser and other projects in the two Iannini books [2] and [3] (though cheaper alternatives using readily available components may be available). Laser related products include HeNe, diode, and DPSS (green) lasers; laser pointers, mini-light shows, laser listeners and communicators; CO2 and YAG lasers; and some parts like power supplies, rods, and flashlamps. Many are available as plans, kits, or completely assembled and tested systems.

  Most of the products they offer in areas like lasers and high voltage seem reasonable (though claims may sometimes be shall we say, a bit optimistic), if you are interested in something in one of their more way-out departments like anti-gravity, realize that the laws of physics haven't been repealed on their site and you shouldn't be disappointed when the item that arrives isn't a fully operational "Back to the Future" hoverboard. :)

• Carl's Electronics, 1-978-422-5142, http://www.electronickits.com/. Electronics kits and plans. They have plans for a 40 W CO2 laser, ruby laser pistol, and diode laser pistol. I have no idea of the integrity of this outfit or the quality of what they offer. They kind of appear to be in the same league as Information Unlimited, above.

• Creative Visual Associates, Box 58846, Tukwila, Washington, 98138, http://www.halcyon.com/lasers/. Educational videos on lasers and laser applications in general, laser safety, CO2 laser theory, and step-by-step plans for constructing modest size (10 to 200 W) CO2 lasers.

  (Note: I don't know if this outfit is still in business. While they did eventually reply to my email about their status claiming to just be very behind due to other obligations, I have no idea if or when they will complete some of their unfinished videos or even if they will honor orders for what they currently list.)

• D and S Lasers, 1-610-770-0341, http://www.holoworld.com/dslasers/. This is a spinoff of Holoworld offering plans, a kit, as well as an assembled 25+ mW diode laser system with long coherence length suitable for holography.

• Electronic Rainbow, Inc., 1-317-291-7262, http://www.rainbowkits.com/. Electronics, computer, phone, and other kits, and a few laser pointers.

• Future Horizons, 1-906-249-5197, http://www.futurehorizons.net/. This is another place with lots of weird (and some technically impossible) stuff and I'd think several times before considering buying any of it. The tip-off should be the 900 phone number. Includes plans and assembled ruby laser pistol.

• Images SI, Inc., 1-718-698-8305, http://www.imagesco.com/. Parts and kits for many types of projects. Some holography and laser items. Includes on-line catalog with prices.

• Laserworks, 1-714-832-2686, http://www.laser-works.com/. Laser show hardware including high-speed scanners (galvos), laser diodes, mirrors, laser entertainment systems, and complete laser scanning systems.

• LasPro (Germany), no phone number, http://www.laspro.de/dpssl.htm. Parts for DPSSFD green lasers. They claim power outputs up to 200 mW CW or 350 mW Q-switched. I have no idea whether this is realistic.

• Plans and Kits Unlimited (PKU), no phone, http://www.plans-kits.com/. PKU also sells a variety of miscellaneous stuff via eBay as eBay ID: Ninteach.

  Note: Plans and Kits has gone through some twists and turns over the laser year or so including legal proceedings likely due to questionable dealings or something worse. I do not have any details. Much of what they sell is of limited value at best and should probably be avoided like a laser beam to the eye. This place has gotten multiple thumbs-down in its former life as Unlimited Underground Electronics (UUE) for exaggerated, way out, conflicting, unrealistic claims (I'm being generous), and shoddy merchandise - everything else is unknown. However, in all fairness, there have been satisfied and repeat customers as well, perhaps those who are knowledgeable about what they are buying and can inspect (and possibly select) the merchandise in person. This site is amusing to visit but anyone who knows more about technology than a ripe carrot will realize that much of the blurb on their site has to be bogus.

  There is also a chatroom and bulletin board/discussion group on the site which might provide some additional amusement (for a few milliseconds, anyhow) especially as some technically knowledgeable people attempt to clarify, correct, or dispute some of the claims. If you think about buying anything from them, realize that what arrives may bear little resemblance in appearance, function, or performance to what is described on their Web site. Terms like "Ready to go" and "Perfectly matched" may have different meanings that what you might assume. :)

  PKU also offers a set of plans for using a HeNe laser tube to build a high power mercury vapor ion laser. I assume this is supposed to be similar to the one described in the chapter: Home-Built Helium-Mercury (HeHg) and Other He-Metal-Vapor Lasers and represents a tantalizing shortcut if it can be made to work. See the section: Using a HeNe Laser Tube in a Home-Built HeHg Laser? where I speculate on how such a conversion might be done.

• SVSKITS.com, 1-510-582-6602, http://www.svskits.com/. Basic low-end light show kits and components (excluding the laser!), motors and other parts for robotics and related projects, surplus, more. On-line catalog and order form. COD or checks accepted, no credit cards. Note: As of Fall, 1999, SVSKITS.com is shut down due to illness. There is no projected time to reopen and the company may be sold intact or its assets may be liquidated.

High Quality New and Surplus

This may also mean high prices for many items (at least compared to what you might have expected) so you should be sitting down when you are browsing the catalogs or Web sites of these suppliers. However, there are exceptions.

• Bid-Service LLC, 1-732-863-9500, http://www.bidservice.com. This place caters to the semiconductor processing industry but has listings for laser systems broken out separately. However, you won't find $10 HeNe tubes. :)

• BMI Surplus Equipment Brokers, 1-781-871-8868, http://www.bmius.com/. On-line catalog includes many complete lasers of all types - CO2, ion, YAG, excimer; optical equipment, and nearly everything else from air compressors to water chillers.

• DNA Equipment, 1-330-769-5444, http://www.dnaequipment.com/. Products include complete laser systems like Laserscopes, as well and optical and electronic test equipment and more. Not for 1 mW HeNe laser!

• Edmund Scientific, 101 East Gloucester Pike, Barrington, NJ 08007-1380, 1-609-573-6250, http://www.edsci.com/.

  Lasers and optics as well as many bargain priced new and surplus scientific items. The new research quality items are expensive but there are many reasonably prices parts, kits, and just plain old fascinating stuff.

  Their catalog is a must even if you never intend to purchase anything. I remember fascinating trips to their retail store stocked with bin-upon-bin of interesting and unusual (and sometimes unidentifiable!) optical and electronic items. I do not know what it is like these days.

• BSC Optics, 1-505-856-6863, http://www.bscoptics.com/. On-line catalog with all sorts of optical research equipment, optical benches and breadboards, mirror mounts, lens holders, light sources; optical components including lenses, mirrors, prisms, blanks, etc.

  High quality new and used optical equipment and components. Check this company out if you are really serious about optical experiments (or need to equip a medium size optics research lab).

• Cascade Laser Corp., 1-503-554-1926, http://www.cascadelaser.com/. Precision engineered direct replacement parts and laser accessories. On-line catalog and ordering. Distributor for several laser companies. They also do power supply and RF driver repair, optical resurfacing, more.

• Holland Laser Products
  , no phone number, http://www.timepassage.com. Laser systems, optical test and measurement equipment, laser and optical, components late model electronic test equipment, vacuum equipment, accessories. On-line catalog with prices. Most of these are larger items and have relatively (from our perspective at least) expensive price tags!

• Holo-Spectra, Inc., 1-800-275-4880 or 1-818-994-9577, http://www.lasershs.com/. Lasers, optics, laser entertainment equipment and software, more. Also, ion laser and solid state laser repair and refurb, replacement parts, etc.

• Kentek Corporation, 1-800-432-2323. Laser replacement parts (mostly for solid state lasers), accessories, supplies, books, educational materials, remanufactured lasers, etc.

• LMDC, 1-510-429-1060, http://www.lasermotion.com/. Lasers, motion control, and optics. The on-line catalog includes several HeNe, ion, CO2, dye, YAG, and other (mostly high quality) lasers, and many other interesting components and equipment including servo controlled linear and X-Y platforms and rotary stages, optical tables, microscopes, video and specialty cameras and lenses. They also provide integration and consulting services. Not sure about the status or integrity of this company as they have stopped replying to my email.

• Musser and Associates, 1-714-841-1002, http://opticaltables.com/. Used optical tables, breadboards, components including laser diode drivers and temperature controllers, more.

• Metrologic Instruments Inc., 1-800-ID-METRO, http://www.metrologic.com/. Lasers, optics, and electronic instruments for education. On-line catalog with prices includes a (way overpriced) HeNe laser kit, physics and optics labs, holography kit, more.

• OE Technologies, 1-505-583-2482, http://www.oetech.com/. Photomultipliers and related items, high voltage components, some optics and and possibly an occasional laser or laser power supply. The high voltage components include a variety of capacitors, resistors, rectifiers, and even EG&G krytrons to complete that nuclear bomb trigger. On-line catalog with prices, world-wide shipping, major credit cards accepted.

• OptoSigma, 1-714-851-5881, http://www.optosigma.com/. All kinds of optics. Includes complete on-line catalog for lenses, prisms, mirrors, optics mounts, filters, stages, and much more.

• Production Engineering - Medical Equipment Division (PEMED) has all sorts of - you guessed it - surplus medical equipment. Do you need a slightly used heart-lung machine? :) Anyhow, they have a several CO2 and YAG laser systems for sale on their Surgical Lasers Page and some of the prices aren't too bad.

• Sterling Resale Optics, no phone number, http://www.sro-optics.com/. New and used optics including lenses, mirrors, filters, windows, wedges, beam splitters, a xenon flashlamp, and more. They also have KTP crystals for use in frequency doubling of DPSS lasers as well as Nd:YAG rods and more. On-line catalog with prices. Much of their inventory came from Lawrence Livermore National Labs so should be of very high quality.

• TECNET, 1-407-206-1060, http://www.tecnet.com/Welcome.html. Worldwide advertiser of new and used equipment including lasers and electrooptics instruments. Probably not the place to go for a 1 mW HeNe laser but browsing their listings may prove entertaining.

• Used Lasers.com, no phone number, http://www.used-lasers.com/. Photos of piles of name-brand lasers and links to some laser manufacturers and surplus dealers. It's not clear what, if anything, they actually have for sale.

• Used Line, no phone number, http://used-line.com/. Over 10,000 advertisements for used scientific equipment including some laser and optics items. However, prices tend to be high or not listed so this probably isn't your first stop!

Scrap and Salvage

Other possibilities: Companies clearing their 'dead storage' or excess inventory, or going out of business, and auctions and liquidation sales.

You can often find small lasers and laser parts at high tech flea markets and hamfests. Sometimes intact research lasers will show up there but often they are so old that the tube is gassy and usless (unless you are into regassing).

How to Get a Laser Without Really Trying - Part 1

CAUTION: What you may end up with is/are one or more BIG lasers in unknown condition. These are extremely dangerous on all fronts - especially electrically and should they work, from the high power beam! You MUST do this in a responsible manner both for your own and others' safety as well as to not abuse the fabulous opportunity that a successful outcome can provide.

Old lasers may be available from biomedical sources like hospitals and clinics. These places buy the latest, work them to death or until something better comes along, then puts them in storage and eventually sells or gives them away for scrap. If you do find an offer of one or more of these, you will need transportation (e.g., a truck or large minivan - they won't fit in the back of a Honda Civic!) and some buddies to do the heavy lifting.

WARNING: Where the laser came from a hospital or clinic, you must assume that the business end at least (the articulated beam guide) has probably been in all sorts of places you wouldn't want to go and may have collected all sorts of stuff you wouldn't normally eat or use for bathing! Yes, they were supposed to have been sterilized but given that the laser may have been put into storage because it failed, such procedures may not have been performed. You MUST clean the entire thing except for the actual interior of the laser head with a strong disinfectant as noted below. (Perhaps you can pick up a couple gallons of hospital-grade disinfectant at the same time - one swipe of alcohol may not be enough!) Take care - there is going to be sharp sheet metal and other hazards - open wounds and biomedical waste are not a happy combination!

The most likely type of lasers available from biomedical sources will be old but could very likely be serviceable or repairable. Most common types are CO2, but you may end up with a high power YAG or Ar/Kr ion type. For the latter, it is quite likely you won't have the power feed required to use them without serious effort and expense as high current 230 VAC three-phase is often what is used. The 'smaller' CO2 units will run on standard 115 VAC, 15 or 20 A.

Thus, think several times before actually taking these recommendations seriously - you could end up with a major headache or a major bonanza depending on your negotiating skills, technological abilities, and LUCK!

The following approach has worked for me quite a few times. Mostly you get dead units but to quote Clara Peller: "Partz is partz".

Call your local hospitals. Tell them you're looking for old lasers for parts and make sure they understand you're going to demedicalize them, Ask for Biomedical or Clinical Engineering - get past the secretary and and talk to a tech or engineer. Avoid talking to accounting or materials management if you can, they want money. Make sure you tell them your end use is a home made engraver. If they are reluctant to let you have it, offer to smash the delivery arm in front of them with a sledge. These people are used to getting such calls, mostly from companies that recycle medical gear.

Don't be shocked if you hear: "Be here in 15 minutes with a truck and some people to help you load it". Ask for units by Coherent or Sharplan. You WILL need the pickup truck or a decent sized minivan. Take a complete set of allen wrenches including the larger sized ones and tools/socket set to partially dismantle it. Expect to be told the unit will be free or low cost - you're helping them dispose of a 200 to 500 pound monster. Use gloves when you take it apart as most CO2s are used for gynecology. When you get it home, scrub it down with alcohol except for the tube assembly. Take plastic sheets, tarps, rope and trash bags.

If they don't have one, still ask for their address to send them a letter or business card so they can reach you in the future. If they ask you to take a skid or two of other scrap do so. Also ask if they know of other biomed guys with units laying around.

(From: Bob.)

Hospitals would be the first and best place to look. Although nice letters may be the formal polite way of locating equipment, all the people I know who have had any luck getting any lasers from any hospital did so by wearing out their telephone. It seems as though the fellow responsible for getting rid of the hospital's equipment is always a busy harried individual who is willing to let an average Joe get a laser because he offers to make it as painless for the hospital person as possible. In other words, he doesn't have to make any telephone calls, you just show up with a truck and the manpower to load something he considers garbage. Also keep in mind that you may talk to 10 people at the same institution before you actually talk to the fellow responsible for their surplus equipment. It's much easier to get passed down the chain if someone you call can simply tell you over the phone "you need to talk to Harry at ext. 234" than if you send a letter that places the responsibility onto someone else to actually see to it that your letter gets to the right hands, possibly several someone elses. Other sources of lasers might include local businesses (i.e., read the Sunday want-ads for advertisements of auctions, especially if you have any aerospace or other high tech industry in town. You may also want to try large print shops, occasionally universities will excess equipment, and naturally there is always the Net - eBay and other places are gold mines for used equipment but you need to spend the hours in front of the computer screen to find them and you better know the value of what you bid on so you don't get the short end of a bad deal.

(From: Robin S. (lasernerd@hotmail.com).)

I work in the machine shop at a cancer research hospital. There's a huge 4.5 W argon/2.5 W dye laser in the back they didn't even know WAS a laser. You may want to find the machine shop/work shop if you go hunting. Personally, I'd go in person. Some people may be inclined to help you, and some may be too lazy (the phone makes it very easy to be lazy). Be VERY nice, and food ALWAYS helps! Bring a 6 pack of doughnuts or something. You may not get anything, but they'll be willing to talk to you.

How to Get a Laser Without Really Trying - Part 2

However, you will probably not get the power supply since the they are usually not replaced when the laser heads die. Therefore, before pursuing this, realize that a power supply will have to be bought ($300 to $1,000 or more) or built. The latter is a non-trivial undertaking. See the chapters starting with: Argon and Krypton Ion Lasers.

(From: Flavio Spedalieri (fspedalieri@nightlase.com.au).)

I have managed to get two air-cooled argon lasers free of charge. Argon laser are used in industrial high-speed printing machines. If you contact your local companies, you may get lucky.

Some companies that deal with these types of printers are Xerox, Dainippon Screens, and Ricoh.

My lasers came from Dainippon Screens. The lasers worked well. One of the lasers is multi-lined. The company was throwing them out, but as I called in earlier, and left my name, they actually thought to call me back.

If you speak with the technical repairs department, and mention that you are requiring a laser to teach a bunch of students, then you could be lucky.

Please be aware that in these printers, the lasers are usually tuned to 488 nm (bright blue). Some laser heads may have a line tuning prism on the back and these are tunable to any of the 8 or so argon ion wavelengths.

On-Line Sources (Non-Commerical)

You Don't Have to Buy from Companies

The following alternatives are most often offers from private individuals (though not always - buyer beware) and are in addition to the zillions of companies that have Web sites. There are varying amounts of risk in not dealing with a well known reputable company. Prices can vary from dirt cheap to way out of line. So you MUST know the value of what is being offered. Unlike companies which compete with each other, some of these people may start with a very high price and hope there is a least one sucker out there!

In addition to honesty and ethics concerns, once you settle on a price, make sure the seller knows how to pack your (often fragile) equipment properly. It is amazing how much abuse can be inflicted by package shipping companies like UPS and the U.S. Postal Service. If it costs you a couple of dollars extra for a larger box and more bubble wrap or styrofoam peanuts - and shipping insurance - it may be well worth it!

Newsgroups and Similar Forums

• alt.lasers (Primarily lasers)
• sci.optics (All types of optics)
• sci.electronics.components (Electronic components)
• sci.electronics.equipment (Electronic equipment)
• sci.electronics.misc (Miscellaneous electronics)
• sci.engr.lighting (Lighting technology)

Offers of inexpensive lasers, laser components, and other related items may also appear from time-to-time on various other discussion groups. See the sections: Laser (Email) Listservers and Laser Discussion Groups and Technical Forums. One that sees a fair amount of this type of traffic is:

• LaserFX - Unclassified Ads

Internet Classifieds

• Skywise's Items for Sale Page has some items from time to time.

• Ted's High Voltage and Other Items for Sale page includes neon sign transformers, Variacs, ignition coils; HV rectifiers, capacitors, wire; plans, books, and more including some really weird stuff. No actual lasers but bits and pieces to construct your own laser power supplies.

• Niko's Integrated Technology Systems page has a variety of electronics items for sale including several high voltage capacitors that could be of use for some of the home-built lasers requiring pulsed power supplies.

• Ivan's Pacific Technologies Page has a few laser items for sale (780 nm laser diode modules at present).

• Emission Technologies offers plans as well as kits with all the glass and metal parts; optics, gas, vacuum, and water tubing; and adhesives to construct 35 W and 60 W flowing gas CO2 laser, sealed CO2 laser tubes and switching power supplies, and even a kit for a complete X,Y CNC laser cutter which can be used for hobby or industry. The manual for at least the 35 W flowing gas laser is available (free) at this site has detailed instructions for assembly, alignment, and operation, as well as basic information on power supplies and vacuum/gas handling systems and is generally useful even if you aren't interested in his specific kits.

Sam's Stuff for Sale or Trade and Items Wanted

Auctions

Here are some specific laser related searches to get you started. These are designed to return serious laser related items without being inundated with laser pointers, laser printers, laserdiscs, laser engravings, and countless other common things with the word laser in their description:

• This eBay Auction Search: Laser Equipment by Type will return a summary of most of the ongoing auctions for actual laser equipment and parts which include a specific laser type (e.g., HeNe or argon ion) in the listing. This is the one I find most useful.

• This eBay Auction Search: Laser and Related Stuff will pick up a few other items but there will also be more unwanted listings for things like laser printer/copier/fax/scanners and laser pointer heads.

• This eBay Auction Search: Laser Power Supply and Equipment will grab still more that may include words like 'supply', 'exciter', or other assorted keywords but not any that would be picked up by the previous searches.

• This eBay Auction Search: Interesting, Strange, Old, Vintage Lasers may occasionally catch something on the fringes with collectible value though mostly it returns items not related to anything we care about! Also included here are laser power meters (because they woudn't fit in the text limit of any of the others!).

• The eBay Auction Search: Specific Manufacturers' Lasers (Mostly HeNe) and eBay Auction Search: Specific Manufacturers' Lasers (Includes Ion, HeCd, CO2, other) will catch many of those lasers listed with model numbers but not otherwise satisfying the other searches.

• This eBay Auction Search: Laser Light Show Items may be useful if you are mainly interested in complete systems (as opposed to individual components that need some serious assembly).

Note: Since the eBay search engine appears to distinguish between singular and plural, if you don't include both (as I've done above with laser and lasers), you might miss that opportunity of a lifetime to buy 1,326 argon lasers. :) Also, for some of these, it may be useful to cut and paste the search string directly into the eBay Smart Search Page to modify or add options or exclusions which can cut down on the amount of unwanted garbage returned by these searches.

And, for the home-built laser enthusiast:

• This eBay Auction Search: Transformer and Vacuum Equipment will locate many listings for equipment useful for home-built laser construction and general mad scientist activities (though no where near all of them). (You'll have to modify this search for the plural yourself if you are interested in multiple pumps or whatever!)

You can of course customize your own search strings. For example, if you are interested in pulsed lasers, you may want to enter: "flashlamp,flash lamp,flashlamps,flash lamps,arclamp,arclamps,arc lamp,arc lamps" in the eBay search box which will gather just about anything in the lamp department. :) One can spend a semi-infinite amount of time searching the eBay site.

Note that the current eBay search facility places an annoying gyrating banner Ad at the top of the results page. The previous one didn't do this and was thus faster loading. Too bad about greed. However, it appears as though disabling Java Script in your Web browser gets rid of the Ads and speeds up loading but screws up some listings where Java Script is used by the seller.

However, make sure you know the true market value of the merchandise and limit your maximum bid to what you consider it to be worth TO YOU! Avoid getting carried away in the excitement of last minute bidding - there will be other opportunities. Also, where the seller is actually a surplus dealer or other commercial enterprise, check out their Web site or catalog - the same item(s) may be listed there for a fixed price which may be much lower than where the bidding ends up. I've seen eBay auctions where the identical item went for more than twice the catalog price! In addition, depending on the day of the month, phase of the moon, or a particular tea leaf reading, there may be a variation in final bid price for similar items by a factor of 5 times or more - and the lower priced one(s) might even be in better condition or newer! As an example, in one case, I picked up something for $16.50 while the next week, an older and less desirable version of the same model went for $117.00! So, don't go overboard bidding up an item thinking another one won't show up. It will - for lasers and scientific stuff at least - maybe not an original Rembrandt. :)

Before bidding on anything, check out the seller's feedback profile - not just the rating but the comments as well. Pay particular attention to the negatives and neutrals, as they are more telling than the often fluffy positives (if any!). You can quickly display only the negative and neutral feedback comments via Toolhaus.org. Some certifiably shady sellers have high feedback ratings even though much of what they sell is misrepresented or just plain junk.

Carefully examine the listing including all photos. Look for little things that might not be noticed on a quick glance. Email the seller to clarify anything that isn't totally obvious. This applies both to the item itself as well as shipping and handling charges.

Note that once you place a bid, it is normally binding. And, if you win the auction, you are legally required to pay for the merchandise. The auction police won't come after you if you don't pay (at least not for small amounts) but you can be sure that such transgressions will be noted by the seller in your feedback. Bid retractions are permitted for typos (you entered $1,000 instead of $10.00 by mistake) and may be allowed for extenuating circumstances (see the specific auction site rules) but don't count on it. If you do bid in error, try emailing the seller and politely asking to withdraw the bid. Many/most are very accommodating but some will just tell you that their rules are final and tell you where you can jump even if it's only a matter of a $10 bid. :(

Here are some other things to watch out for:

• Extra charges - Some sellers have been adding on substantial "packing and handling" charges (in addition to the usual expected shipping charges). Adding $1 or $2 isn't unreasonable. However, except for larger items or those where the effort is truly monumental, significant additional costs (e.g., $10 on top of an item that went for $5.00 + $3.20 shipping) may not be justified. The common translation of this tactic is IPM - Increased Profit Margin - which isn't subject to eBay's commission and you have no choice but to pay if you want the item unless you want to haggle - which is certainly possible. Note that such charges are usually disclosed in the item description (though I don't know if this is required). If there is no mention of these added charges, you certainly shouldn't have to pay them. If mentioned but not the exact amount, email the seller to find out exactly how much they will be before you bid on the item. If the charge to ship a 4 ounce item in the USA is $10, there is definitely some IPM involved!

  I understand when it costs $100 or more to ship a large frame laser but when there is a flat $25 fee for shipping, handling, and insurance for something like a small hand-held power meter, I consider that IPM. Such a device just needs a decent size box with ample bubble wrap and peanuts.

  I've done experiments packing fragile HeNe laser tubes with 2 inches of packing and then making my best attempts to wreck them including across room tosses and drop kicking through the uprights. Couldn't do it. Now I'm not defending flimsy packing - overpackings is always better than underpacking. When I ship something like a HeNe laser or a power meter, it will be in a box with at least 4 to 6 inches of packing all around. Having done more buying than selling, it doesn't cost me anything because I save all packing materials. So, I've yet to add any sort of handling charge except for PayPal costs. I particularly love auctions where the seller talks about the expense of packing and then sends the thing in a box that's obviously travelled across the continent a dozen times with previously read newspaper for padding. :)

  IMO, one is not supposed to be treating shipping, handling, and insurance as a profit making operation, that is for the bid price on the item. I much prefer auctions where the buyer pays the actual shipping cost that can be checked at the USPS, UPS, or FedEx Web sites. And I understand the justification for a reasonable handling/packing fee. But some auctions have taken this to ridiculous extremes and the sellers are obviously profiting from the extra charges.

  Note that apparently, eBay has no problem with sellers charging flat handling fees but will cancel auctions that include handling fees based on a percentage of the final bid price.

  I would suggest avoiding these sellers unless the item is so unique that a similar one won't likely show up again from someone else without the attached strings. If you really can't live without bidding on an item which includes significant handling charges, just treat them as part of the bid price when determining your maximum bid.

• Resale Auctions - A buyer grabs up items described as untested, condition unknown, non-working, or defective in some other way and then resells them a couple weeks later with a similar or identical description and even the same photos. Conclusion: Buyer was unable to make the items do anything beyond what was claimed in the original auction and rather than being up front and honest, pleads ignorance hoping to find another sucker. For laser auctions, common items for which this applies are HeNe or Ar/Kr ion laser tubes or lasers that don't quite work properly or at all. The usual claim will go something like: "may need mirror alignment" or "I don't have a large enough or compatible power supply" or simply "I have no way to test it". If you regularly track eBay (or other on-line auctions), these sorts of stunts stand out.

• Sniping - This very common practice, which is legal but perhaps upsetting, is for someone to wait in the background until just before the close of the auction (i.e., eBay auctions terminate at a specific time rather than until there are no more bids) and then jump in with their bid leaving no time for anyone to counter it.

  There is no guaranteed way to prevent sniping other than by using an unrealistically high maximum bid or by doing it yourself. I actually think the rules should be changed so auctions end when there hasn't been a bid for some specified amount of time (say 1 minute) after the last accepted bid, or the official ending time, whichever is later - basically more like "real" auctions. This would be somewhat better for the seller, only slightly more traumatic for the bidders, and would totally eliminate sniping as an effective winning strategy.

  And, you can now snipe (or be sniped) automatically through the use of Auction Sniper. However, I wouldn't be at all surprised if this and other similar sniping methods eventually force auction sites to change their end-of-auction rules as suggested above. While like everyone else, I don't like to be sniped at the last millisecond, at least if it's a real person, that's still a fair game. However, my personal opinion is that automated sniping is not playing by at least the spirit of the rules.

• Shill bidders - This highly illegal practice means that the seller under an alias or someone who is working in the seller's interest bumps up the bid price never expecting to actually buy the item. If the auction authorities catch on, anyone participating in shill bidding will be thrown off the auction site - not that this means much since they will likely just reappear using different aliases. Unfortunately, the way eBay (and other auction sites) bidding rules are designed and human psychology works, it is usually possible to incrementally bump up the bid price to the maximum 'proxy bid price' with relatively low chances of getting stuck as high bid. (With "proxy bidding", the potential buyer sets a maximum bid price without actually having to monitor the bid progress and is notified by email if this price is exceeded.) And, even should they become and remain high bid by mistake, despite the disclaimer to the contrary, bids usually can be withdrawn without penalty so nothing is lost. In addition, even if the auction closes with the shill as high bid, as long as the seller pays the auction's commission, they can simply attempt to sell the item at a later date without any other penalty. Note that if that high bid is then retracted, it is fair for you to get the item for what it would have cost had that person not bid at all, not your maximum bid or something in between!

  Look over the bid histories of the seller's previous auctions - if the same name or names show up as second high bid or with bid retractions in multiple auctions, be suspect. Or, if an item you thought had been sold, reappears from the same seller without explanation (though this may not mean much as many buyers do back out despite the bidding contract, which is rarely enforced. New stricter rules for bid retractions are supposed to make this more difficult though). Shill bidding is also likely if while bidding on an auction you notice the bid price creeping up to your maximum bid and then just exceeding it by the minimum possible increment. If you then submit another bid, it may not be countered and you will be stuck with the item - intentionally. And the seller gets a higher price than would have been likely without the shill's involvement.

• Bid shielding - This is somewhat similar to shill bidding in driving up the price of an item. However, the intent with bid shielding is that at least two people bid against each-another to drive up the bid price and then retract the bogus high bids near the end of the auction. The next highest bid (which could be quite low) then remains. The result is that lower legitimate bids were "locked out" for most of the auction. Note that eBay now has stricter rules for bid retractions and they promise to investigate this sort of suspicious activity.

• Value Boosting - A seller and a bunch of friends (or aliases) agree to bid up the price of a useless item with no one intending to actually buy it in the hopes that when they list a similar item in the future at a ridiculously high price, some sucker will pay that price seeing a past auction that went for even more.

• Hot merchandise - Yes, stolen items show up on these auctions. No one checks out the sellers unless there is a problem. So if you see something that appears too good to be true, it may be of questionable origins. This may not only mean outright theft, but may include acquisitions via dumpster diving as well as (inside) diversion from a laser manufacturer's production line. Even if the final buyer has no legal exposure besides possibly returning the stolen item(s), there are certainly ethical issues to ponder.

Although eBay is the most well known general on-line auction company, there are many others - and new ones popping up (and disappearing) daily. These may also offer (fixed price) classified type advertisements. However, from what I've seen, the laser equipment related traffic on these is quite low at the present time, but they still may be worth checking on a lazy Sunday afternoon. You may have a better chance with fewer bidders! And, with the huge number of users of services like Yahoo, there are bound to be at least a few laser related items for sale at any given time. Here are two sites:

• LabX Magazine. This has a lot of general laboratory gear and occasional lasers and related equipement. In addition to the auction, they have classified style 'for sale' and 'wanted' listings.

• Tradinglounge (UK) includes fiberoptics, laser, telecom, and related items. Listings in UK pounds but they will exchange for US dollars free of charge.

• Government Liquidation From model airplanes to tractor-trailers. I'm not sure why I'm including this here but you never know when a 100 kW CO2 laser might show up. :)

There are also sites appearing that are a cross between regular on-line auctions and good old flea markets or swap meets. Compared to eBay, the traffic on these is microscopic but it could be a growing trend. I don't know whether there is enough - or any - laser related stuff on these currently but they are probably worth watching. The most well known is probably Webswap.com but there are at least a half dozen other major swap sites at this time (August 2000).

Of course, regular low-tech industrial auctions may also turn up some laser related equipment and prices could end up being quite attractive where other bidders are more interested in things like steel shelving, NC machine tools, and front-end loaders. :)

And, the U.S. Government (and others), businesses, and universities, may auction or sell unneeded equipment or excess inventory periodically or continuously. While this is more likely to be beat up office furniture and obsolete PCs, laser related items may also be present. For example, the University of Utah Surplus Property Page lists several pieces of laser and optics equipment. The general public may get to pick over what is left after those connected with the University buy what they want but who knows? You could end up with a 10 kW CO2 laser for $10 if no one else bids on it. :)

(The following is mostly from: Jonathon Caywood (sarlock@twcny.rr.com).)

Experiences with on-line auctions vary. I've done some dealing on eBay and have had very good experiences in selling and buying with no problems. However, I am aware of people who have had unfortunate experiences buying from certain people. There are always going to be some bad apples with something like this. I usually will dig into someone's profile a bit before I will purchase from them. I check their feedback (indicated by the number which follows their account name, click on the number) and look to see what type of feedback they have. Needless to say, someone with 100+ comments, and no negative feedback is usually good to deal with. But people selling what you want don't always have such high feedback.

A few useful things to check on:

• Contact the seller way before the end of auction (and before you bid) to find out the condition, does it work, does it not work, how old is it, model number, all the parts attached?

• Know the value of what you are wanting to buy. Often, you will get someone who is willing to bid much more than the unit is worth(i.e., what you can get it for used, etc.) and that ruins the auction for you, be patient though, something else is bound to show up. I doubt the world is in danger of running out of used HeNe lasers or vacuum pumps.

• If the seller claims that it works fine, check to see if they will guarantee the unit against DOA (Dead On Arrival)? On fragile items like large gas lasers, they may not. But with something rugged (relatively) like a variac or a vacuum pump I don't see any problems with this request.

• Watch out for shipping fleecing. Yes, these things are sometimes very heavy and are expensive to ship, but ask the seller where the unit is comming from (zip) and who they will be shipping it through. Then go to the shipping services website and calculate the shipping cost. Remember to include a little extra if it requires more than a simple box to ship the device. Crating can be time consuming and no fun. But if the seller wants to charge you 60 bucks shipping/handling on something that costs $30 to ship, I'd be wary and ask questions.

Some of my personal rules I use as to who to deal with, and who not to deal with:

• Pictures of the object from all sides is definitely nice. I check out pictured items a lot more than items without pictures. I like being able to see the current state of the unit. Of course, make sure the photos are actually of the exact item you will be getting, not a similar one or something in pristine condition when what's for sale is rusty and caked with mud.

• Someone with a good feedback record. 1 or 2 bad feedbacks out of 20 to 30 good ones is somewhat negligible. However, someone with 1 or 2 bad feedbacks out of 5 or 10, I may be more wary about and use common sense when dealing. Someone with a real email account is a plus and it's even better if they provide an address or phone number to contact them directly.

• Quick response to email. Someone who responds quickly to e-mail *may* also be quick to ship. :) I give a little extra room for weekends as a company may not have someone checking mail over the weekend.

• And, I always try to pay by trackable methods, Money Orders are my usual method of payment, this gives me a receipt to check out, without giving someone personal information like a check provides. (Since this was originally written, Paypal has become the most common easy payment method on eBay. I'm not sure about the effectiveness of their dispute resolution procedures though. --- Sam)

Dealing on eBay is a bit of common sense, knowledge of what you're buying, research, and well - a small amount of luck. :)

Laser Sales and Service Companies

DISCLAIMER: Product and service descriptions and claims are from the company literature or Web sites. This listing is NOT necessarily an endorsement of what they offer! Listing is in alphabetical order by company name.

• Anderson Lasers, Inc.
  2883 W. Royalton Road
  Broadview Hts., OH 44147
  Phone: 1-440-237-6629
  Fax: 1-440-237-0656
  Email: anderr@netcom.com
  Web: http://www.andersonlasers.com/
  

  Industrial lasers (cutting, welding, drilling, scribing, and marking), scientific research lasers (argon ion, erbium, helium-neon, ruby, etc.), laser show and entertainment lasers (argon and krypton ion). Optical test and measurement equipment, laser and optical components, vacuum equipment, electronic test equipment, accessories, more.

• Cambridge Lasers Laboratories, Inc.
  853 Brown Road
  Fremont, CA 94539
  Phone: 1-510-651-0110
  Fax: 1-510-651-1690
  Email: camlaser@cambridgelasers.com
  Web: http://www.cambridgelasers.com/
  

  Ion laser repair and refurb including rebuilt or replacement plasma tubes, power supply repair, gas correction, realignment, system upgrading, as well laser system/equipment rentals.

• Cascade Laser Corp.
  101 N. Elliott Rd.
  Newberg, OR. 97132
  Phone: 1-503-554-1926
  Fax: 1-503-554-8285
  E-Mail: Info@Cascadelaser.com
  Web: http://www.cascadelaser.com/
  

  Laser repair including supplies and accessories. Cavities, rods, krypton and xenon Lamps, mirrors, water Filters, and other optical components.

• Control Micro Systems (CMS)
  4420 Metric Drive
  Winter Park, FL 32792
  Phone: 1-407-679-9716
  Fax: 1-407-657-6883
  Email: sales@cmslaser.com
  Web: http://www.cmslaser.com/
  

  Laser systems for marking, welding, cutting, drilling.

• Creative Technology
  4138 Coolidge Avenue
  Oakland, CA 94602-3433
  Phone: 1-888-LASER66
  Email: wroberts@laser66.com (Will Roberts, president)
  Web: http://www.laser66.com/
  

  Creative Technology is also the U.S. representative for ELECTRON CO., LTD.

  Distributors of laser pointers, diode laser modules (including DPSS green and low cost red models) and laser beam profilers, and providers of related optics and electronics consulting services.

• Directed Light, Inc.
  33 River Oaks Parkway
  San Jose, CA, 95134
  Phone: 1-408-321-8500 or 1-800-468-2326
  Fax: 1-408-321-8466
  Email: info@hot-beam.com
  Web: http://www.hot-beam.com/
  

  Laser and optics components, eyeware, system integration, more.

• Dynamic Laser
  2009 South 4130 West, Suite F
  Salt Lake City, Utah 84104
  Phone: 801-952-9091 and 801-952-9056
  Fax: 801-952-9089
  Web: http://www.dynamiclaser.net/
  

  Argon, krypton, and mixed gas ion lasers. Development of new products for specific applications. Service of most manufacturers argon and krypton ion laser tubes. This company was founded by some of the former employees of American Laser, now defunct.

• DZ Laser Service, Inc.
  1252 W. 50 S.
  Centerville, UT 84014
  Phone: 1-801-296-2612
  Fax: 1-801-296-2910
  Email: don@dzlaser.com
  Web: http://www.dzlaser.com
  

  Ion tube and complete system rebuilds for Ion Laser Technology (ILT) lasers. New and refurbished argon and krypton-argon laser tubes for and sales of used lasers ILT. (DZ acquired the entire inventory and manufacturing line of ILT when they got out of the laser business.)

• Edmund Scientific
  101 East Gloucester Pike
  Barrington, NJ 08007-1380
  Phone: 1-609-573-6250
  Fax: 1-609-573-6295
  Email: info@edsci.com
  Web: http://www.edsci.com/
  

  While not actually a major manufacturer of lasers (they may package a few with their name), Edmunds Scientific is so well known that I didn't feel right about leaving them off of this list. They do resell a variety of HeNe lasers, an argon ion, diode laser modules, DPSS green lasers, laser pointers of all types, laser accessories. They are a major supplier of industrial optics and, of course, popular scientific gadgets of every conceivable description!

• EK Photonics Co.
  224 Lakeview Avenue
  Paterson, NJ 07503
  Phone: 1-973-345-3380
  Fax: 1-973-345-4210
  Email: info@ekphotonics.com
  

  Solid state laser parts, accessories, repair. They are also a laser marking and engraving job shop.

• EKSPLA, Ltd. (Lithuania)
  Savanoriu Av. 231
  02300 Vilnius-53, Lithuania
  Phone: +370 5 2649629
  Fax: +370 5 2641809
  Email: ekspla@ekspla.com
  Web: http://www.ekspla.com/
  

  Manufacturer of solid state lasers and related equipment for scientific, industrial, medical applications, with an emphasis on customized laser systems. The main products are pulsed tunable picosecond systems.

• Ellison Research Labs
  1729 N. 1000 Street
  Baldwin City, KS 66006
  Phone: 1-785-691-9565
  Email: ellison@ellison-research.com
  Web: http://www.ellison-research.com/
  

  General electronics consulting as well as the repair of small argon ion, helium-cadmium, and Nd:YAG lasers.

• Evergreen Laser Corporation
  9G Commerce Circle
  Durham, CT 06410
  Phone: 1-860-349-1797
  Fax: 1-860-349-3873
  Email: elc@connix.com
  Web: http://www.evergreenlaser.com/
  

  Ion laser cleaning, alignment, repair, and tube refurb; and ion laser power supply repair for systems from most major manufacturers.

  Their Web site also includes a significant amount of information on ion laser tube and power supply adjustment, alignment, failure modes, troubleshooting, and repair. Unfortunately, most of this did not work with Netscape V3.04. Perhaps, it will work with your browser and/or the problems have since been corrected.

• Excitek, Inc.
  320 Mt. Pleasant Ave.
  Newark, NJ 07104
  Phone: 1-973-483-2415
  Fax: 1-973-482-2274
  Email: excitek@access1.net
  Web: http://www.excitek.com/
  

  They provide ion laser service including tube replacement, sales/rentals of refurbished systems, and also offer a regassing service for CO2 laser tubes.

• G. L. Services
  Phone: (+44) (0)20-8441-7421
  Email: gls@glservices.org
  Web: http://www.GLServices.org/GLS1/L_Home.htm
  

  Laser safety services, laser displays, laser service and refurb, more.

• Grapevine Laser, Inc
  10217 Round Hill Road
  Fort Worth, TX 76131
  Phone: 1-214-DO-IT-NOW (1-214-364-8669)
  Fax: 1-206-374-5366
  Email: grlaser@grapevinelaser.com
  Web: http://www.grapevinelaser.com/
  

  Sales, service, and repair of argon and krypton ion lasers, supplier of new plasma tubes, etc. Also, buy and sell laser systems.

• HB-Laserkomponenten
  Bergstra_e 15
  73525 Schwdbisch Gmund, Germany
  Phone: +49 (0)7171-61107
  Phone: +49 (0)7171-64679
  Fax: +49 (0)7171-6467
  Email: info@hb-laser.com
  Web: http://www.hb-laser.com/
  

  New and used helium-neon, argon and krypton ion, and CO2 laser tubes, heads, power supplies, and accessories. Also some Nd:YAQ and other solid state lasers; laser show, welding, and medical laser systems; optics, scanners, and more. Get your ion laser tubes refilled as well!

• HHR Lasers, Inc.
  14306 Puritas Avenue
  Cleveland, OH 44135
  Phone: 1-216-476-1433
  Email: dale@hhr-lasers.com
  Web: http://www.hhr-lasers.com/

  High quality used lasers for the scientific, industrial, and laser show markets. Ion laser repair including complete ion tube refurbishing.

  I have been told that HHR does cut deals for hobbyist types. Although there have been unconfirmed reports of some problems with one laser sold by this company, recent reports have been positive.

• Holo-Spectra, Inc.
  742-B Gloria Ave.
  Van Nuys, CA 91406
  Phone: 1-800-275-4880 or 1-818-994-9577
  Fax: 1-818 994-4709
  Email: info@lasershs.com
  Web: http://www.lasershs.com/
  

  Ion laser resale, repair, refurb; rental and sale of HeNe and other laser equipment; laser marking and scan control software, laser show software and equipment; holography consultation, more.

• Laser Devices, Inc.
  2 Harris Court, A4
  Monterey, CA 93940
  Fax: 1-408-373-0903
  Phone: 1-408-373-0701
  Email: Sales@laserdevices.com
  Web: http://laserdevices.com/
  

  Laser gun sights, laser pointers, laser diodes, laser diode power supplies.

• Laser Electronics Ltd. (UK)
  Phone: +44 (0)1754 811137
  Email: email.laser@ukonline.co.uk
  Web: http://www.laserelectronicsltd.com/
  

  New and refurbished lasers and laser show equipment and software. System rentals. Ion laser tube reprocessing.

• Laser Innovations
  668 Flinn Avenue #22
  Moorpark, CA 93021
  Phone: 1-805-529-5864
  Fax: 1-805-529-6621
  Email: lzrdude@earthlink.net
  Web: http://www.laserinnovations.com/ or http://www.IonLaserRepair.com/
  

  Sales, service, and support for Coherent and Lexel ion lasers including plasma tube repair.

• Laser Labs, Inc.
  6001 Johns Rd. Suite #211
  Tampa, FL 33634
  Phone: 1 800 542-3606 or 1-813-249-2324
  Fax: 1-813-881-1232
  Email: sales@laserlabs.com Web: http://www.laserlabs.com/ (or http://www.laserlabs.net/)
  

  Ion laser tubes (new and rebuilt); medical and surgical lasers, industrial and scientific lasers; microscopes and slit lamps; parts and accessories, service, etc. Also, laser light show equipment and software.

• Laser Materials Finishing
  1411 SE 47th St., Ste 6
  Cape Coral, FL 33904
  Phone: 1-941-540-8974
  Fax: 1-941-540-8974
  Email: LaserRodPolish@aol.com
  

  Service of solid state laser rods. We repolish and polish used and new rods for solid state lasers, Nd:YAG, Ruby, Glass, and other materials.

• Laseroptronix (Sweden)
  Strvmkarlen 7
  19630 Kungsdngen, Sweden
  Phone: 46-8-581 700 64
  Fax: 46-8-7920191
  Email: laseropt@algonet.se
  Web: http://www.laseroptronix.com/
  

  Distributor, developer, and manufacturer of all sorts of lasers and laser equipment including gas, diode, and solid state lasers; laser rangefinders, night vision systems, CCD cameras, gyrostabized binoculars, and much more.

• Laser Nexus/Zoltan Research
  Phone: 1-408-737-2950
  Fax: 1-408-720-0249
  Email: zs@zoltan.com
  Web: http://www.zoltan.com/
  

  New and used scientific, industrial, medical and surgical lasers, components, and optics. They also auction laser equipment and parts via eBay (ID: zlasers).

• Lasers Now
  Email: KennethF@lasersnow.com
  Web: http://www.skybusiness.com/lasersnow/
  

  Appear to be supplier of argon ion, carbon dioxide, copper vapor, helium-cadmium, and other laser systems. The will provide custom configurations and consulting services as well. However, it's not quite clear if they are selling lasers or Web design. :)

• Laser Tune
  32 W. Larch Rd. Unit H
  Tracy, CA 95376
  Phone: 1-209-835-7623
  Fax: 1-209-832-5675
  Email: info@lasertune.com
  Web: http://www.lasertune.com/
  

  Remanufactured Industrial CO2 Lasers with 1 to 3 year warranties, third party service for Nd:YAG and CO2 Lasers, and a complete inventory of spare parts for the lasers we sell. Their Web site includes a laser chat room.

• LaseTech Company
  5601 Coldwater Rd.
  Fort Wayne, IN 46825
  Phone: 1-888-448-7890 or 1-219-471-1110
  Fax: 1-219-471-9347
  Email: cgraber@fwi.com
  

  Lasers and laser systems (surplus and rebuilt), surplus electronics, buy-sell-trade. Also, low cost DPSS frequency doubled green laser kits including Nd:YVO4 and KTP crystals, and instructions.

• LG Laser Graphics GmbH
  O 1301/ D - 64803 Dieburg
  Phone: + 49 (0) 6071 / 9869 - 0
  Fax: + 49 (0) 6071 / 9869 - 33 (Gruppe 3, analog)
  Fax: + 49 (0) 6071 / 9869 - 34 (Gruppe 4, ISDN)
  Email: sales@Lg-Laser.com
  

  Argon ion, helium-neon, and Nd:YAG lasers and diode laser modules.

• MediaLas Laserproducts GmbH
  Neue Rottenburger Str. 37
  DE-72379 Hechingen, Germany
  Phone: +49 7471 91661
  Fax: +49 7471 91666
  

  Lasers and related equipment, components, and software for laser show and other applications. Includes: DPSS and other lasers, scanning modules, small laser display systems, PCAOM devices, optics, etc.

• Photovac Laser Corporation, Inc.
  Phone: 1-614-875-3300 or 1-888-349-8823
  Fax: 1-614-875-3311
  Email: info@photovaclaser.com
  Web: http://www.Photovaclaser.com/
  

  Remanufacuter of most any type of glass DC excited CO2 laser and specializes in RF laser tubes by Coherent, Synrad and most any other manufactures of RF excited CO2 lasers. They also supply laser field service to many hospitals, clinics, and doctors offices.

• Powerlink Lasers Ltd.
  26 Earith Business Park Meadow Drove, Earith Cambridge PE17 3QF, UK Phone: +44 (0)1487 842333
  Fax: +44 (0)1487 842244
  Email: power@linklasers.freeserve.co.uk
  Web: http://www.linklasers.freeserve.co.uk
  

  Ion laser repair, reprocessing, manufacture, and design.

Laser Diode Manufacturers, Part Numbers, and Specifications

ThorLabs used to have laser diode technical information on their Web site but it has apparently disappeared in favor of strictly commercial interests. The PDF version may still exist though via the Thorlabs Laser Diode Scout Link was still on their server last time I checked. Of course, it hasn't been updated for a few years! It is still possible to obtain a print copy of their complete catalog which may include "Thor's Guide to Laser Diodes" from their web site or by writing to Thorlabs at the address shown in the section: Some Laser and Optics Manufacturers and Suppliers.

Also see: K3PGP's Laser Diode Manufacturers and K3PGP's Laser Diode Specifications maintained by K3PGP (Email: k3pgp@qsl.net). (This is a listing of the database that used to be on the Thorlabs Web site.)

Many major laser diode manufacturers have detailed specifications on the Web. For example:

• Sharp Microelectronics - Optoelectronic Datasheets (Includes extensive listing of laser diode specs). (Another Sharp site: Sharp Databook CDROM - Laser Diodes.)

• Sony Laser Diodes (Complete product information as well as their "Laser Diode Guide" which includes definitions and general information on theory, handling procedures and reliability, operation, measurement, and typical applications.

Large electronics distributors are gradually improving their selection of laser diodes, diode laser modules, and components. For example, DigiKey now carries a half decent assortment of models from Coherent, Lumex, NVG, Panasonic, and others.

For suppliers of mostly high power laser diodes, see the section: Sources of Special Parts and Supplies for the Home-Built DPSS Laser. Also see the section: Laser and Optics Manufacturers and Suppliers.

Laser and Optics Manufacturers and Suppliers

DISCLAIMER: Product and service descriptions and claims are from the company literature or Web sites. This listing is NOT necessarily an endorsement of what they offer!

• Aculight Corporation
  11805 North Creek Parkway S., Suite 113
  Bothell, WA 98011
  Phone: 1-425-482-1100
  Fax: 1-425-482-1101
  Email: laser@aculight.com
  Web: http://www.aculight.com/
  

  Design and manufacture of diode pumped solid state laser and nonlinear optical conversion technologies for our affordable, wavelength selectable, laser products.

• Advanced Engineering Solutions, Inc.
  111 Highway 120E, Suite 107
  Pottsboro, TX 75076
  Phone: 1-903-786-5565 Fax: 1-903-786-5575
  Email: KennethF@adv-engr-solns.com
  Web: http://www.adv-engr-solns.com/
  

  Distributor/integrator of high power and pigtailed laser diodes, and CO2, argon ion, and Ti:Sa lasers. Their Web site includes specifications for all products (some with prices).

• Aerotech, Inc.
  101 Zeta Dr.
  Pittsburgh, PA 15238
  Phone: 1-412-963-7470.
  Web: http://www.aerotechinc.com/
  

  Aerotech used to manufacture HeNe lasers and components. They are now primarily involved with positioning mechanics, linear motors, rotary motors and drives, motion controllers, and laser interferometers. The helium-neon laser product line of Aerotech was acquired by the Laser Group of Melles Griot. These products include power supplies, laser heads and unique, patented single frequency adapter technology.

  Aerotech is listed here mainly for reference should you come across one of their HeNe tube, laser heads, power supplies, or other related items.

• Alkor Technologies
  Radischeva str.
  St-Petersburg, Russia, 196191
  Phone: +7-812-329-5597
  Fax: +7-812-329-4433
  Email: 00000700@mailbox.alkor.ru
  Web: http://www.alkor.net/technologies/
  

  Optical crystals, glasses, coatings, and scintillators.

• ALMAZ Optics, Inc.
  701 South Route 73, Suite C
  West Berlin, NJ 08091
  Phone: 1-609-768-9118
  Fax: 1-609-768-3610
  Email: almazoptics@erols.com
  Web: http://www.almazoptics.com/
  

  Supplier of optical materials and precision optical components: fused silica, quartz, sapphire, calcium barium lithium magnesium fluoride, sodium potassium chloride, nonlinear and scintillation crystals, infrared and bullet-proof glass, more.

• Alphalas GmbH
  Hannah-Vogt-Str. 1
  D-37085 Goettingen, Germany
  Phone: +49-551-7706147
  Fax: +49-551-7706146
  Email: info@alphalas.com
  Web: http://www.alphalas.com/
  

  Manufacturer of nonlinear-mirror modelocked lasers and advanced diode-pumped solid-state lasers (modelocked, CW and Q-switched). They are also a supplier of a large selection of optical and laser components, and laser accessories.

• Analog Modules, Inc.
  126 Baywood Avenue
  Longwood, FL 32750-3426
  Phone: 1-407-339-4355
  Fax: 1-407-834-3806
  Web: http://www.analogmodules.com/
  

  AMI designs and manufactures a wide range of analog electronic products primarily for the laser and electro-optics industries. These include power supplies for laser diodes, arc lamps, and flashlamps; Pockels cell drivers, sensor amplifiers and pulse stretchers, fiber optics links, and rangefinder receivers.

• Analog Technologies, Inc.
  23399 Commerce Drive, B-4
  Farmington Hills, MI 48335
  Phone: 1-248-888-9760
  Fax: 1-248-888-9770
  Email: Info_All@analogotechnologies.com
  Web: http://www.analogtechnologies.com/
  

  Manufacturer of laser diode drivers and TE controllers, mode hop free diode lasers, photodiode amplifiers and preamplifiers, more.

• Applied Optronics Corporation
  111 Corporate Boulevard
  South Plainfield, NJ 07080
  Phone: 1-908-753-6300
  Fax: 1-908-753-4041
  Email: sales@applied-optronics.com
  Web: http://www.applied-optronics.com/
  

  Manufacturer of high power laser diodes, diode laser modules, and systems, in the wavelength ranges of 650 to 680 nm, 900 to 980 nm, and 1.8 to 2.1 um.

• Avalon Photonics
  Badenerstrasse 569
  P.O. Box CH-8048
  Zurich, Switzerland
  Phone: +41 1 498 1414
  Fax: +41 1 498 1412
  Email: info@avap.ch
  Web: http://www.avalon-photonics.com/
  

  Design and manufacture of single and multimode VCSELs and VCSEL arrays. Wavelengths include: 760, 850, and 950 nm.

• B&W Tek, Inc.
  825 Dawson Dr., Suite 1
  Newark, Delaware 19713
  Phone: 1-302-368-7824
  Fax: 1-302-368-7830
  Email: info@bwtek.com
  Web: http://www.bwtek.com/
  

  Supplier of high power laser diodes and fiber-coupled diode lasers, DPSS lasers, laser diode drivers, green laser pointers, IR cards, and PZT micropositioners.

• Beijing Viasho Technology Co., Ltd. Yihe Center Room 401-407, NO 13
  Huayuan Road, Haidian District
  Beijing 100088 P. R. China
  Phone: +86-10-82034321/82034362
  Fax: +86-10-82034365
  Web: http://www.viasho.com/
  

  Manufacturer and supplier of diode pumped solid state lasers for scientific, medical, industrial, and entertainment applications.

• Big Sky Laser Technologies, Inc.
  601 Haggerty Lane; PO Box 8100
  Bozeman, Montana 59715 USA
  Phone: 1-800-2BIG-SKY
  Fax: 1-406-586-2924
  Enail: info@bigskylaser.com
  Web: http://www.bigskylaser.com/
  

  Compact, rugged, solid state lasers.

• Blue Sky Research
  3047 Orchard Parkway
  San Jose, CA 95134
  Phone: 1-408-474-0988
  Fax: 1-408-474-098
  Email: info@blueskyresearch.com
  Web: http://www.blueskyreseach.com/
  

  Manufacturer of optics, electro-optic instruments, and diode lasers with integral beam correction microlens - Circulaser(tm).

• Bonneville Technologies
  627 West Sandy Parkway
  Sandy, UT 84070
  Phone: 1-801-256-9605
  Fax: 1-801-256-9606
  Email: BTDL@worldnet.att.net
  Web: http://www.bonnevilletech.com/
  

  Diode lasers, PIN photodetectors, DPSS lasers, customized products. Spec sheets are available at their Web site.

• Boston Laser, Inc.
  P.O. Box 686, Norwood, MA 02062
  Phone: 1-888-GO4RAYS (1-888-464-7297)
  Fax: 1-781-386-6426
  Email: sales@bostonlaserinc.com
  Web: http://www.bostonlaserinc.com/
  

  High power laser diodes, drivers, fiber lasers, fiber Raman amplifiers, low noise green modules, visible-to-IR flexible DPSS modules, more. Boston Laser was formed in January, 2000 from the Laser Diode Division of Polaroid Corporation.

• Brimrose
  5024 Campbell Blvd.
  Baltimore, Maryland 21236
  Phone: 1-410-931-7200
  Fax: 1-410-931-7206
  Email: office@brimrose.com
  Web: http://www.brimrose.com/
  

  Manufacturer of fiberoptic components; acousto-optic modulators, deflectors, Q-switches, and more; NIR process analysis equipment; and diode laser modules.

• Burleigh Instruments, Inc.
  P.O. Box E
  Burleigh Park
  Fishers, NY 14453-0755
  Phone: 1-716-924-9355
  Fax: 1-716-924-9072
  Email: info@burleigh.com
  Web: http://www.burleigh.com/
  

  Manufacturer of precise scientific instrumentation for laser test and measurement, surface imaging and measurement, and nanometer-scale positioning and alignment.

• Cambridge Technology, Inc.
  109 Smith Place
  Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
  Phone: 1-617-441-0600
  Fax: 1-617-497-8800
  Email: scanners@camtech.com
  

  Manufacturer of a broad range of closed loop galvanometer-based optical scanning components and systems.

• CASIX (now part of JDS Uniphase Corporation)
  1933 South Myrtle Ave.
  Monrovia, CA 91016
  Phone: 1-626-305-1161
  Fax: 1-626-305-1163
  Email: casixus@aol.com
  Web: http://www.casix.com/
  

  China based supplier of laser optics and other related components and kits. Includes vanadate and YAG crystals, non-linear crystals, and optics for DPSS lasers. The authorized distributor for CASIX in the USA is U-Oplaz Technologies, Inc..

• Castech
  P.O. Box 143, Fuzhou
  Fujian, 350002, P.R.China
  Phone: +86 591 3710533
  Fax: +86 591 3711593
  Email: info@castech.com
  Web: http://www.castech.com/
  

  Manufacturer of advanced laser crystals including SBBO, KBBF, KLN, optics, and silicon avalanche photodiodes.

• Clark-MXR, Inc.
  7300 West Huron River Drive
  Dexter, Michigan 48130
  Phone: 1-734-426-2803
  Fax: 1-734-426-6288
  Email: sales@cmxr.com
  Web: http://www.cmxr.com/gate.htm
  

  Manufacturer of femtosecond lasers for micromachining and spectroscopy.

• Cleveland Crystals, Inc.
  19306 Redwood Ave.
  Cleveland, Ohio 44110
  Phone: 1-216-486-6100
  Fax: 1-216-486-6103
  Email: Sales@ClevelandCrystals.com
  Web: http://www.clevelandcrystals.com/
  

  Manufacturer of non-linear and electro-optic crystals and devices.

• Coherent, Inc.
  5200 Patrick Henry Drive
  Santa Clara, CA 95054
  Phone: 1-800-537-3786
  Web: http://www.coherentinc.com/
  

  CO2, tunable-dye, ion, CW, YAG, YLF, ultrafast, diode, and diode-pumped solid-state lasers (and high power diode arrays), for science, medicine, and industry.

  Other divisions of Coherent, Inc. include the Auburn Group (Coherent-Ealing, Optics, and Instruments), Medical Group (lasers and fiber optic delivery systems) and Lambda Physik (excimer and dye lasers and laser dyes).

• Coherent Technologies, Inc.
  655 Aspen Ridge Drive
  Lafayette, CO 80026
  Phone: 1-303-604-2004
  Fax: 1-303-604-2500
  Email: sales@ctilidar.com
  Web: http://www.ctilidar.com/
  

  Tunable single frequency lasers in the 2 um range: 2047 to 2059 nm for Tm,Ho:YLF, 2008 to 2018 nm for Tm:YAG, and 2020 to 2030 nm for Tm:LuAG. Laser based eyesafe IR dopppler radar and other remote sensing systems.

• Continuum
  3150 Central Expressway
  Santa Clara, CA. 95051
  Phone: 1-408-727-3240
  Fax: 1-408-727-3550
  Email: continuum@ceoi.com (Scientific Laser Division)
  Web: http://www.continuumlasers.com/
  

  Standard and custom-designed solid state laser systems for a variety of applications in science, industry and medicine.

• Control Optics Corporation
  14168 Central Ave., Suite C
  Chino, CA 91710
  Phone: 1-909-548-4876
  Fax: 1-909-548-4806
  Email: info@controloptics.com
  Web: http://www.controloptics.com/
  

  Optical engineering and supplier including: Stock and custom design optics, optical System design, fiber optics supplies, holographic systems, laser diodes, mechanical mounting and positioning equipment, optical testing and measurement equipment, HeNe and HeCd lasers and power supplies, experiment and demonstration kits, technical assistance.

• Convergent Energy
  1 Picker Road
  Sturbridge, MA 01566
  Phone: 1-508-347-2681
  Fax: 1-508-347-5134
  Email: celaser@convergent-energy.com
  Web: http://www.convergent-energy.com/
  

  Convergent Energy is a full-line manufacturer and marketer of industrial lasers and laser systems for a wide variety of applications in the automotive, aircraft and aerospace, electronics, and metal fabrication industries.

• The Cooke Corporation
  1091 Centre Road, Suite 100
  Auburn Hills, Michigan 48326-2670
  Phone: 1-248-276-8820
  Fax: 1-248-276-8825
  Email: info@cookecorp.com
  Web: http://www.cookecorp.com/
  

  Manufacturer of fiber optics, imaging, and industrial products including a "white light" Helium-Cadmium (HeCd) laser.

• Cristal Laser S. A.
  12, all e Jean Rostand
  oBte Postale 44
  F-54230 Chaligny, France
  Phone: +33 (0)3 83 47 01 01
  Fax: +33(0)3 83 47 22 72
  Email: mail@cristal-laser.fr
  Web: http://www.cristal-laser.fr/
  

  Manufacturer of non-linear and electro-optic crystals.

• CrystalLaser
  250 Bell Street, Suite 200
  Reno, NV 89503
  Phone: 1-775-348-4820 or 1-775-348-7047
  Fax: 1-702-348-7047
  Email: sales@crystalaser.com
  Web: http://www.crystalaser.com/
  

  Manufacturer of cost effective ultra-compact diode-pumped crystal lasers.

• Cutting Edge Optronics, Inc.
  20 Point West Boulevard
  St. Charles, MO USA 63301
  Phone: 1-314-916-4900
  Fax: 1-314-916-4994
  Email: info@ceolaser.com
  Web: http://www.ceo-laser.com/
  

  Solid state diode-pumped laser technology,

• CVI Laser Corporation
  Phone: 1-505-296-9541
  Fax: 1-505-298-9908
  Email: cvi@cvilaser.com
  Web: http://www.cvilaser.com/
  

  Provider of high damage threshold optics for laser applicationsd including polarizers, waveplates, beam steering optics, focusing lenses, cavity optics, neutral density filters and opto-mechanical assemblies.

• DEL Electronics Corp.
  One Commerce Park
  Valhalla, NY 10595
  Phone: 1-914-686-3600 or 1-800-811-0638
  Fax: 1-914-686-5424
  Email: Listed at Web site
  Web: http://www.delpower.com/
  

  High voltage power supplies including those for CO2 and HeNe lasers and capacitor chargers for pulsed solid state lasers.

• DEOS - DeMaria ElectroOptics Systems
  1280 Blue Hills Ave
  Bloomfield, CT 06002
  Phone: 1-860-243-9557
  Fax: 1-860-243-9577
  Email: info@deoslaser.com
  Web: http://www.deoslaser.com/deoslaser/
  

  Manufacturer of continuous, pulsed, super-pulsed and Q-switched, sealed-off, RF-excited, diffusion-cooled CO2 lasers and associated electronics.

• Directed Light, Inc.
  633 River Oaks Parkway
  San Jose, CA 95134
  Phone: 1-800-468-2326 or 1-408-321-8500
  Fax: 1-408-321-8466
  Web: http://www.directedlight.com/
  

  Laser systems, components, and sevices for materials processing.

• Digital Optics Corporation
  5900-J Northwoods Business Parkway
  Charlotte, NC 28269
  Phone: 1-704-599-9191
  Fax: 1-704-599-4997
  Email: doc@doc.com
  

  Standard and custom diffractive optical elements, as well as diffractive optics macros for Optical Research Associates (ORA) Code V optical design software.

• DPSS Lasers, Inc.
  3281 Scott Blvd.
  Santa Clara, CA 95054
  Phone: 1-408-496-0300
  Fax: 1-408-492-1303
  Email: ken_ibbs@dpss-lasers.com
  Web: http://www.dpss-lasers.com/
  

  Manufacturer of Diode Pumped Solid State Lasers. Formerly, part of Liconix.

• ECC, Inc.
  San Diego, CA
  Fax: 1-619-295-9755
  Email: nightsongs@home.com
  

  Manufacturer of ion laser power supplies including the Aurora 40 single-phase air-cooled "Spectra 265" replacement.

• Edinburgh Instruments Ltd.
  2 Bain Squre, Kirkton Campus
  Livingston EH54 7DQ, UK
  Phone +44 (0)1506 425300
  Fax +44 (0)1506 425320
  Email: sales@edinst.com
  Web: http://www.edinst.com/
  

  Manufacturer of laser systems (CO2, CO, and other far-IR), analytical instruments, and sensors.

• EG&G Electro-Optics (now division of Perkin Elmer)
  45 William Street
  Wellesley, MA, 02481
  Phone: 1-781-237-5100
  Web: http://www.perkinelmer.com/
  

  Manufacturer of all sorts of opto-electronic products including flashlamps and arc lamps, photomultipliers, and other sensors. Perkin Elmer appears determined to erase all traces of the well respected EG&G name so this link will probably change in the near future. :(

• Elforlight Ltd. (UK)
  65 Byfield Road, Woodford Halse
  Daventry Northants, NN11 3QR, UK
  Phone: +44 01327 263994
  Fax: +44 1327 263973
  Email: info@elforlight.com
  Web: http://www.elforlight.com/
  

  Manufacturer/supplier of CW and Q-switched DPSS lasers at 1,064 nm and 532 nm, and line narrowed laser diodes.

• Emission Technologies
  

  Supplier of flowing gas CO2 laser kits, complete CNC Laser Cutting systems with sealed CO2 lsaer tubes and switchmode power supplies, and component parts.

• Enlight Technologies, Inc.
  23 Farrington Lane
  Branchburg, NJ 08876
  Phone: 1-908-338-5765 (24 hours) or 1-(908-229-1127 (voice mail)
  Fax: 1-908-203-0037 or 1-908-218-1168
  Email: sales@enlight-tech.com
  Web:http://www.enlight-tech.com/
  

  Supplier/manufacturer of DPSS low to medium power lasers including green laser pointers and systems up to 150 mW or more. May be importer for laser systems and/or components of Far East origin.

• Environmental Optical Sensors (EOSI), Inc.
  6395 Gunpark Drive
  Boulder, CO 80301-3376
  Phone: 1-303-530-7785
  Fax: 1-303-530-7794
  Email: mlang@eosi.com
  Web: http://www.eosi.com/
  

  Tunable diode lasers, laser amplifiers, accessories, LabView programming system. Note: This company may not longer exist as their Web domain has been sold.

• Equilasers, Inc.
  3350 Scott Blvd., Unit 5
  Santa Clara, CA 95054
  Phone: 1-408-588-1212
  Fax: 1-408-588-0150
  Email: rich@equilasers.com
  Web: http://www.equilasers.com/
  

  Designer and manufacturer of advanced solid-state lasers and systems for medical, micro-welding, and other applications.

• ESC Medical Systems, Ltd.
  Email: info@escmed.com
  Web: http://www.luxar.com/
  

  ESC Medical, Ltd. includes ESC Medical, Inc., Luxar Corporation, and Sharplan, Inc.) as wholely own subsidiaries in the USA. They manufactures a wide range of laser based products for medical applications.

• Esco Prodcuts
  171 Oak Ridge Road
  Oak Ridge, NJ 07438
  Phone 1-800-922-3726 or 1-973-697-3700
  Fax 1-973-697-3011
  Email: sales@escoproducts.com
  Web: http://www.escoproducts.com/
  

  Manufacturer of precision optics. Large catalog of standard items with custom fabrication available.

• Exciton
  P.O. Box 31126
  Dayton, OH 45437
  Phone: 1-937-252-2989
  Fax: 1-937-258-DYES
  Email: sales@exciton.com or info@exciton.com
  Web: http://www.exciton.com/
  

  Manufacturer of over 100 dye laser dyes.

• Fenis Technology
  PO Box 5539
  Yuma, Arizona, 85366-5539
  Phone: 1-928-344-3310
  Fax: 1-928-344-0119
  Email: info@fenixtechnology.com
  Web: http://www.fenixtechnology.com/
  

  Manufacturer of standard and custom arc lamps and flashlamps. Their Web site includes extensive specs and lamp design calculation resources.

• Fermionics, Inc.
  4555 Runway Street
  Simi Valley, CA 93063
  Phone: 1-805-582-0155
  Fax: 1-805-582-1623
  Email: Fermionics@worldnet.att.net
  Web: http://www.fermionics.com/
  

  InGaAs photodiodes, and InGaAsP lasers for fiberoptics, and HgCdTe detectors for imaging and sensing applications.

• Foctek Photonics, Inc. (China)
  P.O. Box 366
  283# May Fourth Road, Fuzhou
  Fujian 35003, China
  Phone: +86-591-7720876
  Fax: +86-591-7720672
  Email: sales@foctek.com
  Web: http://www.foctek.com/
  

  China based supplier of crystals and optics. Includes vanadate and YAG crystals, non-linear crystals, and optics for DPSS lasers. The authorized distributor for Foctek in the USA. is Red Optronics.

• Frankfurt Laser Institute
  Gaertnerplatz 9, 61130 Nidderau, Germany
  Phone: +49.6187.28845
  Fax: +49.6187.28948
  Email: fli-mazo@t-online.de
  

  Manufacturer of optical fibers for mid-IR (4.0 to 16.0 um), core/clad and unclad fiber, optical losses less than 0.5 dB/m (at 10.0 micron), maximum power up to 50 W. Includes IR fibers for CO2 laser surgery, IR fiber sensors for IR-spectroscopy, photothermal radiometry, etc.

• GEOLA - General Optics Laboratory
  Email: sales@geola.com
  Web: http://www.geola.com/
  

  Design and manufacture of pulsed Neodymium lasers and turn-key holography systems.

  Gigahertz-Optik, Inc.
  5 Perry Way
  Newburyport, MA 01950-4009
  Phone: 1-978-462-1818
  Fax: 1-978-462-3677
  Email: b.angelo@gigahertz-optik.com
  Web: http://www.gigahertz-optik.com/
  

  Manufacturer of instruments for the measurement of light/measurement with light including UV-Vis-NIR radiometers, photometers, color meters, integrating spheres, optical/laser power meters, reflectance & transmittance instruments and optically diffuse materials.

• GSI Lumonics, Inc.
  105 Schneider Road
  Kanata, Ontario, K2K 1Y3
  Phone: 1-613-592-1460
  Fax: 1-613-592-5706
  Email: info@gsilumonics.com
  Web: http://www.gsilumonics.com/
  

  Merger of General Scanning and Lumonics. Laser based systems for manufacturing (drilling, welding, machining, marking) using CO2, excimer, and solid state laser technology. Also, optics and fiberoptic components.

• Hanamatsu Corporation
  360 Foothill Road
  Bridgewater, NJ 08807-0910 (USA Headquarters)
  Phone: 1-908-231-0960
  Fax: 1-908-231-1218
  Email: usa@hamamatsu.com
  Web: http://www.hamamatsu.com/
  

  Manufacturer of photomultiplier tubes, image intensifiers, light sources, microchannel plates, fiber optics plates, photodiodes, position sensitive devices, LEDs, electron sensitive devices, mercury-xenon lamps, more.

• Heraeus Noblelight, Inc.
  2150 Northmont Parkway
  Duluth, GA 30096
  Phone: 1-770-418-0707
  Fax: 1-800-311-8527 or 1-770-418-0688
  Email: earneson@heraeusnoblelight.com
  Web: http://www.noblelight.net/index2.html
  

  Manufacturer and supplier of all sorts of specialting lamps including laser flashlamps and arc lamps; infra-red emitters for process heating; UV lamps for tanning, disinfection and germicidal applications; excimer, deuterium, reprographic and curing lamps, and more.

• High Brightness Solutions
  Email: eltiger@usa.net
  Web: http://www.highbs.com/
  

  Laser diodes, diode laser modules and pigtails, DPSS lasers, photodiodes.

• High Power Devices
  1200A Airport Road
  North Brunswick, NJ 08902
  Phone:1-732-249-2228
  Fax: 1-732-249-8139
  Email: hpdi@aol.com
  Web: http://www.hpdinc.com/
  

  Manufacturer of high power visible and IR laser diodes. These include single emitters and bars in open heatsink, packaged, collimated, and pigtailed configurations. Standard and custom parts available.

• iC-Haus Corporation
  461 Taylor Drive
  Sanford, Mi 48657-9520
  Phone: 1-517 687-6825
  Fax: 1-517 687-6162
  Email: info@ichauscorp.com
  Web: http://www.ichauscorp.com/
  

  Manufacturer and supplier of standard and custom integrated circuits including several types for CW and pulsed/modulated laser diode drivers. Their laser driver product info and datasheets may also be found at the iC-Haus Laser Drivers Web site. Roithner Lasertechnik is one distributor of iC-Haus parts.

• II-VI Incorporated
  375 Saxonburg Blvd.
  Saxonburg, PA 16056
  Phone: 1-724-352-1504
  Fax: 1-724-352-4980
  Email: info@II-VI.com
  Web: http://www.ii-vi.com/
  

  Manufacturer of laser optic materials, optics, components, electro-optical products and radiation detection devices from gamma ray to far infrared wavelengths.

• ILX Lightwave Corporation
  31950 E. Frontage Road
  Bozeman, MT 59715
  Phone: 1-800-459-9459 (USA & Canada)
  Phone: 1-406-586-1244 (International Inquiries)
  Fax: 1-406-586-9405
  Email: support@ilxlightwave.com
  Web: http://www.ilxlightwave.com
  

  A supplier of laboratory benchtop instrumentation for laser diode control, fiberoptic Test and laser measurement application

• Industrial Microphotonics Company
  20 Point West Boulevard
  St. Charles, MO 63301
  Phone: 1-314-916-5656
  Fax: 1-314-916-5665
  Email: info@imclaser.com
  Web: http://www.imclaser.com/
  

  Manufacturer of laser diode bars, arrays, modules, electronics and related products.

• Infineon Technologies Corporation
  1730 North First Street
  San Jose, CA 95112
  Phone: 1-408-501-6000
  Fax: 1-408-501-2424
  Web: http://www.infineon.com/
  

  Manufacturer of semiconductors for industrial and consumer applications including sensors. They used to have high power CW and pulsed laser diodes but these are now available from OSRAM Opto Semiconductors.

  Institute of Inorganic Chemistry Laser and Optoelectronics Crystals (Russia)
  

  Molybdate and tungstate crystals for laser and optoelectronics applications.

• ISP Optics
  1 Bridge Street
  Irvington, NY 10533
  Phone: 1-800-909-4207 or 1-914-591-3070
  Fax: 1-914-591-3715
  Email: sales@ispoptics.com
  Web: http://www.ispoptics.com/
  

  Manufacturer of IR and UV opticcal components and materials including CaF2, BaF, quartz, sapphire, Ge, CdTe, ZnSe, Si, KBr, KCl, NaCL, and more.

• ITI Electro-Optics Corporation
  11500 W. Olympic Blvd. Suite 400
  Los Angles, CA 90064
  Phone: 1-310-312-4526
  Fax: 1-310-473-0522
  Email: hh_iti@earthlink.net
  Web: http://www.itieo.com/
  

  Laser, non-linear, and other crystals including Nd:YAG, Nd:YVO4, BBO, KTP, LBO, and LiNBO3. Crystal polishing and repolishing services.

• Janos Technology, Inc.
  1068 Grafton Road
  Townshend, Vermont 05353-7702
  Phonme: 1-802-365-7714
  Fax: 1-802-365-4596
  Email: optics@janostech.com
  Web: http://www.janostech.com/

  Manufacturer of precision optical components including lenses, windows, and prisms made from a broad range of crystalline and other exotic materials.

• JDS Uniphase Corporation (formerly Uniphase Corporation
  163 Baypointe Pkwy.
  San Jose, CA 95134
  Phone: 1-800 644-8674 or 1-408-434-1800
  Web: http://www.jdsunph.com/
  

  Jodon, Inc.
  62 Enterprise Dr.
  Ann Arbor, MI
  Phone: 1-734-761-4044
  Fax: 1-734-761-3322
  Email: johng@wwnet.net
  Web: http://www.jodon.com/
  

  Manufacturer/distributor of medium and large helium-neon lasers (visible and IR), non-contact gauging systems, diode laser modules, and holography instruments and supplies.

  Jenoptik Laserdiode GmbH (Germany)
  Gvschwitzer Strasse 29
  D-07745 Jena
  Phone +49 3641-65 43 00
  Fax +49 3641-65 43 92
  Email: jold@jenoptik.com
  Web: http://www.jold.com/
  

  Manufacturer of mounted and fiber-coupled high power laser diode bars and stacks.

  Kaiser Systems, Inc.
  126 Sohier Road
  Beverly, MA 01915
  Phone: 1-978-922-9300
  Fax: 1-978-922-8374
  Email: applications@kaisersys.com
  Web: http://www.kaisersys.com/
  

  Manufacturer of high voltage systems for medical and industrial X-ray applications, capacitor chargers for laser and pulsed power systems, standard products and customs design services available.

• Kigre, Inc.
  100 Marshland Road
  Hilton Head, SC 29926
  Phone: 1-843-681-5800
  Fax: 1-843-681-4559
  Email: kigre@kigre.com
  Web: http://www.kigre.com/
  

  Manufacturer of a wide range of solid state laser components specializing in pretested systems, subsystems and customized laboratory laser systems. Site include many references to solid state lasers (but they do not appear to be on-line).

• Lambda Physik, Inc. (a subsidiary of Coherent, Inc.)
  201 West Commercial Blvd.
  Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309
  Phone: 1-800-EXCIMER or +1 954-486-1500
  Fax: +1 954 486-1501
  Email: lambda@lambdaphysik.com
  Web: http://www.lambdaphysik.com/
  

  Manufacturer of excimer and dye lasers, and laser dyes.

• Lasag Industrial Lasers
  601 Campus Drive, Suite B-5
  Arlington Heights, IL 60004
  Phone: 1-847-593-3021
  Fax: 1-847-593-5062
  Email: sales@lasag.com
  Web: http://www.lasag.com/
  

  Manufacturer of solid state industrial pulsed Nd:YAG laser sources primarily for welding, cutting, and drilling of metals.

• Laser 2000(UK) Ltd.
  Britannia House
  Denford Road Ringstead
  GB-Northands NN14 4DF, UK
  Phone: +44-1933-461666
  Phone: +44-1933-461699
  Email: sales@las2000.demon.co.uk
  Web: http://www.laser2000.co.uk
  

  Supplier of lasers, optics and fibre optic equipment. (Other divisions in France, Germany, and Belgium may be found through the Laser 2000(UK) Web page or directly at the Laser 2000 International Homepage.

• Laser Analytics
  10 Upton Drive
  Wilmington, MA 01887
  Phone: 1-978-658-9100
  Email: diodelaser@aol.com
  Web: http://members.aol.com/diodelaser/
  

  Manufacturer and supplier of lead-salt Tunable Diode Laser (TDL) IR (3.3 to 25 um wavelength) sources and systems.

• Laser Beam Products
  Stratton Park Biggleswade
  Beds, SG18 8QS, UK
  Phone: +44-1767-600877
  Fax: +44-1767-600833
  Email: laseroptics@compuserve.com
  Web: http://www.lbp.co.uk/
  

  Manufacture, and design of laser optics for the infra red, especially high power CW and pulsed lasers. There is a pictorial guide to Aspheric Surfaces and Conic Sections at this site. They also manufacture and stock spare parts for most European, American, and Japanese lasers.

• Laser Components (DE) GmbH
  Laser Components (UK) Ltd.
  

  Manufacturers and/or distributors for fiber optics, IR/UV components, laser optics, optoelectronic measurement, visible and NIR laser diodes and detectors, far IR (lead salt, 3 to 25 um) diode lasers.

• Laser Components (USA), Inc.
  5460 Skylane Blvd.
  Santa Rosa, CA 95403
  Phone: 1-707-568-1642
  Fax: 1-707-568-1652
  Email: vicyen@lasercomponentsusa.com
  Web: http://www.lasercomponentsusa.com/
  

  Inporter/distributor of components for a wide variety of laser and electro-optic systems spanning the ultraviolet (UV) to the far infrared (IR). Includes laser diodes and modules, optics, detectors, more. (Closely associated with Laser Components GmbH and Laser Components UK, above.)

• Laser Crystal Ltd.
  Russkaja str., 43, 630058 Novosibirsk, Russia
  Phone/fax: +007 (383-2) 33-37-59
  Email: office@lasercrystal.agava.ru
  Web: http://www.lasercrystal.agava.ru/
  

  Non-linear laser crystals and optics supplier in the area of the former USSR. Types include LBO, BBO, KTP and many others.

• Laser Diode, Inc.
  4 Olsen Avenue
  Edison, New Jersey, 08820
  Phone: 1-908-549-9001
  Fax: 1-908-906-1559
  Web: http://www.laserdiode.com
  

  Fiber optic transmitter and receiver products, GaAs pulsed lasers and GaAs high power CW lasers.

• Laser Diode Array, Inc.
  110 Genesee Street
  Auburn, NY 13021
  Phone: 1-315-253-8292
  Fax 1-315-253-6368
  Email: laserarray@aol.com
  Web: http://www.ldai.com/
  

  Manufacturer of large multi-bar laser diode arrays with CW power output from 100 W to over 1 kW and QCW power output from 500 W to over 5 kW.

• Laser Drive, Inc.
  5318 Ranalli Drive
  Gibsonia, PA 15044
  Phone: 1-412-443-7688
  Fax: 1-412-444-6430
  Email: ldisales@laserdrive.com (sales)
  Web: http://www.laserdrive.com/ldicont.htm
  

  Manufacturer of power supplies for Helium-Neon, argon ion, and carbon dioxide lasers, and tungsten and gas discharge lamps.

• Laser Kinetics
  444 Castro Street, Suite #422
  Mountain View, CA 94041
  Phone: 1-650-967-0977
  Email: lk@laserk.com
  Web: http://www.laserk.com/
  

  Laser consulting services - cutting, welding, heat treating - process evaluation, system design, process improvement.

• Lasermate Corporation
  977 W. Holt Ave
  Pomona, CA 91768
  Phone: 1-909-868-6818
  Fax: 1-909-868-0948
  Email: info@lasermate.com
  Web: http://www.lasermate.com/
  

  Manufacturer of green, red, & infrared laser diode modules & products, including DPSSFD green lasers, laser aimers, laser light show, and laser pointers, as well as fiber optic components and products, including pigtailed and receptacle communication laser diodes and VCSEL diodes as optical transmitters, connectorized photodiodes, and integrated optical transmitters. They also supply laser diodes, photodiode detectors, diffractive optics, diode driver circuit boards, and laser safety goggles.

• LaserMax, Inc.
  3945 Winton Place, Building B
  Rochester, NY 14623
  Phone: 1-800-LASER03 or 1-716-272-5420
  Fax: 1-716-272-5427
  Web: http://www.oemlasers.com/ (alternate: http://www.lasermax-inc.com/
  

  Laser solutions for the telecommunications, biomedical, semiconductor, aerospace, law enforcement and shooting sports industries.

• Laser Mechanisms
  Phone: 1-248-474-9480
  

  Beam benders and other optical components.

• Laser Physics
  8050 S. 1300 W. West
  Jordan, UT 84088
  Phone: 1-801-984-0572
  Fax: 1-801-256-3879
  Email: info@laserphysics.com
  Web: http://www.laserphysics.com
  

  Manufacturer of compact air-cooled ion lasers for science, industry, and entertainment.

• Laser Power Corporation
  San Diego, CA - Plymouth, MI - Gent, Belgium
  Phone: 1-619-755-0700
  Fax: 1-619-259-9093
  Web: http://www.laserpower.com/
  

  Laser Optics, Microlasers and Technologies, from .2 um to 20 um.

• Laser Power Optics
  Phone: 1-619-755-0700
  

  CO2 laser optics.

• Laser Quantum Ltd
  Enterprise House
  , Manchester Science Park
  Lloyd Street North, Manchester, M15 6SE, UK
  Phone: +44 (0) 161 226 1064
  Fax: +44 (0) 161 226 1063
  Email: Query@LaserQuantum.com
  Web: http://www.laserquantum.com/
  

  Manufacturer of Diode Pumped Solid State (DPSS) Lasers, power supplies, and accessories.

• Laser Research Optics (a division of Meller Optics, Inc.)
  120 Corliss St.
  Providence, RI 02940
  Phone: 1-888-239-5545 or 1-401-331-3838
  Fax: 1-401-331-4404
  Email: meller@netsense.com
  Web: http://www.optics-r-us.com/
  

  CO2 laser lenses and/or mirrors fabricated from zinc selenide, germanium, silicon, molybdenum.

• Laser Research Optics
  Phone: 1-888-239-5545
  

• Laser Science, Inc. (a subsidiary of Thermo Vision)
  8E Forge Parkway
  Franklin, MA 02038
  Phone: 1-508-553-2353
  Fax: 1-508-553-2355
  Web: http://www.laserscience.com/
  

  Laser Science, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets a variety of compact lasers, dye lasers, and doublers providing sources of low cost laser light from UV through IR. Products include pulsed nitrogen and nitrogen pumped tunable dye lasers, carbon dioxide lasers, and laser accessories.

• Laserscope
  3070 Orchard Drive
  San Jose, CA 95134-2011
  Web: http://www.laserscope.com/
  

  Turn-key medical/surgical laser systems including Nd:YAG at 1,064 and 532 nm, Er:YAG, and CO2 lasers.

• Laser SOS USA, Inc.
  Laser SOS USA, Inc.
  55 Sterling Street
  Clinton, MA 01510-1909
  Phone: 978-368-6126
  Fax: 978-368-6127
  Email: Info@lasersos-usa.com
  Web: http://www.lasersos-usa.com/
  

  Supplier of laser consumables, spare parts, optics, OEM laser sources and marking systems.

• Lasever, Inc. (China)
  1188 Shengdian Qiuga
  Ningbo 315101, China
  Phone: +86(574)6313 8035
  Fax: +86(574)8841 1983
  Email: sales@lasever.com
  Web: http://www.dpssl.com/
  

  Manufacturer of DPSS lasers including IR, green, and blue.

• LASOS Laser-Fertigung GmbH
  Tatzendpromenade 1a
  D-07745 Jena
  Phone: 03641-2944-33
  Fax: 03641-2944-79
  Email: konetzny@zeiss.de
  Web: http://www.lasos.com/
  

  Formerly part of Siemens. They sold their line to Zeiss, then there was a management buyout. Lasos now manufactures a good portion of the HeNe and argon ion laser product line. The Lasos Web site includes specificaitons for many of the common Siemens lasers and power supplies. They also offer DPSS lasers.

• Latronix AB
  Enhagsvdgen 9
  S-187 40 TDBY Sweden
  Phone: 46-8-446 48 30
  Fax: 46-8-446 48 39
  Email: office@latronix.se
  Web: http://www.latronix.se
  

  Products include: CO2, Diode, and HeNe laser systems and equipment, distance measuring equipment, optical components, vision systems and illumination; sawmill, steelmill, mining and paper industry, and medical lasers, sensors, and equipment; surplus equipment, optics and lasers.

• Leadlight Technology, Inc.
  No.169-1, Shan-Ying Road, Kuei-Shan
  Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC 333
  Tel: 886-3-3197651
  Fax: 886-3-3197621
  Email: lasers@leadlight.com.tw
  Web: http://www.leadlight.com.tw/

  Green laser pointers and DPSS laser modules, more.

• Lee Laser, Inc.
  7605 Presidents Drive
  Orlando, FL 32809
  Phone: 1-407-812-4611
  Fax: 1-407-850-2422
  Email: sales@leelaser.com
  Web: http://www.leelaser.com/
  

  Design and manufacture of CW and Pulsed Nd:YAG lasers for OEM use.

• Lexel Lasers (now part of Cambridge Laser Laboratories)
  

  853 Brown Road
  Fremont, CA 94539
  Phone: 1-510-651-0110
  Fax: 1-510-651-1690
  Email: info@lexellaser.com
  Web: http://www.lexellaser.com/
  

  Manufacturer of large frame ion lasers. Lexel Laser was acquired by Cambridge Laser Laboratories in 2002.

• Liconix (now a part of the Melles Griot)
  

  Manufacturer of HeCd lasers.

• Light Solutions Corporation (a subsidiary of IRIDEX Corporation)
  1212 Terra Bella Avenue
  Mountain View, CA 94043-1824
  Phone: 1-650-335-1100
  Fax: 1-650-335-1170
  Web: http://www.lightsol.com/
  

  Manufacturer of Diode Pumped Solid State (DPSS) Lasers.

• LIMO Lissotschenko Mikrooptik GmbH
  Bookenburgweg 4
  44319 Dortmund, Germany
  Phone: +49 (0)231 / 97 53 24-0
  Fax: +49 (0)231 / 97 53 24-40
  Web: http://www.limo.de/en/

  Collimated and fiber-coupled high-power-diode-laser-modules, refractive beam correction optics, micro-optics for research and development, accessories.

• Litton Airtron Synoptics
  1201 Continental Blvd.
  Charlotte, NC 28273
  Phone: 1-704-588-2340
  Fax: 1-704-588-2516
  Email: info@synoptix.com
  Web: http://www.synoptix.com/
  

  Manufacturer of synthetic crystals (rods and slabs), electro-optics components, high temperature superconductor substrates.

• Lightwave Electronics
  2400 Charleston Road
  Mountain View, CA 94043
  Phone: 1-888--544-4892
  Email: info@lwecorp.com
  Web: http://www.lwecorp.com/
  

  Manufacturer of Diode Pumped Solid State (DPSS) lasers.

• Logic Systems, Inc.
  8360 Rovana Circle, Suite 3
  Sacramento, CA 95828
  Phone: 1-916-387-5661
  Fax: 1-916-386-1730
  Email: craig@lsione.com
  Web: http://www.lsione.com/
  

  Manufacturing process controls but includes a power supply for the Spectra-Physics 170 and other large frame ion lasers. They have on-line manuals and some schematics.

• LumenX Technologies, Inc.
  Email: eneister@dyelaser.com
  Web: http://www.dyelaser.com/
  

  Manufacturer of coaxial flashlamp pumped dye lasers.

• Lumex, Inc.
  290 East Hellen Road
  Palatine, IL 60067
  Phone: 1-847-359-2790
  Fax: 1-847-359-8904
  Email: sales@lumex.com
  Web: http://www.lumex.com/
  

  Manufacturer of opto and photo-electronic components including some laser diodes (it looks like Lumex has cut back on their laser diode offerings, perhaps to phase them out entirely). They now offer mostly LEDs photodetectors, LCD displays, gas tube devices, and light pipes.

Manufacturer (and renewing/refilling) of HeNe, HeCd, and Ion laser tubes, and supplier of laser mirrors, windows, prisms, and polarizers.

Laser systems, related accessories and other electro-optical products. Major markets include the medical market, particularly dermatology and plastic surgery, and the growing conservation and laser cleaning market.

Manufacturer of devices for measuring and analyzing the power output of laser devices including low cost (IR) viewing plates, power meters, and spectrum analyzers.

Design and manufacturing of quality optical thin film filters.

Manufacturer of polarization control devices - polarizers, retarders, liquid crystals, spatial light modulators, mounts, more.

Manufacturer of DPSS laser systems (also material processing systems and wire harness tester).

HeNe lasers, laser diode systems and sub-assemblies, optics, accessories, components, coatings, much more.

Copper vapor, gold vapor, and dye laser systems, equipment, and components.

Manufacturer and supplier of low cost high volume high quality optics and opto-electronics including diffractive pattern generators, beam splitters, diffusers, custom patterns, microlens arrays, MEMS systems and integration, adaptive optics, more.

HeNe and diode lasers and components, educational lasers/kits, optics, bar code scanners.

High performance diode laser systems featuring: circular, gaussian beams, extremely low wavefront error, various beam sizes and shapes, and diode laser modules to laser optical sub-assemblies.

Optical materials including CVD silicon carbide, zinc selenide, and zinc sulfide.

This joint venture, a spinoff of Uniphase Corporation (now JDS Uniphase Corporation), has developed and is marketing DPSS microlasers using a passive saturable absorber Q-switch and optional frequency multiplier crystal to provide visible green and UV output.

Major manufacturer of air-cooled ion laser systems using permanently aligned internal mirror tubes, replacement ion tubes, conversion kits available to install their tubes in laser heads from UP, SP, ALC, MG, ILT, and NEC.

Acousto-optic components for lasers including AOMs, PCAOMs, as well as industrial systems and volumetric display devices.

New Focus is a supplier of photonics tools for laser applications. Products include narrow-linewidth tunable diode lasers, ultrafast photodetectors (DC-60 GHz), electro-optic modulators, wavelength meters, mechanical positioners, motorized positioners, and high-performance optics.

Design and manufacture small high performance Nd:YAG laser systems.

Precision components and systems used for development and application of laser and optical technologies.

Manufacturer of excimer lasers and micromachining workstations.

Designer and manufacturer of high power diode lasers.

Manufacturer of "Protera" Vertical Extended Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VECSELs or as they call them, NECSELs) in wavelengths including 460 nm, 488 nm, and 532 nm.

Manufacturer of standard and custom crystals and optics.

Gradient index optics including the SELFOC lens for fiber optic communications, medical imaging, and document reproduction.

Manufacturers of laser display systems, Airoamer, and distributors of lighting and control systems.

Manufacturer of diode laser modules, drivers, optical power meter, optics, laser pointers, more. Includes a very compact IC based laser diode driver. Supplier of IR and visible laser diodes. Some major electronics distributors like DigiKey carry NVG's products.

Old Omnichrome contact info (may no longer be valid):
13580/13620 Fifth Street
Chino, CA 91710
Phone: 1-909-627-1594 (probably sales)

Argon/krypton ion and helium-cadmium lasers, power supplies, accessories.

Manufacturer efficient, compact, and widely tunable solid-state laser systems based on Optical Parametric Oscillator (OPO) technology.

Manufacturer of custom precision optical components UV-VIS-IR applications. Sizes up to 1 meter, prototype through volume production.

Laser diodes, modules, controllers, optics, laser power meters, accessories.

High-power diode lasers, diode laser systems and integrated stacks, and fiber-coupled diode lasers.

Oriel Instruments manufactures over 4000 components and instruments to make, move and measure light. These include UV-IR CW and pulsed light sources; nitrogen, HeNe, diode and solid state lasers; monochromators and spectrographs; detectors and detection systems; FTIRs; CCDs and PDAs for spectroscopy; fluorescence measurement instruments; optical components; fiber optics; micropositioning equipment; optical mounts and much more.

Laser diodes (including high power single emitters, bars, and modules), LEDs, and lamps and lighting products of all types. OSRAM products used to be available from Infineon.

Manufacturer of laser based systems for high speed imaging, micromachining, forensics, spectroscopy, UV light generation (by frequency doubling), entertainment, more.

Manufacturer and supplier of phase masks, high power metal masks, apodization masks, hydrogen loading system, fiber grating simulation tools and other optoelectronic components, fiber optics and micro optics products. Includes low and high power laser diodes, and photodiodes and other sensors.

Manufacture and re-gas CO2 lasers and laser tubes (DC excited, sealed or slow flow) for medical & industrial applications. On-line laser tube specifications and prices.

Visible and infra-red laser diodes, laser light sources, bidirectional devices, LEDs, detectors, collimators, attenuators, more.

Laser beam profiling instruments. They have some application notes on laser beam characteristics available upon request that may of general interest.

Distributor of all laser diodes, laser diode modules, and related products.

Manufacturer of pulsed blue diode lasers, sub-ns pulsed blue/green LED sources, associated devices, titaniam sapphire laser kits, more.

Manufacturer of high power semiconductor laser diodes and arrays, packaged or bare.

Manufacturer of piezoelectric actuators, nanoautomation, high throughput piezo flexure stages, vibrometer systems, and a variety of scientific lasers including: pulsed Nd:YAG, dye, Ti:Sapphire, excimer, CW Nd:YAG, tunable diode lasers, more.

Deep UV lasers, DPSS Nd:YLF lasers, Ti:Sapphire amplifiers, and customized lasers for science and industry.

Diode lasers and modules, accessories, diode pumped Nd:YAG lasers, HeNe power supplies, more.

Manufacturer of photonics instrumentation, from components to complete fluorescence systems. Their Web site includes on-line operation manuals for some of their products including N2 and dye lasers and a frequency doubler.

Manufacturer of laser and non-linear crystals, optics, and hybrid modules as well as motion control products.

Effects development, components, and systems for the laser show and laser lighting industry. Fiber optic system, optical components, electronic components, diffraction gratings, LaserCAD Software.

Manufacturer of copper bromide lasers for industry and medicine.

Manufacturer of DPSS lasers.

Manufacturer of an innovative line of diode-pumped solid state lasers and carries out contract research and development on advanced solid state lasers and associated nonlinear optics.

Manufacturer of high power solid state lasers and laser systems for the scientific, semiconductor, medical, and industrial markets.

Non-linear optics, pulse pickers, noise eaters, modulators, regen systems, EO systems, HV drivers, complete systems.

Supplier of laser pointers, laser tools, laser signts, and other laser based products.

Manufacturer of dye lasers and accessories, dye seeded OPOs, frequency doublers, laser optics, energy detectors, Raman cells, and more. They also overhaul excimer lasers.

Manufacturer/supplier of non-linear and electrooptic crystals and elements.

Commercialization of compact frequency-doubled blue lasers as well as special nonlinear optical components such as phase-conjugating cells and crystals.

Coated and uncoated optical components and a comprehensive line of HeNe lasers including 5 line tunable types. Standard and custom products.

Manufacturer of electro-optical assemblies and systems design, development, and manufacturing.

Manufacturer of high power industrial lasers with 25 locations worldwide. Products includes DC and RF excited CO2 lasers (1 to 22 kW CW), diode and arc lamp pumped Nd:YAG lasers (up to 2.7 kW CW and 120 J/pulse), and BIG diode lasers (up to 2.5 kW CW - yikes!), as well as complete laser marking systems.

Supplier of laser diodes and laser diode drivers, modules, pointers, solid state laser and non-linear crystals, accessories, VCSELs, LEDs, UV photodiodes, night vision devices, tritium light sources, CO2 laser components, laser power meters, filters, IR detector cards, a few medical lasers, laser safety devices, more.

Optics of all types from A to Z as well as HeNe lasers, diode laser modules, microscope components, positioning devices, and assistance with optical problems and selection.

All kinds of optical components. Their Web site wouldn't work with my browser so no more info.

Manufacturer of packaged single stripe high power laser diodes - 635 to 975 nm, 150 to 2,400 mW. Also, high performance laser diode driver and temperature controller.

Manufacturer of measurement instruments including laser power and energy meters.

High power laser diodes, subsystems, and accessories.

High power semiconductor diode lasers. SLI is also a supplier of laser diodes for rewriteable DVD and other optical drives, 630 to 650 nm, up to 40 mW.

Manufacturer of laser beam diagnostic instruments including optical spectrum analyzers, sensor cards, beam profilers and power and energy meters.

DFB & Fabry-Perot laser diodes, linear and area photodiode arrays, line scan and 2-D CCD cameras, 2.2 um and 2.5 um photodetectors.

French manufacturer of high energy excimer lasers, ultra-high resolution spectrometers and spectroscopic ellipsometers for both R&D and production.

Manufacturer of laser diode chips, chip-on-carriers, and complete fiber pigtailed modules, with high kink free powers and wavelengths in the 980 nm pumping window for EDFAs.

Manufacturer/supplier of DPSS lasers, optics, crystals. (May be distributor for CASIX.)

Supplier and distributor of a wide range of optronics products including CO2, DPSS, YAG, and diode lasers, power supplies, and complete laser machining systems. Also laser and optical components, and relevant accessories.

Lasers and laser systems, optics, and optical instrumentation for OEM, science, and industry.

Manufacturer of Nd:YLF, Er:YLF, KNbO3, fluoride crystals, and UV and IR optics. Standard and custom parts.

High power helium-neon lasers, sealed CO2 lasers, laser power supplies.

Major manufacturer of Nd:YAG lasers and sealed tube CO2 lasers.

Spectronika is a manufacturer of sealed off copper vapor lasers as well as associated coated optical components, optics mounts, safety goggles, laser entertainment systems and associated electronics.

Manufacturer of optical tables, mounts, and accessories, motorized stages, and DPSS lasers and diode laser drivers.

Manufacturer of laser systems for structured lighting, specialty optical fiber, and Lasiris phase masks, in addition to other lighting products.

Manufacturer of green laser modules and pointers, and laser projectors.

Laser, non-linear, EO, AO, FE, and birefringent crystals; IR windows, thin films, targets, etc.

RF-excited sealed CO2 lasers.

Manufacturer of scientific lasers including diode-pumped, ultrafast, tunable, and PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) lasers, optical sensors, and industrial cleaning and marking lasers.

High power laser diodes based on their 1 cm bar, laser diode modules for gas sensors and instrumentation, and custom optoelectronic functions for space and avionics applications.

Optomechanics, optics, optoelectronics, laser diodes, and fiber optics. Includes glass and plastic optical components, diffractive pattern generators, laser diodes, laser diode drivers, more.

Development and production of tunable diode lasers, related products and test devices for the development of optical data storage media. Also, distributor of laser diodes, optical disk testers, software, and other related products.

Supplier of green DPSS laser modules and other laser products.

Manufacturer of high power CO2 and YAG materials processing lasers and systems.

Manufacturer of tunable, injection locking, amplifier diode laser systems and frequency doubling systems. Includes direct blue tunable diode laser covering 388 to 430 nm.

Non-linear crystals and optics. Current USA distributor for CASIX.

Supplier of customized high power diode laser systems.

Manufacturer of sealed RF excited air-cooled CO2 lasers.

Manufacturer of high precision flats, windows, substrates, prisms and lenses. Materials include fused quartz, crystal quartz, sapphire, Si, Ge, lithium niobate, lithium tantalate, rutile, strontium titanate, BaF, CaF, MgO, spinel, and alumina ceramics.

Manufacturer of diode laser modules and accessories, sensors and detectors, communications systems.

Manufacturer of laser gain materials such as Nd:YAG, Nd:YLF, and ruby; non-linear crystals, including KNbO3 for frequency doubling; and polarization optics such as quartz waveplates, rotators, and thin film polarizers.

Manufacturer of high performance laser diode drivers and thermoelectric control products.

Ultra high-power diffractive optics, laser power meter, optical design software, more.