Increasing Repetition Rate of Hughes Ruby Laser?
“I purchased one of the Hughes rangefinders (two, actually, if I can find the other one…), and have been looking at what might optimize the output. It appears that simmer pulse operation, with 600 V square wave pulses with a duty cycle such that one pumps for the length of a rotational period without killing the tube would do the trick. IGBTs would do the switching – the question is how to trigger the tube without a serial transformer in the existing cavity. The best idea I have would be to use an insulated wire externally as the trigger – has anyone tried this and made it work?” (From: Chris Chagaris (pyro@grolen.com).) How exactly do you intend to “optimize the output”? I get the impression that you wish to optimize repetition rate by utilizing a pseudo-simmer mode circuit. You must realize that this laser was designed to operate at a low repetition rate and must do so for a number of reasons. The original flashlamp contained in this laser is an EG&G, FX-103C-3 which is the predece
