Do You Have Any Stories or Artifacts from the Early Days of Lasers in the 1960s?

  • Thread starter Thread starter BobH
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Laser
AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on the early days of lasers in the 1960s, highlighting their significance as a groundbreaking invention. Participants are encouraged to share personal stories and experiences related to early laser technology, particularly from the first half of the decade. There is a specific interest in acquiring vintage lasers and components from notable manufacturers like Hughes Aircraft and Raytheon, as well as related artifacts. One contributor mentions a CO2 pulsed laser used for range finding, illustrating the experimental nature of early laser technology. The conversation aims to gather historical insights and materials for a display commemorating the 50th anniversary of lasers.
BobH
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
I'm interested in hearing stories about the very early days of lasers. This is easily one of the top few inventions of the last century, and it's turning 50 next year. I'm particularly interested in the first half of the decade, from handbuilt instruments in labs to on-the-shelf product in many colors and for many applications.

Please contact me, or share your story here about your experiences with lasers from those years. I'm also looking for old lasers of that vintage. Particularly lasers made by Hughes Aircraft Company, Raytheon, Trion, Lear Siegler, Maser Optics, Optics Technology, American Optical, Perkin Elmer, or Spectra-Physics. Also the old gravity bases and Ealing triangular rail carriers and components from the time before metal optical tables.
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
It's funny you mention this. A friend and I were discussing a CO2 pulsed laser that Ti developed for early range finding. It was a crude monster - used an EG&G triggered spark gap as the switch, and ate pulse capacitors for lunch. He was telling me how the crew like to put styrofoam cups in front of it and let it pop little holes.
 
BobH said:
I'm interested in hearing stories about the very early days of lasers. This is easily one of the top few inventions of the last century, and it's turning 50 next year. I'm particularly interested in the first half of the decade, from handbuilt instruments in labs to on-the-shelf product in many colors and for many applications.

Please contact me, or share your story here about your experiences with lasers from those years. I'm also looking for old lasers of that vintage. Particularly lasers made by Hughes Aircraft Company, Raytheon, Trion, Lear Siegler, Maser Optics, Optics Technology, American Optical, Perkin Elmer, or Spectra-Physics. Also the old gravity bases and Ealing triangular rail carriers and components from the time before metal optical tables.

Welcome to the PF. Fun subject. Are you an author? Or maybe a collector?
 
I'm putting together a display to honour the laser, for its 50th birthday. I'd like to include as many of the very earliest lasers I can find. A few articles will come out of it eventually, and then I'll be looking for a permanent home for those I gather together (and their related ephemera).

I should've mentioned that I'm also looking for old magazines, books or marketing materials about lasers, also from the '60s.

Thanks!
 

Thread 'Underwater piezoelectric sensor array receive sensitivity'

Hi all I have some confusion about piezoelectrical sensors combination. If i have three acoustic piezoelectrical sensors (with same receive sensitivity in dB ref V/1uPa) placed at specific distance, these sensors receive acoustic signal from a sound source placed at far field distance (Plane Wave) and from broadside. I receive output of these sensors through individual preamplifiers, add them through hardware like summer circuit adder or in software after digitization and in this way got an...
View full post »

Thread 'Following up on the recent thread about Earth Resistance measurements'

I have recently moved into a new (rather ancient) house and had a few trips of my Residual Current breaker. I dug out my old Socket tester which tell me the three pins are correct. But then the Red warning light tells me my socket(s) fail the loop test. I never had this before but my last house had an overhead supply with no Earth from the company. The tester said "get this checked" and the man said the (high but not ridiculous) earth resistance was acceptable. I stuck a new copper earth...
View full post »
Thread 'Beauty of old electrical and measuring things, etc.'

Thread 'Beauty of old electrical and measuring things, etc.'

Even as a kid, I saw beauty in old devices. That made me want to understand how they worked. I had lots of old things that I keep and now reviving. Old things need to work to see the beauty. Here's what I've done so far. Two views of the gadgets shelves and my small work space: Here's a close up look at the meters, gauges and other measuring things: This is what I think of as surface-mount electrical components and wiring. The components are very old and shows how...
View full post »

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top