Ready to push the button and buy a laser....

[Davek0974]

That is excellent tube life, impressed.

Unless you are 'knob twiddler' like myself, measuring power is not important, if it does the job thats what counts.

I like to tweak things so i have a method of measuring output etc.

I think its pot-luck with the Chinese tubes really, one thing that really kills them it seems is running them at 100% power - they over-run the tubes to get more power but at the cost of really short life. My one is rated 20mA power and that is reached at 67% on the machine, which gives me almost exactly 50W output from my supposedly 60W tube.

[John S]

There are always losses from the tube to the cutting head.
50W from a 60W tube is normal.

[Davek0974]

Apologies, this was measured at the tube output before mirror 1

[pinballdave]

I've finally got round to ordering one of these 60W laser cutters, and just been given my tracking number (which of course doesn't work on the DHL website). Did anyone manage to successfully track one of these sent from Germany, or am I destined to stay at home all week waiting for the crate to turn up?

[Davek0974]

I just badgered the seller to give me the correct tracking ref - it was because they logged it into DHL international and their system is ending soon, it does not show on DHL uk.

When i got the right link it worked ok.

[pinballdave]

Thanks, I've been sent a link to the tracking page for DHL freight, but the number isn't working there either. The 'Help' for that page says you need to be logged in first, and I don't have a DHL account, so can't log in. :(

I'll keep pestering the seller until it turns up, and then I'll start pestering you lot with all my questions about setting it up properly. ;)

[Boyan Silyavski]

I am looking at the 100W ones.

One question. Whats really useful size ? I am looking ebay at RECI 100W Co2 1300x2500mm Flatbed Laser Cutter Laser Cutting Engraving USB, which i assume is around 80W. But hey, around 5000 only. Then tax, extra reserve tube, etc. I started already thinking schemes how to obtain it :-)