High Voltage Shielding

[Tim]

Hello,

I bought the 6x9 silicon flex tubing to add some projection to the high voltage lead. It does not appear that I can remove the line from the power supply end and I don't feel confident in removing the end from the laser tube yet. Would it be okay to simply cut the tubing length wise and place the HV line inside the jacket or would this just be false security?

Also, the HV line is really long (around 2 extra feet), should it be shortened?

-Tim

[Techgraphix]

The wire's insulation should be sufficient. Where sparking occurs is near connections or when the wire is cracked.
You can shorten the wire, the shorter the better..
Place the cable so that you have at least 2-3 cm free from any part of the cabinet..
If you have such a white connector in the red wire, it can be quite elegant to make a teflon support that keeps this plug nice and tight >3 cm from the cabinet.
The silicone tubing only has to be applied to the HV-connector on the lasertube.. Even better is it to fill this tubing with silicone-kit.. It's a hell of a job when you have to remove it again but it will ensure you a nice Moist-free HV-environment..
Cutting the tube in the length gives you a "crack" in insulation.. Dirt and moist will feel pretty there.. It will be even worse than no tubing.. Don't do that..

Kees

[Tim]

I don't have the white connector on the HV line or I would have taken that apart and slipped the tube over the HV cable. Thanks for the tip on keeping the cable away from the body. You also confirmed my concern over removing the cable from the tube side. I was not sure how I was going to get the silicon out of the laser tube to reconnect the cable.

-Tim

[Billyibuck]

The issue is hot and extremely interesting. I want to talk this over.

[Tim]

Since I posted this message, I decided to upgrade my laser tube to the 1000mm tube. Now the cable is a little short. So I purchased the HV repair kit with some extra wire. I will be able to add the silicone tubing even though it's not needed on the full wire length. Personally, I like the idea even if it's for appearance only . I also appreciate the tip for a connector for the tube end that Kees posted in another post. It makes the connection super easy and very reliable imho.

-Tim