Hi  Arvydas,

I would check my baseplate temperature.  Main menu/Pump laser menu/verdi laser status/baseplate temp.  The baseplate should be 33 C.  Are you using the original Thermotek pump that was shipped with the unit? 
Coherent advises to change the chiller water monthly. Can you achieve modelock by doing a pzt recovery?  Main menu/chameleon status/PZT recovery.  

If this is a temperature problem, you should get error codes number 44 and 50 on the front interface.  I have 6K hours on a 5 year old Chameleon but I have been having similar issues since July.  To other Chameleon operators out there, how often are they doing PZT recoveries?

It would be best to start the laser at a known calibration point such as
800nm and then tune to the desired wavelength.  A standard Chameleon has
23 calibrated points across the tuning range.
The system will first attempt to modelock at the desired wavelength.
Should it not modelock on the first try, it will tune to the next
closest calibrated point, modelock, then tune back to the desired
wavelength so that a modelock pulse is obtained.


Lance Rodenkirch
W.M Keck Laboratory for Biological Imaging
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine
1300 University Ave Rm 172 MSC
Madison, WI  53706
http://www.keck.bioimaging.wisc.edu/
Phone: 608.265.5651
Fax: 608.265.5536

----- Original Message -----
From: Arvydas Matiukas <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 5:12 pm
Subject: Coherent Chameleon laser lifetime
To: [log in to unmask]


> Our Coherent Chameleon laser which was ocassionally
>  used for 2p or 2p-DAPI excitation on LSM510 system
>  recently began performing unstably, sometimes even
>  not getting "modelocked".
>   
>  The laser is 4 years old but was used only 1000 hrs.
>  However, Coherent engineer states that lasing crystals
>  may have degraded and suggest to replace them for $15-30k
>  with one more year warranty.
>   
>  I would appreciate any advice/comment on cheaper options
>  and laser lifetime. 
>   
>  Thanks,
>  Arvydas
>  *************
>   
>   
>   
>   
>  Arvydas Matiukas, Ph.D.
>  Director of Confocal&Two-Photon Imaging Core Facility
>  Department of Pharmacology
>  SUNY Upstate Medical University
>  766 Irving Ave., WH 3159
>  Syracuse, NY 13210
>  tel.: 315-464-7997
>  fax: 315-464-8014
>  email: [log in to unmask]
>