http://confocal-microscopy-list.275.s1.nabble.com/shut-down-time-for-Ar-laser-on-LSM-510-tp590738p590739.html
Argon lasers will die anyway after some time, if you use them or not.
They simply loose gas pressure. 3,5 years are a very reasonable time.
> Search the CONFOCAL archive at
>
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal Greetings to all!
>
> We have a Zeiss LSM 510 confocal with a multiline Argon laser. After
> turning the laser OFF with software, it goes through a cool off period,
> with the cooling fan staying ON for a while, and then automatically
> shutting itself OFF. The manual says that laser should be allowed 10
> minutes of cooling off time, before powering down the system. However,
> on our set-up, the laser and fan shut themselves down after 1 minute. I
> wonder if this is enough and would like to get some feed back from LSM
> 510 users as to what their experience is. Our laser died after about 3.5
> years (and definitely less than 10,000 hours), and I wonder if we are
> losing laser lifetime for not allowing enough cooling. So basically,
> how long is your cooling off period, and can that be set somewhere in
> the software?
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Julio.
>
>
> --
> Julio Vazquez
> Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
> Seattle, WA 98109-1024
>
>
http://www.fhcrc.org/