A tunable 1.7-microm cw F(2)(+)-center laser spectrometer system that is continuously tunable from 1.43 to 1.78 microm in wavelength and has aspectral linewidth (FVWM) of 0.07 cm(-1) is developed. This system is used to measure the 2-0 rotational-vibrational absorption line profiles of hydrogen chloride (HCl) at high temperatures, the Boltzmann thermal equilibrium temperature, and to determine the extent of potential interference or overlap of the HCl lines with those that are due to hot water vapor. As a demonstration of the utility of the laser spectrometer system, it is also used to measure the spectra of methane (CH(4)) and ethylene (C(2)H(4)) near 1.65 microm, and is routed through a fiber-optic cable to a remote site to detect a CH(4) plume.