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Hello All

Zeus

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Apr 16, 2010
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Hello

I'm afraid I don't do well with this kind of post, so I guess
I'll just do the basics.
I live in Australia and I'm fairly limited in what I obtain. I can't buy items
online, and my budget is not enormous. I have a good knowledge of
electronics, and hold an advanced amateur radio licence.
I have played with CD-ROM lasers and have a few pointers.

That's about all I can add.

Regards

Lachlan
 
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The Aussies are beginning to take over LPF :cool:

You'll find you can buy a number of things online here at LPF. O-Like is great for their green modules for instance. But you're right about buying pre-built lasers...

Just use the search button and you'll find nearly all the info you need :D
 

HIMNL9

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Welcome to the forum !

Be careful to keep your lightnings away from your lasers ..... (just kidding about "Zeus" nick, LOL ;))
 
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The Aussies are beginning to take over LPF :cool:

You'll find you can buy a number of things online here at LPF. O-Like is great for their green modules for instance. But you're right about buying pre-built lasers...

Just use the search button and you'll find nearly all the info you need :D

woo :D
 

Zeus

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Thanks for your welcome, this is the most accepting forum I've joined.
HIMNL9, I'm glad someone have caught onto my nick, that's one of my
other hobbies. maybe HeNe and Co2 lasers will be my thing.
I've looked at Rayfoss, O-Like, Wicked Lasers and a few others, and
they have some good deals, but I'd like to buy a worker before
I start building my own. Just so I have something that works well
and isn't <5mw.
Then I'll build something based around a PHR, like these http://laserpointerforums.com/f64/phr-803t-lpc-815-aixiz-17-50-shipped-worldwide-13-00-diode-only-22496.html.
Does anyone know if charliebruce accepts snail mailed money orders?

Regards

Lachlan
 

AndyR

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Jan 10, 2010
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Welcome to LPF! Sounds like you already read around quite a bit about lasers (nice surprise), though you should keep reading, there's lots of great information to be found here (as you might already know).
 
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Welcome to the forum! You've certainly found the right place. As mentioned, you might want to consider a build with an o-like module in order to get a laser of good power. This can be a simple build, as you only need to provide a battery and housing in order to have a laser. The 50mW modules aren't too expensive and are often overspec. I have a couple of the 150mW modules. www.o-like.com Contact them about alternative payment other than paypal. Susie might be able to do something. As you build or buy powerful lasers, please remember the need for appropriate eye protection and safe laser useage practices. So you like HV? There's a few of us here with teslas, marx, etc.
 
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Zeus

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billg519, I have read all of sam's laser FAQ of safety, and have most of the other info
saved for reference. I joined the day I found the forum, and I've been browsing quite
a lot lately. I first tried to "soup up" a laser when I was 9. I shined it past a strong
magnet, hoping that it would collimate it. Since then I used a magnifying glass to
collimate the beam, in the hope 1 to 5mw brought to the size of a pinhead would
serve to pop ballons. You don't need to ask the result.
I've been hit in the eye with a laser once, and I wasn't happy with the spot in my
eye for about 10 minutes, after that I was far more cautious.

Regards

Lachlan
 

HIMNL9

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Yes, always be cautious and get at least a pair of protective goggles ..... lasers are very dangerous for retina ..... where a 5mW laser can give you a "spot" that last minutes, anything over this power can give you permanent damages ..... simply cause the eye lid don't react quick enough, for avoid a damage with these powers .....

As example, with a 5mW reflection or hit in your eye, the eye lid react in a fraction of second closing, and with that power, all the effect can be a "temporary blind zone" due to the saturation of the receptors (like from a flash) ..... but, with, like, 100mW, when the eye lid react and close, the beam have already pushed on the retina enough energy to permanently burn the cones and rods, and after that, there's no remedy, just a permanent blind zone .....

If you want to play with green and BR, the cheap Focalprice goggles are enough for safety from accidental reflections (NOT for look into the beam :eek: ..... here and here are a pair of reviews for them) ..... for red lasers, you need some better goggles, cause the ones selled in ebay or similars (are similar to the red ones, just have blue lenses, here is a review for them), are NOT good ..... probably Glenn (scopeguy20) have some good ones.
 

Zeus

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HIMNL9, thanks for the suggestions for glasses, I'm a fair way from using anything
above 5mw for a while. Once it looks like I'll be getting a laser with decent power,
I'll order a pair for said frequency. (Sorry, amateur licence training breaking through
again).

I'll most likely track down a PHR-803 (please correct me on that) and a aixis module,
and build up a LM-317 current regulator, considering space I'll use a Zener voltage
reg and put it all in a TV remote like case.

Let me know if I'm spewing utter nonsense, but that idea works in my head.

Regards

Lachlan
 

HIMNL9

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No need to use zeners, the current regulator keep the current constant self-adjusting the voltage ..... for a PHR diode, you need thye FV of the laser diode plus the total dropout on the regulator, as power supply, so, indicatively, a 9V battery can be enough ..... You can use this schematic (i redrawed it from my old one, this one is better)

attachment.php


EDIT: use 1W resistor for RSET (sorry, forgot to say it before)
 

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the 100nF ceramic, are they rectifier diodes? if i was to use this driver would i only change "RSET" and no other resistor values (3.3ohm,470ohm)? also does the 100uf and 47uf of the two capacitors matter or can i change these values (i have some caps that are 16v but a different uf)?
 

HIMNL9

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The 100nF ceramic are capacitors ..... the electrolitics are not critic, as value, these ones are just the more commons ..... for the input you can use anything from 47 to 220 Uf, and for the output anything from 4,7 to 100uF (just place the more high one at the input)

For the resistors ..... if you want to use it only for the PHR diode and don't need the current regulation, just take away the RSET, the 3,3 ohm and the trimmer, and substitute them with a 12 ohm 1W resistor, this give you a fixed output of 100mA, that for the PHR diode is near the maximum value that you can use with it safely.
 




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