8x Diode Degradation?

I noticed that my 8x diode in my custom host was getting a larger splash then usual. So i went to clean the lens. I noticed that the light coming out of the diode looks different than normal. So I compared this diode (with 1 hour of use) to my other 8x diode (with ~1 minute of use) . Here are two photos of the 8x light with no lens. There is a dark oval in the light of diode that has been used for an hour. Is this diode degradation? I can't test the power output to see if its outputing less power but I would assume it is if there is a dark oval.

Is the first photo the laser with 1 hour of use and the second the one with 1 minute of use?
The first photo does look a little strange with the sort of dead/dim halo that is absent from the second photo. I don't really know what to make of it :undecided:

Yeah the one with dim halo has about 1-2 hours of use. But it doesn't matter, I messed the diode up. I knocked the window out trying to clean it. Then I had to remove the can to get the window out. Well it won't produce any light after removing the can. So CAN ANYONE REPAIR AND 8X DIODE? The diode takes power and get hots but doesn't produce any light, TRUCK!!!

MISTERWILLING said:

The diode takes power and get hots but doesn't produce any light,

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Oh, man that sure doesn't sound too good to me. The fact that it produces heat means that the circuit probaly isn't broken(no die leads torn) but no light is a bad sign i'm afraid. maybe someone else could shed some light on the subject(pun intended)

MISTERWILLING said:

TRUCK!!!

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:wtf:

Oooooooh TRUCK!

Your diode IS dead, I'm sorry.

I just ordered 3 more 8x diodes, I'll live. Hopefully this won't happen again.
I am going to set these ones at 350mA instead of 400mA. I set my flex drives at 370mA but the pot is so sensitive it jumped to 400mA when I installed the driver into the host. For some reason I can't get the flex drive to stick anywhere inbetween 350mA or 400mA, it jumps back in forth between the two currents. So I will just stick it a 350mA to be on the safe side.

MISTERWILLING said:

I noticed that my 8x diode in my custom host was getting a larger splash then usual. So i went to clean the lens. I noticed that the light coming out of the diode looks different than normal. So I compared this diode (with 1 hour of use) to my other 8x diode (with ~1 minute of use) . Here are two photos of the 8x light with no lens. There is a dark oval in the light of diode that has been used for an hour. Is this diode degradation? I can't test the power output to see if its outputing less power but I would assume it is if there is a dark oval.

Click to expand...

To me, that just looks tiny dust particles on your diode window....
They create interference rings around the particle there.

I usually clean them with a lint-free swab, and ACS grade acetone, while pure ethanol (99.5%) would also work...

But the solvent HAS to be pure! Analysis grade would be best!


Otherwise, diode degradation is NOT something that would be visible to the naked eye (takes special equipment)... It's just tiny microscopic hot-spots (points on the mirror that stop reflecting and absorbing the light instead) puting pressure on the area around them, killing the diode in the end.... It happens on a microscopic level.. All you see is the power on the meter dropping over time....



EDIT: Oh, i misunderstood something AGAIN... :angel:
It's about the gaps in the light around the middle! I've seen some horrible disfigurement of beam profile with badly degraded PHRs, but never anything like that! :thinking:

Where are you from, MISTERWILLING?
Can you have someone measure this laser of yours?



EDIT2: I saw a 6x diode do that exact thing while playing with it over the weekend! But no matter how hard i try now, i can't get it to do it again! Not that i want it to, but.... :undecided:

I am from Texas in the US. The diode is dead after the window was knocked out. I now have two dead 8x diodes that both died from knocking the window back into the diode.

oh my.. two? from the same physical (not overdriving) damage? thats horrible!
you have my condolence!

manuel

Damn, i was hoping it was still putting out some light... :cryyy:
I was hoping it could be sacrificed to the lazor gawds... :angel:

Oh well, too late...