Defintive 6X GGW-H20L Thread.

[john_lawson]

i am a rkcstr fan myself i even drink rockstar energy drinks never drank a flexdrive energy drink??? ok j/k i used three flexdrive 2 on builds and they worked ok for about a week or so then pfffft listo no mas thats all folks -true i didn't use a esd strap or a dummy load i just set them on my kenometer now a rkcstr is a beast you can hook em up reverse and then they'll still work -i have accidently done that -ok now dr lava built me a glp 110 leadlight with a flexdrive thats still working great -it may be that my eyesight is no longer that good or i am just a crappy builder i dunno but they both are great units from great forum friends -I just prefer Ryans

 

[brtaman]

i am a rkcstr fan myself i even drink rockstar energy drinks never drank a flexdrive energy drink??? ok j/k i used three flexdrive 2 on builds and they worked ok for about a week or so then pfffft listo no mas thats all folks -true i didn't use a esd strap or a dummy load i just set them on my kenometer now a rkcstr is a beast you can hook em up reverse and then they'll still work -i have accidently done that -ok now dr lava built me a glp 110 leadlight with a flexdrive thats still working great -it may be that my eyesight is no longer that good or i am just a crappy builder i dunno but they both are great units from great forum friends -I just prefer Ryans

Don't get me wrong John, I am also a fan of rkcstr/linear drivers, for some applications they are the only choice. I was just wondering why T_J was adamant about rkcstrs being better. I was just trying to explain that it is primarily due to the circuit being much more complex that there are many cases of flexdrive/diode failure, whereas a rckstr or linear driver is a very simple circuit which can due to its nature withstand much more abuse. I find it strange that your went kaput while installed in a host. My experience has been that if treated properly a flexdrive is a perfectly good host, especially in small hosts.

 

[Tech_Junkie]

That's the point, simplicity. Not all of us are pros. And quite a few of those V4 Flex Drives were defective and had to be sent back, so your statement that most were user error is not entirely true. Its cool you prefer the Flex, but no need to get in a huff that others like the rkcstr better. Its a solid user friendly driver.

 

[brtaman]

That's the point, simplicity. Not all of us are pros. And quite a few of those V4 Flex Drives were defective and had to be sent back, so your statement that most were user error is not entirely true. Its cool you prefer the Flex, but no need to get in a huff that others like the rkcstr better. Its a solid user friendly driver.

No huff. :yh: None at all. Didn't say all of them were user error, but given the flexdrives inherent "durability" I am sure quite a few of the cases NOT ALL could be attributed to user error perhaps even without the user knowing. This debate is a bit like whether or not white chocolate is better than black or bmw vs mb vs audi.

One thing is for certain though, the pot on the flex is so sensitive that a dummy load and multimeter are necessary not options.

 

[TheGr8Revealing]

haha. this 6x page has turned into the battle page between the rkcstr and flexdrive boards.

 

[Tech_Junkie]

Not really..no one is going to post much 6X stuff anyway.

 

[millirad]

Here's hoping to a successful build with flex at 180ma. I felt that preset at that conservative current and careful installation would yield success. It looks like I will need a bit of luck too. I went with 180ma, because I noticed Jayrob had good results at 181ma.

 

[Hemlock_Mike]

My flexdrive is smooth on adjustment. My problem with the 6x comes from running my 8x. I got greedy ------ Worked so nice for a while at 300 mW.......... I have a ggw drive here ready for harvest.

Mike

I was running a JayRob G1 lens

 

[brtaman]

I can see how an 8X diode would make you greedy, what are you running yours at 400mw-ish? I should be getting a 6X diode in the following days after a 6 month wait.

Will post up some of my results.

Oh and T_J: "Not really..no one is going to post much 6X stuff anyway." That's because this forum has been on a decline for some time now, a lot of really great members with actual experience in this field have been dropping off...6 months ago this thread would have been up to page 10 with great info...alas change is inevitable.

 

[dr-ebert]

especially in red builds a linear driver is the better choice.

I have to disagree with that. Especially in red builds where the diode has a low Vf, a linear driver more than doubles the energy consumption and heat generation compared to a FlexDrive-type driver.

I like the 1xCR123-type host, so I have no choice but to use the FD. One of mine has suffered quite a lot of manhandling recently and still lives, so they're not as sensitive as all that (in addition, I don't bother about ESD protection for LDs, use a non-temp controlled soldering iron with a tip which is actually too big and solder which is definitely too thick, and generally approach everything with a carefree attitude... still my lasers are shining strong).

I agree there are easy ways to make the FD more usable and resilient... I've been looking into that. Maybe, one of these days... (or months... years...)

 

[jander6442]

I think I commited my SF-AW210 6x results in another thread... Sooo...

That is why personally I withheld those progress results...

I will say that the GGW is my favorite diode in my arsenal wish I had more time to play with them... Josh

 

[Tech_Junkie]

Oh and T_J: "Not really..no one is going to post much 6X stuff anyway." That's because this forum has been on a decline for some time now, a lot of really great members with actual experience in this field have been dropping off...6 months ago this thread would have been up to page 10 with great info...alas change is inevitable.

Um...thats why I said that. :yabbem:

 

[brtaman]

Um...thats why I said that. :yabbem:

Yeah, pretty sad to see some of the old members leaving/having less time for the forum. Hopefully they will come back after taking care of what needs to be done in the real world.

 

[potatorage]

I'd love it if someone could show the dfferences between the diodes, because I can't tel which is which

 

[dr-ebert]

I'm not even sure there is a way of telling a PHR from a GGW once they're removed from the sled... except applying 180mA and seeing whether it survives.

(Not sure whether that's what you meant?)

 

[brtaman]

I'm not even sure there is a way of telling a PHR from a GGW once they're removed from the sled... except applying 180mA and seeing whether it survives.

(Not sure whether that's what you meant?)

Actually the 180ma method will not determine which BR diode it is based on survival, I had a PHR which survived for almost a year (got it 2 weeks after joining LPF. At first it was at 127ma for 2 months then it was at 143ma for 3-4 months then being the power hungry madman that I am...:evil: I set it to 190 ma where it survived until about 2 weeks ago..RIP :yabbem:

You are correct in a way though by comparing power output at that current one could establish which diode it is, not definitively.

The main way to distinuish these BR diodes are the markings on the back of the diode, which have been documented to quite some extent on this forum. When I will find time I will add the markings into this thread, you need a pretty good eye to spot the differences but they are there. Though I don't think they are 100% accurate though, due to the info concealed in the markings, but that is pretty much the only means of identifying BR diodes that are out of sled atm.