The little diode that could. . .

So, after my 6x died, I dropped a PHR in the host (Jayrob pocket mini + copper heatsink,) and decided to abuse it a little. I set the current to 140mA. I now know that it's currently putting out 135mW after a 405-G-1 lens. I've been running it hard, pretty much ignoring duty cycles (it has been boring at work lately. I stare a phone that never rings, and burn orange paper with my laser. Things are going to pick up, though.) I ran down the battery three times last week, all on continuous runs. The laser got pretty warm on these occasions. Each time, I thought the diode had finally bought it, but I popped in the battery from my flashlight, and it fired right back up.

You have to respect a diode that'll take that, especially considering my GGW LED'd after just five days of occasional use.

I intend to continue in this fashion. I'll post back with news of death/degredation.

Nowadays GGW diodes are crap. I've had three diode dead after about 1-2 hours of total use at 180mA. All diodes were purchased from different sellers here and at different times. After the third diode I was pretty pissed and threw in a PHR to let it run at 180mA, ignoring its fate. It didn't last very long, but still longer than the GGW diodes. I can't stand the GGW diodes anymore, I hate them.

FireMyLaser said:

Nowadays GGW diodes are crap. I've had three diode dead after about 1-2 hours of total use at 180mA. All diodes were purchased from different sellers here and at different times. After the third diode I was pretty pissed and threw in a PHR to let it run at 180mA, ignoring its fate. It didn't last very long, but still longer than the GGW diodes. I can't stand the GGW diodes anymore, I hate them.

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Have you heard any recent GOOD news about them? I'm getting a GGW and an SF, and I want to make sure the GGW will be good....and is 180mA a good current for GGWs?

bloompyle said:

Have you heard any recent GOOD news about them? I'm getting a GGW and an SF, and I want to make sure the GGW will be good....and is 180mA a good current for GGWs?

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I've had much better luck with SF-AW diodes than GGW.
Every GGW I have purchased lately bit the dust at drive currents that were considered "safe."
With a good lens, you can get 200+mW out of an SF with a pretty good lifetime.

For an SF, run it at no more than 170mA.

I suppose the PHR's are just gems in terms of value for money. Sure, we all run them way above spec, but they often tolerate it suprisingly well. 140 mA is pushing it, some will survive quite some time, some will go led real soon at such current levels. Given the low cost of replacement i can think of situations where you just go with it

My advise is to boycott GGW diodes. They're f***ing expensive, but the sled optics are interesting.

I've been running a PHR at 150mA now for about 2 burning hours and it's running still. Though it is running in a 12x appropriate heatsink. I don't have a meter to verify emission degradation though.