S06J vs m-140???

So i understand they are different wavelengths but as far as their input/output characteristics how do they compare? I know that they will both put out a lot of heat but want kind of power do they need? I have my eyes on a build using an m-140 and now i'm torn!! I will likely be using a smaller host so would one be better suited for a small environment than the other?

Thanks in advance!!

The 405 would be the best bet in a small host as it dose not consume as much power so it will not produce as much heat.

It has a better beam pattern but is less visible to the human eye.

Have fun and be Safe

Britishkid said:

So i understand they are different wavelengths but as far as their input/output characteristics how do they compare? I know that they will both put out a lot of heat but want kind of power do they need? I have my eyes on a build using an m-140 and now i'm torn!! I will likely be using a smaller host so would one be better suited for a small environment than the other?

Thanks in advance!!

Click to expand...

What Flaminpyro said, for a smaller host!

Depending on the current you choose, a C6 sized host (or bigger) would be fine for an M140. If you are aiming for a higher output, try to get hold of a copper module at the very least and if poss also a copper heat sink.

The S06J's are slightly harder to work with than the M140's, as they are a lot more sensitive to current spikes and depending on the driver you use, its often recommended to add a 22 uF cap across the pins...

In my experience too, the M140's are a lot more hardy and will last longer when over driven. My SO6J at 530 mA has already started to degrade after a few months of very light use. It still works well, but has dropped from 780 mW to around 500 mW...:cryyy: My M140 (at 1.8 A) on the other hand, is still outputting +2.5 W after 6 months and the LPM curve is identical. :beer:

wow ok so the m140 it is! The C6 host is exactly what i'm aiming for with an 18650. So what kind of driver would you recommend for it if it was driven to produce say, 1.2W output?

405nm wavelength lasers are not very visible. The wavelength is so small that you really cant see it well so I would suggest an M140. Keep in mind there is nothing dictating exactly how hard you have to drive the diode by the way. An M140 is designed to be run at 700mA but can be powered to as high as 1.9A with proper heatsinking. Honestly if you want a descent power laser you will likely also want to be able to see this laser and I do not think you would be all that happy with 405nm. At 700mA an M140 can produce between 600mW up to as much as 1W if you are lucky enough and at that current they run MUCH cooler and are super stable if your goal is a small host. I also agree with grainde on the matter that M140s are more robust. I have, out of curiosity, tortured an M140 with obscene currents for very short spikes(in the area of 2.3A) just to see what would happen and it is amazing what they can take. S06Js on the other hand are very touchy once you pass 500mA and some even die at as little as 510mA.

In a nutshell, 445nm M140s produce far more visible beams and can be run as high or as low as you feel like. On the other hand S06Js are essentially black light and cause florescence on some surfaces and have a better beam profile (if you can see it) and make a smaller dot.

EDIT: You would need a boost driver in order to run on a single battery. I would suggest using two 16340s instead and using a bucking driver. A current of 1.2A through a standard 3-element lens should give you near that output.

Britishkid said:

wow ok so the m140 it is! The C6 host is exactly what i'm aiming for with an 18650. So what kind of driver would you recommend for it if it was driven to produce say, 1.2W output?

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Moh's linear driver set at 1.25A would be great!

Edit: I think Blord has some for sale.

Moh's linear driver isn't designed to be run off a single battery and you would lose power on an M140. If your goal is efficiency and less heat bucking drivers are superior to linear also.

Two 16340s in a C6 host with an X-Drive set to 1.25A would be a very solid laser.
X-Drives are sold by Lazeerer and you might even be able to get a driver that's already heatsinked in a C6 pill and ready to roll if you ask.

ApexProxy said:

Moh's linear driver isn't designed to be run off a single battery and you would lose power on a M140.

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That's true with a single battery, but with two 18350's in a C6, you'd be fine.

Or if you want to use a single cell, go for a boost driver.

Edit: Yup, what you said:

ApexProxy said:

EDIT: You would need a boost driver in order to run on a single battery. I would suggest using two 16340s instead and using a bucking driver. A current of 1.2A through a standard 3-element lens should give you near that output.

Click to expand...

A boost driver would allow for a single battery but they are also lossy and require heatsinking. For two battery builds a linear driver is cheap and reliable but a buck driver is more efficient.

EDIT: I have never messed with 18350s before... I guess they make sense though since you would get more volume. The length would be a very tiny bit more than one 18650 but if the host is designed to take two 16340s then it should have no issue with 18350s.

Also, before you even make this laser please get yourself a pair of laser goggles if you do not have some already for this wavelength.

Those SO6J 405nm are real burners man they hurt my fingers bad and smoke anything like crazy... for longevity, short duty cycles and massive sinks, or some comparable cooling is A MUST!

I can't get enough of those in my arsenal.

IDK... my 2W M140s outburn my S06J anytime anywhere. 405nm is a better burning wavelength just sadly the diodes cant output enough to get large scale burns. My M140 builds light cigarettes in only a couple seconds whereas I could never hope for my S06J to do that. I will soon perform some direct burn tests between 445nm and 405nm lasers at the same power and try to come up with a sort of ratio between the two. For now I think 445nm at 1.2W would outdo a 405nm at 600mW. Think about this, if the dot is twice the size you have the same radiation density but one would be burning twice the area in the same time. I know it isn't a 1:2 ratio and I also know the wavelengths themselves burn differently but still.

More stuff burning at once = more fire = more fun. A blow torch is cool but a flamethrower is just hands down cooler. Basic entertainment physics bro

Also, I once accidentally hit my hand at point blank with my 2W M140 and it didn't really burn my skin... rather it more like cut it as though I took a blade to my hand...

ApexProxy said:

IDK... my 2W M140s outburn my S06J anytime anywhere. 405nm is a better burning wavelength just sadly the diodes cant output enough to get large scale burns.

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Yep have to agree with that! My 780 mW 405, when it was at that power, never came even close to the burning power of my 2.5 W 445 (or even 2 W 445 in a C6). If you are after a general burner Id definitely go for the 445, but if you want to engrave, or cut with precision, a 405 with its small focused dot would be better...Itll just take longer.

For one battery, go for a boost; lazeerer V7, microboost, flex V5 (buck/boost), foulmist boost. Id also consider setting the current around 1.5 A to be sure of hitting around 1.3 W with a 3 ele glass lens. If you are using a G1/G2/G9 then you could set the current lower, but I wouldnt bother.:eg:

For two batteries, linear or buck; buck is better (more efficient), but more expensive. Try the Lazeerer V6 buck or a blitzbuck again would go for 1.5A.

:beer:

ApexProxy said:

IDK... my 2W M140s outburn my S06J anytime anywhere. 405nm is a better burning wavelength just sadly the diodes cant output enough to get large scale burns. My M140 builds light cigarettes in only a couple seconds whereas I could never hope for my S06J to do that. I will soon perform some direct burn tests between 445nm and 405nm lasers at the same power and try to come up with a sort of ratio between the two. For now I think 445nm at 1.2W would outdo a 405nm at 600mW. Think about this, if the dot is twice the size you have the same radiation density but one would be burning twice the area in the same time. I know it isn't a 1:2 ratio and I also know the wavelengths themselves burn differently but still.

More stuff burning at once = more fire = more fun. A blow torch is cool but a flamethrower is just hands down cooler. Basic entertainment physics bro

Also, I once accidentally hit my hand at point blank with my 2W M140 and it didn't really burn my skin... rather it more like cut it as though I took a blade to my hand...

Click to expand...

My 840mW 405nm is a force to be reckoned with... mW to mW the 405nm is shear bada$$. I'm not saying that the 445nm aren't fun or just as sweet. I'm saying if there was ever (prolly not going to be) a 16X or 20X 405nm that would be "The King" of the burners IMHO.

You can't beat pinpoint focusing, for now anyway.:beer:

jander6442 said:

I'm saying if there was ever (prolly not going to be) a 16X or 20X 405nm that would be "The King" of the burners IMHO.

You can't beat pinpoint focusing, for now anyway.:beer:

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Man, it would be cool for projectors to use 405nm diodes! :shhh:

Or to replace the bulbs with RGB diodes! :na:

haha wouldn't the projector picture be almost impossible to see? Or just melt whatever you project the picture onto? I'm being silly of course but im sure there is a reason for it...

so i went on lazerer and the only driver i could find was the powerbuck at 2A Power Buck 2A Switching Driver for 445nm / 405nm Laser Diode

Is this the one or were you talking about a different one? I do like the look of this one and the price is right! :takeit: