**UPDATES** My first 'real' build! ~{DEAD}~

After KipKay ruined a good MagLite and a diode...I decided to do it right I got a rckstr driver, a 3405 kit from Jayrob, and a PHR-803T sled from HTD. I set the driver to ~95mA so it's unnin bright. I don't want to go past 100 because I'm tryin to keep it safe and I've been told that ~100mA is where it starts to become a crap-shoot. One question, is it normal to be hesitant to keep it on for more than 10 seconds because you don't want to break it ? lol I just love it so much...I think I might be overprotective.

Sorry, no pics, I might update it with pics, but to be honest...I'm a bit lazy today and I don't really want to do much

Re: My first 'real' build!

It just frikkin died!!! What the hell!! At 95mA 95!!! I thought they don't die at current(s) that low?! Now I have this dot that I only see from maybe at MOST an inch away, and it's like white and violet. :wtf: Why did it die?! I barely had 5 minutes accumulated on it! Ugh...I can't believe my first laser just died on me, my kipkay maglite thing lasted longer than this! And that wasn't even using a driver!!!!

EDIT: I think my driver might be shot....because using 3x 10440 batteries (~11.1V) it looks dim, but then using 6V, it becomes 3 times brighter (but still really dim) (still placing the 6V on the driver). So I don't know what's going on...

UPDATE: I did some work on it, and it looked like I was having connectivity issues with the + connection on the IN side. So, I'd desolder it, then resolder it to try to get a fresher better connection, and It would lase for about a minute, then dim. Tried again, and it worked for about 5-10 seconds. And I tried AGAIN, and I got about 1/8th of a second then out for good. Completely dead diode, not even dim light like the others. I turned the pot down now (from 95mA). I don't have a real number, I just turned it down about a 4th turn. I'll put in my spare diode (I ordered two). Then, if I hit issues, I'm going to scrap this driver and get a new one, because it can't be the diodes., this is two diodes I've had troubles with, with this driver. I had a red diode that worked fine when I did extra soldering work with it, then it'd go dim, now I have it disconnected. I think I just need a new driver.

It could be the batteries. 10440's drain fairly quickly, for starters. Second, 3 10440's in series is 12.6v. That may or may not be too much for a rckstr.

A rckstr is different (probably in a good way) from the driver in my BR pen, but when the batteries go down, I do notice a sudden drop in output.

I would try a different driver befor blowing up any more diodes it seems that one has allready eaten two diodes, don't you have a dumml load ? you realy should have one, look here.
http://laserpointerforums.com/f64/fs-laser-tools-44115.html
get a dummy load so you can set your current and do testing on drivers so you don't have to use a laser diode to test with !
Have a good day !

No offense, but I got all the parts except the breadboard for $5.50. Unless the breadboard is another $10, then I just do it homemade...sorry FP.

JellyCrab said:

No offense, but I got all the parts except the breadboard for $5.50. Unless the breadboard is another $10, then I just do it homemade...sorry FP.

Click to expand...

Try recharging the batteries. Perhaps you got some bad 10440 cells. I hate those cells with a passion, and even made a thread about them.

I will try, I got my DMM in the mail yesterday, and all my 10440's tested ~3.85V except one which I kept getting 0 for. THAT one was in the kit (with 2 others). So I was only giving out ~7.4-8.4V.

Be careful with Lithium Ion batteries.... These are protected 10440's right?

You should probably check the 0V one. Either the protection circuit broke contact or shut down, or you do not have a protection circuit and the cell is overdischarged. Either way, recycle it, or verify that the protection circuit is bad and not the cell.

As far as the dummy load goes, you want something that acts like a diode and drops the same amount of voltage. Most people just put 1n400_ series silicon rectifiers in series until the string drops the same voltage as the diode, then slap a 1-ohm resistor so that it's easy to calculate current (V=IR; I=V/R; R=1 :: I=V)
without putting a multimeter in series with it. These diodes can be found at radiohut, or even in scrap electronics. They look like little plastic barrels with a white stripe around it.

Yeah, I got an order of 100x 1N4001 didoes comming my way (only got $3.00!) and I have the reseistors. So I should be covered for the test load. And yes, these are protected 10440's.

Bad connectivity can cause diodes to pop. When the laser diode disconnects, the capacitor charges up, and when it is connected again it cap-zaps the poor little laser diode.

styropyro said:

Bad connectivity can cause diodes to pop. When the laser diode disconnects, the capacitor charges up, and when it is connected again it cap-zaps the poor little laser diode.

Click to expand...

This could explain the death of my red laser...I got the 20X from deals extreme after toasting my last one...And i was ramping the amps, got to 300mA, it died. I didnt have a solid connection. Now i know i should always use the Dummy-load instead of turning it up while its turned on.

On subject...I hope you get your laser working. If it was the battery, if not...At least now you know what not to do next time...Always helps for future-more expensive builds! Everyone burns diodes eventually