Why is my blu-ray diode so dim?

Hello. I'm new here, and to the hobby. I hope someone can help me out.

My first successful build was a PHR-803t using a ddl driver. It was bright and beautiful, but I eventually cranked it up too high and the diode died.

I then decided to harvest a diode from a PC blu-ray player. I put this diode in place of the PHR, using the same ddl driver. Unfortunately, this beam is maybe 1/10 the brightness of the PHR. Even if I kick the current up to the highest setting.

I built a dummy load and at max current this driver pushed 250mW at 5v. This was enough to break my PHR but barely enough to light up this random diode I harvested. What gives?

mattpd said:

Hello. I'm new here, and to the hobby. I hope someone can help me out.

My first successful build was a PHR-803t using a ddl driver. It was bright and beautiful, but I eventually cranked it up too high and the diode died.

I then decided to harvest a diode from a PC blu-ray player. I put this diode in place of the PHR, using the same ddl driver. Unfortunately, this beam is maybe 1/10 the brightness of the PHR. Even if I kick the current up to the highest setting.

I built a dummy load and at max current this driver pushed 250mW at 5v. This was enough to break my PHR but barely enough to light up this random diode I harvested. What gives?

Click to expand...

Your problem is there...
You need an LD from a Blu-Ray Burner not reader (player).
Just get another PHR-803T. They are not expensive..


Jerry

You can contact us at any time through our Website: J.BAUER Electronics

I think DVD and BR writers have higher-power diodes than their reader (read-only) counterparts. Could it be the diode is from a player, and not a writer?

Oh, I didn't realize that the PHR was a burner. I thought it was from the old Xbox HD DVD player.

Why is it that when I push the blu-ray reader diode with the same amount of current that killed the PHR, it emits a rather dim beam but doesn't die like the PHR did. I would expect it to emit about the same insensity beam as the PHR, but die much faster because it is lower rated. Or am I misunderstanding how LDs work?

It's prolly already dead after 30mA of powa. Those PHRs a very robust for a reader one if the best things that happens to our hobby. The PS3 diode was one that would put out only max 30mW at 40mA.

mattpd said:

Oh, I didn't realize that the PHR was a burner. I thought it was from the old Xbox HD DVD player.

Why is it that when I push the blu-ray reader diode with the same amount of current that killed the PHR, it emits a rather dim beam but doesn't die like the PHR did. I would expect it to emit about the same insensity beam as the PHR, but die much faster because it is lower rated. Or am I misunderstanding how LDs work?

Click to expand...

The PHR is not a burner IIRC.
It just happens to be a reasonably powerful diode for a reader.
There are other reader diodes that are ~5mW diodes and won't produce much more than 15mW or so.

Some diodes will drop in output when they are given too much current.
There are red and blue (I think) diodes that show this "behavior" as well.
Others may be able to comment on why/how it works that way.

Most diodes just burn out when they are driven too hard.
PHRs should be cheap these days although I am not sure where to find them. They are good diodes.