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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Direct connect heat sink

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Oct 30, 2007
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Well,
the material is on order, so we need a name for this thing. Every one has been very influential in the development of this beast, hopefully you can be as involved in naming it.
There will be more than one 'sink style so therefore multiple names are needed.
Start thinking, get the remaining brain cells up and working.

I have talked Daniel into some freebies, but he wants some good names.
When tooled up and running we will start a new thread to name these things.

Did I mention that this required thinking ?

Just kidding, we will come up with killer names and get some of these things out into the hands of the people that they were made for!

Catmandoo
 





suiraM

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Still think the best thing would be to have a diode clamp to screw down with a spanner. That makes the rest a matter of a threaded hole in really just about anything. I'll see what I can do about that sketch. Would a segmented view work for you? (That is, kind of like if you'd cut it into slices to show the internal structure.)
 
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suiraM,
Shoot for something along the lines of the updated first post in this thread.
Please keep in mind that this thing has been designed by laser crazy's for laser crazy's. The design is not carved in stone, you're input is what makes this thing function. The number one goal is to produce a 'sink that is high quality, yet affordable.
What the use is it if only the Ferrari owners can afford it ?
It needs to affordable enough that anyone who want's one can have one.
CMD
 
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Dec 26, 2007
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I just seen this thread, looks like great minds think alike. I am working on the same sort of a heatsink, to sell seperatly, and in kits, as well as supplying another major laser-builder on this forum with stock for his builds. Sounds like we will soon have lots of new heatsink designs available :) .
Nice-job, I am not going to read the details of your design until mine is finished, I do not want any ideas transfering over into my design, but I am sure you are on the right track. There are only so many ways to accomplish this.
Good luck,
Barry
 

suiraM

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Actually, the AixiZ is pretty close to perfect if you want quantity. Just give it a bit more room for the lens (so that a collimated beam from a Senkat will put a glass lens flush with the surface, which simply looks better), and the gold electroplating to enable tighter thermal contact. Reduce the bevel on the diode seat in favor of a threaded hole that takes a screwable clamp to press it. Eliminate the part behind the head.

Presto. Parfaît.

Make it a diameter that's readily available, and ship it with thermal epoxy in bags of five. Anyone who can't drill a reasonably close match (and pad the difference with the thermal epoxy) in some stock is going to be out of luck no matter what you do. And you can't make one body to fit every host out there. Hence, it's better to concentrate on the module itself. I believe Senkat would like to replace the AixiZ modules in his stock, should someone (hint, hint) make a suitable replacement.

As for heat sinks to match to hosts, those have to be made for specific hosts, on request. Either that, or you have to do what Kryton did: make your own host. The other alternative would be too expensive, which is to include air channels and a tiny fan to air-cool the head, so that there isn't any need for additional heatsinking beyond the head, making anything else purely cosmetic in nature. If you want to add PCBs, you could always socket the diode, add a set of MOVs to prevent ESD, a ceramic cap to smooth driver spikes, and draw wires through a longer, massive heat sink. But, really, that's all just way more fancy than a newbie wants.

And, as daguin said, noobs are where the quantities are at.

The rest of us are frequently looking to do more fancy stuff, and the only truly generic part for that is a tiny two-part cylinder that will hold the diode, and a tube to screw the lens into. Anything beyond that is custom work, which we probably have opinions about. I suspect the simple, protective PCB would be a popular addition among that crowd, seeing as they all understand what ESD can do.

If you're serious about machining, you could probably garner some interest by making a module that can do DPSS. Diode bar mount or C-mount plus lenses, a crystal holder with precise angles and the ability to adjust the spacing, IR filter that deflects onto a photodiode, a lens tube, a tunable APC driver circuit that monitors the IR leakage (output minus IR equals green, which should be constant), and air channels to blow into with a fan. Lens on one end, battery connector on the other, no fuss. If you want to get fancy, do TEC for the crystal and laser diode.

With that, any noob can blow his/her retina to tiny bits with a few hundred mW of green output for a fraction of the usual cost. A crystal that can deliver that is readily available from Roithner for less than $100 in qty 1. Bundle four of them if you feel like fueling budding terrorists, for multiwatt mayhem. Diode bars or C-mounts shouldn't be hard to find, and would be reasonably priced in quantity. 5W to a bar, if my memory serves. More, if you go for proper bars, like 20-100W or so, but that requires tougher crystals, or more of them. Really, though, you'd sell on that whole quantity thing. Experienced members might be less likely to buy, but it's quantity.

Can you tell I'm biased in the general direction of quality instead? ;)

The golden middle is an AixiZ replacement, as described at the top of this post.

Hell, if you want to cooperate with DarkHorse, Kenom, etc., instead of competing, then you could make it the same diameter, and then people (whether noobs or not) could use your modules in their sinks. Specialization may be good, given that the quantity market is becoming rather saturated by now. Trying to do everything, or to make the perfect host, isn't going to work. Just pick a target audience, and stick with what those need. I spot a need for an AixiZ-compatible module with better heat sinking, better appearance and simpler mounting.



Addendum: If you want a heatsink, a simple square that one can screw the AixiZ head into would be neat. That makes it trivial to stack them precisely, whether you want more power, more colors, or just a laser harp. Mine don't get as precise as I would like, so I'm considering Big Blue Saw for them. Waterjet is cool.
 
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suiraM,

That is some well thought through input, but these are for the masses, who want to make a laser easily and affordably. Unfortunately this is not designed to satisfy the demands of the master builders and true visionaries at you're level.
To accomplish that would require commitments of time, effort and finances that are best undertaken by someone of you're skill level and dedication.
Should you decide to actually attempt to produce some or all of the wonderful ideas that you so willing share with us, We would love to see the results ! It would truly be an awe inspiring sight I am sure and I hope that one day you are able to bring these lofty ideas to fruition.

Yes these are simply for the masses, will be used by beginners and experienced builders alike, churning out lasers and enjoying them at the skill levels appropriate to each individual.
                             
                                                                  Catmandoo
 

suiraM

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I have no machining skills. That's why I turn to people like you, and value their skills. :)

Until I regain full fine motor control, there's no way I can even acquire such skills, for that matter.

So, pardon me if I have some ideas that my present handicap prevents me from bringing to realization.

I buy pre-cut materials, or pester a machine shop that would rather not do one-offs, and certainly not complex ones. I can operate a drill press at a basic level, and assemble this stuff with some difficulty. Big Blue Saw does it all, but the cost of even something as simple as the square I mentioned is on the order of $300 after shipping, customs and taxes. So, I see if others can do it at a lower price point. Likesitbright has said he's got the skills and equipment to do most of what I need at a reasonable price, which settles it for me.

You did actually get some input that was aimed at production for the masses.

If it wasn't useful to you, I apologize for wasting your time.

Either way, best of luck with your endeavour.

I can't contribute to it, I'm afraid.
 
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suiraM,

Given the current limitations that you are under, this 'sink could be quite useful to you , no complex machining required on the end users part. The 'sink is certainly worth the money, using this would keep you in the game and current on the latest technology that shows up here.

I know that you aspire to more than a "cookie cutter laser", but we all have to be realistic .
Buy and build a few of these, sell them to finance a larger project.

About contribution in this, you'rs is as welcome as the next persons, just try to stay in the parameters that are relevant to this specific endevour.

We still need a name for these things, there have been a few suggestions on another forum and it is time for some contributions from LPF, you seem to have a creative mind, set it to work !
 
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Hey,
I have just posted the latest update from Daniel in the first post of this thread.

A quick heads up, half of the first batch of MXDL's is gone already, don't wait too long.

Check the update and Pm daniel or I to order.
Catmandoo
 

suiraM

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You don't seem to understand what I was getting at, Catmandoo.

I've built pointers. Not a problem. And if I want a fancy one, I'll probably consider the heatsink.

However, pointers aren't a challenge anymore. Nor do they get me any closer to the stuff that got me interested in lasers in the first place. As FrothyChimp said, it's amazing to see how few people have so much as tried to set up an interferometer of any sort, despite it being one of the few ways in which an individual can experience quantum mechanics firsthand. Limiting one's activities to pointers isn't very inspiring. For work involving crystal lasers, precision temperature control, external cavity tuning, filled aperture beam combining, interferometric measurement, coherence tomography, machining, etc., a heatsink of this sort isn't all that useful. And that's where the road leads beyond the pointer pitstop. How many people here can make a 150mW red diode perform well enough to do holography with it? You're not targetting those, as you clarified, which is perfectly fine. I'm more interested in that line of thought, however, hence my comment that I'm not going to be very useful in regard to your audience.

Likesitbright has said he will do custom work, and Big Blue Saw does custom cutting with waterjet and laser, so machining is a non-issue.

Anyway, my motor skills are slowly recovering with continued treatment, so I fail to see a problem.

I just initially misunderstood your intentions, s'all.

You clarified, so I commented accordingly.

Call it the Godzinka. :D
 
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Ok, the nominations are all in, myself and Greg have decided upon a winner.

*Drum roll please*

And the winner is K-9 and Dave!

We've decided on a hybrid of your ideas,
All the heatsinks will be under the DC Brand (Daniel and Catmandoo) with individual product names like 'xxxx Chunk' featuring K-9's logo.

You've both got yourself a CHUNK of your choice on the house! And not only that, you'll have them several weeks before they go on sale. I'll be in touch when I'm ready to send them out (should be early next week)

So in summary, we're officially introducing the:

MDXL Heatsink as the BIG CHUNK
Dorcy Tactical as the TACTICAL CHUNK
and the in the pipeline model for the Dorcy Jr. as the JUNIOR CHUNK

The BIG CHUNK's and TACTICAL CHUNK's will be the first models out, and shipping Early - Mid Feb.
(Junior Chunk TBA)

Thanks for everyone's participation and help.

Dan

Here is the new logo, thanks a bunch K-9 !

DCred.jpg
 
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Here's the latest update from Daniel !!!

Right, this is long overdue an update...

Delays, technical issues and whatnot aside, I'm going to cut straight to the facts:
I have on my desk the final prototypes of each style of 'chunk'. And I've included a few photos, to whet your appetites. ;)
They are being produced here in the UK, (obviously), by a professional machinist, and the scheduled date for production is the week in the middle of February. Production will take an estimated 5 working days. The material has been purchased and delivered to its relevant location. 50 Heatsinks will be made; 10 Tactical (Dorcy) Chunks, and 40 Big Chunks (MXDL). These will then be posted to me for packaging, and the majority will be promptly dispatched to the USA for distribution.
I therefore urge UK and EU people who are interested to get their names down for some now so I can keep the relevant numbers back, which I will directly dispatch. Due to the nature of the way machine shops operate, and my current geographical status (some 100+ miles from my lathe  :'(), I won't be able to simply whip up some spares. Once the 50 have been sold, that's it, at least until there is enough interest for a second run to be feasible. So there you go - you have been warned!  [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Now, as outlined in previous posts, Daguin and K-9 will receive a unit each fairly soon, so stay tuned for their thoughts and recommendations.

Just some food for thought, I have been running some tests of my own on a pre-production unit and have had a PHR-803T running at 115mW (Acrylic Lens) running solid for over an hour, with no significant drop in power, or overheating. Based on the trends I'd collected, I can assume that the unit could be smoking away until the batteries go flat without being turned off to cool down. So it's looking like the design is good for 100% duty cycles! Just as I'd planned  ;D
I'm going to pop a long open can diode with at least 450-500mA through it, to see how that fares the thermal endurance test.

Enjoy!

Dan :emoticon-Anim-smile
***************
 
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Blu ray raffle

Across the street, in another forum, there is a raffle being organized.
Up for grabs is a sweet little package, all the latest goodies in one package,goggles too packed up in a nice custom case.

The host is a Dorcy tactical, with the Tactical chunk cooling off a GGW-H20L 6x BluRay diode powered by DrLavas new V4 driver.  Goggles are from OEM Lasers, brand new and in the case.

Ease on over there and check it out, at $2.00 a chance you can't go wrong ! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
 
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The first production run of the CHUNKS has arrived and exceeds all expectations !

These beasts will fit in the "new" MXDL's, they are a little loose in the previously produced models. The Dorcy Tactical Chunks are a nice snug fit and perform flawlessly ! I have had a PHR in one running at 125 Ma's with virtually no perceptable heat increase and the results for the MXDL equal or exceed that of the Tac Chunk !

Dan will fill in the MXDL pics, maybe Daquin will post some of his "BIG CHUNK" as well. K-9 will have the Blu Ray Dream Package completed and posted very soon. I can offer a couple of pics of my beat and battered Dorcy test mule sporting the Tac Chunk though !

Pm me for ordering info, shipping will be from the UK or the US, which ever is the most cost effective.

ebaypictures1779.jpg


ebaypictures1777.jpg
 




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