Dorcy mini mod questions

Hey everyone I just received a couple of the GB diodes yesterday, and promptly started work on that Dorcy mini mod that most are familliar with. OK and here's where I screwed up I think. I was in the process of attaching the diode to the dorcy's board (where the old led used to be). I had scraped off most of all of the contacts, and (thought) I had severed all the connections. I attached the module to the board (just soldered the leads, no epoxy yet) and tested it out. Big brightness, then dim. I think I may have damaged my first diode, which kinda sucks. I removed it from the aixiz housing, and tested it with the multimeter. Using the diode checker fn, I had originally recieved a 1.5 v rating, and after the *failure* could only achieve 1.2v So it's not completely dead. Regardless, I have another diode for backup (glad that I got a 2nd) and am hesitant to try to hook it up again until i'm sure it won't meet the same early fate. Just wondering exactly how much I should mutilate the dorcy board to make sure the contacts are isolated. Like should I file off everything but the contacts, like the copper and all? Thanks for the help, and listening to my drawn out questions

I took a pen knife and completely cut off all connected as much as I could.

Each Dorcy will be different, just like each diode is different. The voltages, and currents will not be precise between each model, so that makes it difficult to be 100% sure of your laser Put the old diode back in the system, and check your current....that way you can check things out before plug and pray !

G !

Actually that is an excellent suggestion...save at least one bad diode. As long as it is dim, it will be drawing the same amount of current as if it were lasing. So a bad dim diode is perfect to use for testing any circuit before using a good diode.

Gazoo said:

Actually that is an excellent suggestion...save at least one bad diode. As long as it is dim, it will be drawing the same amount of current as if it were lasing. So a bad dim diode is perfect to use for testing any circuit before using a good diode.

Click to expand...

thats a good point gaz... this will save many of us our 2nd diodes!

Hey thanks for the suggestions. I will definitely just use that second dim diode for testing in future circuits. I got the second diode to work, but not before taking a dremel to the dorcy mini heatsink star and making sure there wasn't and connections left. The finished dorcy pops balloons almost instantly from 1-2 feet or so. Got it to smoke black tape as well. Doesn't seem as powerful as I originally thought it would be though. Has anyone successfully lit a fuse or burned black paper? And also I suppose these things vary in power from diode to diode, right?

im going to make one so u have to file thebord completly off ? i thought u just sioder 2 wires on the positiveand negitive ports can any one help me out ?

Ok.  First, and most important.  If you use something to prevent the board from shorting to the pins or anthing else metal in the casing you won't have to worry about shorting out the diode.  The main reason for cutting the lines to the other contacts is so it won't come into contact with the back end of the Aixiz module.
Like so



Now I've changed the way that I do my modification to prevent damage by shorting to the star.
I now use a peice of 1/2 plastic tubing to mount the Aixiz on top of.  This prevents the diode from shorting to the module by the back end of the module.  Not to mention it's a lot easier to cut plastic down to size than to use the bronze on the back half of the module.



Second.  The driver on the dorcy mini (jr) used to put out 350ma and now the drivers is putting out upwards of 400ma.  It's important to test the current coming  from the built in driver and make sure it's low enough and if it isn't use a limiting resistor in the top section like pictured.  I ALWAYS use a 3.3 ohm resistor.  Better to be safe than sorry!!!

Another VERY IMPORTANT MODIFICATION I'm doing is placing a small bit of plastic between the two pins on the diode to prevent the pins from shorting out to one another.  I'll take some more detailed pictures for the entire modification from start to finish.

Can a mod please move this to the experiments and mods section since it has nothing to do about a sale, to buy, or trade?

Thnxs.