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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Unlucky with a dead diode from modwerx.

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Re: Modwerx ripped me off...

I don't know about the rest of You, but here is what I do. After I receive a new diode I press it into an Aizix module, insert it into a lab heatsink, and fire it up with My variable bench PS. Then if they diode is dead later on I know for a fact it's something I did wrong.
 





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Re: Modwerx ripped me off...

I hooked it up to a computer power supply that wired a lm317 and a 1 ohm resistor. and what does discharge the caps mean?
 
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Re: Modwerx ripped me off...

That poor diode... Never stood a chance.

Care to post a picture of your CPU power supply powered LM317?
 

DTR

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Re: Modwerx ripped me off...

I would be glad to sell you a diode but I can't say that I would not give you the same response as Drew did in this scenario. These are sensitive components. Would like to see some pics of your driver:beer:
 
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Re: Modwerx ripped me off...

I worked before. why shouldnt it work now? i followed styropyro on youtube to make it.
I would be glad to sell you a diode but I can't say that I would not give you the same response as Drew did in this scenario. These are sensitive components. Would like to see some pics of your driver:beer:
 

DTR

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Re: Modwerx ripped me off...

I worked before. why shouldnt it work now? i followed styropyro on youtube to make it.

Well I think that is what we are trying to figure out. We need a little more info than you have given at the moment to help if we can. The main goal would be to help you keep this from happening again if there is something in your setup or process that caused it. Just saying It worked before does not help us help you. I know many times in my head looking at something and saying I know it should work to myself and then realizing I am wrong.:eek:

If you get a chance see if you can get your hands on a camera and post it so we can take a look. Even a camera on a friends cell phone should help.;)

Have you tried your driver on a test load to make sure it is still working?
 
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Re: Modwerx ripped me off...

I worked before. why shouldnt it work now? i followed styropyro on youtube to make it.

Drivers often have capacitors on the output to smooth transients. Capacitors, being a sort of "mini rechargeable battery" - in essence, can take varying voltage IN, while maintaining a rather constant output. In effect they will "convert AC to DC".

The problem is, when there is no draw on the driver (say, a diode) - when the driver is disconnected from the diode, and perhaps turned on, (or perhaps from residual power in the computer power supply) - that capacitor, that "little battery" becomes charged.

The second you connect your diode to that output capacitor, all that charged up energy comes rushing out into the diode -- since it has nowhere else to go -- and usually far exceeds the ratings of the diode.

So what you want to do is short the leads of the output of the driver before reattaching a new diode. That way the energy will be 'grounded out', and not laying in wait to blow away your new diode.

I blew a rare 40mW 635nm this way recently by having a bad solder connection. Bothers me to this day. Probably will for quite a while. I'm not new here, and I've done it. People like Daguin -- arguably one of the most experienced folks here -- have done it. Repeatedly.

It happens. It's not a judgement on you. Nobody "doesn't blow diodes" during builds. Unfortunately its a 'cost of the hobby'... such as if you're flying model airplanes -- chances are one of your prized builds are going to, eventually, slam into a tree.

Keep in mind that $45 1w blue diodes being thought of as "pricy" still boggles a lot of us, because not even 1.5 years ago:

- Blue didn't come directly out of a diode; not for under $3000 per diode.
- 1W didn't come out of a diode of ANY color, unless you were talking infrared.
- A $45 blue laser of any sort would have been unthinkable.

... I'm not talking ancient history. I'm talking the November before last. If someone came in, in say, January 2010 and said "Oh hey in January 2011 we'll be upset about losing $45 on a direct blue 1w diode", I think a whole lot of us would have said "Where do I sign up?"

Just a few (I mean 3, not 5 or 10) years before that, 80mW of 532 would set you back $500.

Perspective, man.

- Blown diodes, we all do it. There's no shame in it.
- Modwerx can't guarantee diodes like that... there's no way to tell what someone will do, because so many people DO blow them *as a matter of course*.
- If he guaranteed them, then people would essentially make him fund their trial-and-error.
- Still, to this very moment, 1W of direct blue for $45 is still nice at twice the price.

I bought *3* multiline argon ion lasers that really WERE DoA, and the guy ran off, nowhere to be found. $400. *poof*.

Diodes are fickle... This won't be your first dead diode, and hopefully (yes hopefully) it won't be your last.

Keep building. Keep trying. I promise -- it gets better from here.
 
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Re: Modwerx ripped me off...

I wonder if this is a driver with just the lm317 and a resistor, with no filter capacitors. Also wonder what onther flavors of diodes this rig has powered as OP says many others.
 
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Re: Modwerx ripped me off...

what is the cheapest dummy test load i can buy?
 
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Re: Modwerx ripped me off...

I believe stontek, rkcstr & flaminpyro all sell test loads. Flaminpyro has 3A test loads if you need it.
Don't know the cheapest offhand. Be sure whatever you get can handle the amps your interested in driving your 445s at. Cheap my not.
 
Last edited:
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Re: Modwerx ripped me off...

out of the close to 20 projectors ive harvested and sold so far your the only one i can remember saying they got a DOA diode. its clearly listed in the description that diodes are sold as is with no warranty implied or otherwise. i have no way of knowing exactly what you did and since you dont want to aswer the questions that the other members have asked no one ever will know exactly what may have happened except for you. i didnt rip you off in anyway and i dont appreciate the implication. you are now banned from modwerx.

p.s. drakes(styropyros) vids assume that you have some experience. if you followed them without knowing what you were doing you very well may have killed the diode yourself.
 
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Re: Modwerx ripped me off...

ndrew I don't think He is still blaming modwerx anymore, so that it would be nice if He edited the title to indicate that. We have tried to help, and so far the feedback we've received has not been enough to diagnose why His diode bit the dust. I never for 1 minute thought modwerx was at fault as diodes are easy to destroy without the proper precautions.
 
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Re: Modwerx ripped me off...

^^^ Coh-L has this right IMHO---May I suggest that you go to your OP/click edit/click go advance/and change your title as Drew does not deserve that- look at any diode FS on Ebay- you will not find ONE that is not sold -as-is/no returns
\
building your own dummy loads is a great way of learning more about soldering and building too.

As for RA's and Mr Todd's post below-- I am saving them to file as he and RA Pierce have done the best explaination on this topic EVER.


It's been discussed many times and the consensus is that the buyer is responsible.
Diodes are sold "as is" with no warranty since they are sensitive devices and the seller doesn't want to be held responsible if the end user may have killed it accidentally.

Maybe if you tell us about your setup we can help you figure out if the diode is really dead or not being powered properly.

Drivers often have capacitors on the output to smooth transients. Capacitors, being a sort of "mini rechargeable battery" - in essence, can take varying voltage IN, while maintaining a rather constant output. In effect they will "convert AC to DC".

The problem is, when there is no draw on the driver (say, a diode) - when the driver is disconnected from the diode, and perhaps turned on, (or perhaps from residual power in the computer power supply) - that capacitor, that "little battery" becomes charged.

The second you connect your diode to that output capacitor, all that charged up energy comes rushing out into the diode -- since it has nowhere else to go -- and usually far exceeds the ratings of the diode.

So what you want to do is short the leads of the output of the driver before reattaching a new diode. That way the energy will be 'grounded out', and not laying in wait to blow away your new diode.

I blew a rare 40mW 635nm this way recently by having a bad solder connection. Bothers me to this day. Probably will for quite a while. I'm not new here, and I've done it. People like Daguin -- arguably one of the most experienced folks here -- have done it. Repeatedly.

It happens. It's not a judgement on you. Nobody "doesn't blow diodes" during builds. Unfortunately its a 'cost of the hobby'... such as if you're flying model airplanes -- chances are one of your prized builds are going to, eventually, slam into a tree.

Keep in mind that $45 1w blue diodes being thought of as "pricy" still boggles a lot of us, because not even 1.5 years ago:

- Blue didn't come directly out of a diode; not for under $3000 per diode.
- 1W didn't come out of a diode of ANY color, unless you were talking infrared.
- A $45 blue laser of any sort would have been unthinkable.

... I'm not talking ancient history. I'm talking the November before last. If someone came in, in say, January 2010 and said "Oh hey in January 2011 we'll be upset about losing $45 on a direct blue 1w diode", I think a whole lot of us would have said "Where do I sign up?"

Just a few (I mean 3, not 5 or 10) years before that, 80mW of 532 would set you back $500.

Perspective, man.

- Blown diodes, we all do it. There's no shame in it.
- Modwerx can't guarantee diodes like that... there's no way to tell what someone will do, because so many people DO blow them *as a matter of course*.
- If he guaranteed them, then people would essentially make him fund their trial-and-error.
- Still, to this very moment, 1W of direct blue for $45 is still nice at twice the price.

I bought *3* multiline argon ion lasers that really WERE DoA, and the guy ran off, nowhere to be found. $400. *poof*.

Diodes are fickle... This won't be your first dead diode, and hopefully (yes hopefully) it won't be your last.

Keep building. Keep trying. I promise -- it gets better from here.


Free lessons are a rarity-

solo mis dos centavos

hk
 




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