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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

MEGADILDA - DX200 Red on steroids.

Joined
Nov 20, 2007
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Here's yet another affordable option as a host for an open can. You'll have to tear apart a $43 DX "Dilda" laser in the name of more power but its worth it IMO.

I think the DX200 (Red) makes a great open can host because there's plenty of room on the inside for mounting whatever driver you want, everything is easy to access, comes with a heatsink, diode can be easily changed, lenses can be switched with any of the ones that fit the axiz module, it comes with the tail clicky, a nice focusing ring and at only $43 the price is comparable to some of the other hosts people have been using (MXDL+heatsink, Kryton barrel, etc).

Total cost to modify/build this one is less than 100 bucks.

I used rkcstr's adjustable output Micro-Driver (set at around 430ma) - $10
A long open can diode from TheMonk - $24
and of coarse the DX 200 red laser - $43

Total cost = $77

I'm sure some of you are probably thinking "why the hell would you wanna modify a perfectly good DX200?".. Well I know a few people got really good power out of theirs but I've also seen alot of people who only got 145-160 mW out of it. I was one of those people.

This is a reading done with freshly charged batteries right before I took it apart:

LPMBEFORE.JPG


It has peaked as high as 158mW but quickly settles down to 148-149mW. Not bad for a $43 laser but I wanted more.

Taking the Dilda apart is easy. I used a hobby knife to cut through the gray epoxy they used to glue the driver in place, then just unscrew the little brass ring that holds the diode in place.. These diodes are a bit longer than the GB diodes we've been using.. I think someone called it a phaser diode? Anyway, its worth hanging on to for another laser project when you get bored.

OLDDRIVERANDDIODE.JPG


Once you get the old driver & diode out, just solder the longer pins to your open can diode, slide the brass ring down over them, cut them to the right length, and solder them to the driver.

You'll need to find a new contact spring (out of a flashlight or something) to solder to your new driver, as the old one will be too short if used with the Microdriver. You may be able to stretch the old one.

PINSTODIODE.JPG


NEWDRIVER.JPG


I still haven't epoxied my new driver to the head of the laser.. I'd suggest doing that before trying out the laser but I didn't follow my own advice (too impatient!).

Anyway, the result:

{Edit}: after a little more fine tuning and adjusting (see page two of this thread for details), this is what it ended up with:

288mW.JPG


Peaked at 290mW and settled down to 288.

So the long open can and Microdriver was good for an additional 140+mW. Not too shabby!

MEGADILDA.JPG


Video of the MEGADILDA in action:
http://modernmusclecars.net/evilone/MEGADILDA/POWERDEMO-1.wmv

I haven't had a chance to see how it does lighting matches etc from a distance but I'll post up more vids of that later.
{edit} Long distance match light video on page two.
 





Joined
Jul 8, 2007
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Re: MEGADILDA - DX200 Red on steroids...

sweet mod, must burn well.
 

Rhith

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Jul 13, 2007
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Re: MEGADILDA - DX200 Red on steroids...

Awesome modification there! I'm sure once I get some money settled I'll get one these just for my collection and then move on to the modifications. What I'm wondering though is if you would even need to take the diode off the drive board if you're replacing it? I'm not sure of the configuration of the internals exactly though but I'm sure you could make a 140mW box project out of that for another $15 at the most and have two good burning lasers!
 
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Dec 24, 2007
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Re: MEGADILDA - DX200 Red on steroids...

If you still have the 662nm stock diode, and you're willing to sell, please PM me with how much you would want for it shipped. I'm looking to underdrive one to make a brightish darker-shaded red laser pointer to go along with a 20mw 635nm brightish pointer. :)
 
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Messages
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Re: MEGADILDA - DX200 Red on steroids...

Rhith said:
What I'm wondering though is if you would even need to take the diode off the drive board if you're replacing it? I'm not sure of the configuration of the internals exactly though but I'm sure you could make a 140mW box project out of that for another $15 at the most and have two good burning lasers!

You have to remove the diode from the board in order to get the little brass ring that holds the diode in the heatsink off. Pretty easy to solder it back on though.


quadcam said:
If you still have the 662nm stock diode, and you're willing to sell, please PM me with how much you would want for it shipped.  I'm looking to underdrive one to make a brightish darker-shaded red laser pointer to go along with a 20mw 635nm brightish pointer.  :)

Unfortunately I dropped the stock diode in the floor and when I rolled my chair back to look for it the wheel ran over it and crushed it. :( sorry.
 
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Re: MEGADILDA - DX200 Red on steroids...

RattleHead said:
Unfortunately I dropped the stock diode in the floor and when I rolled my chair back to look for it the wheel ran over it and crushed it. :( sorry.

I feel your pain :( Happens to me all the time :(

"Hmm, chips... *munches*... Crap! I dropped one on the floor! I'll just lean back and get it... *CRUNCH*...... NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"
 
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Mar 8, 2008
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Re: MEGADILDA - DX200 Red on steroids...

Only on this forum will you find someone bragging about their "mega dilda on steroids" ;D ;D
 
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Messages
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Re: MEGADILDA - DX200 Red on steroids...

GooeyGus said:
Only on this forum will you find someone bragging about their "mega dilda on steroids"  ;D ;D

;D

I almost named it "DildaZilla". :p
 
Joined
Dec 26, 2007
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Re: MEGADILDA - DX200 Red on steroids...

cool mod!

i thought it was going wrong when i read that 149mW "ahh.....expected much more for the MEGA prefix..."

but then...wow, 240mW.....NICE job!


the main problem is that the dilda is expensive for its diode. i think the host should be really cheap, it's a thin film of metal with the head and the clicky button, shouldn't go over $11...

maybe if we asked somebody to do it and then organized a GB ::) ::)
 
Joined
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Re: MEGADILDA - DX200 Red on steroids...

nikokapo said:
the main problem is that the dilda is expensive for its diode. i think the host should be really cheap, it's a thin film of metal with the head and the clicky button, shouldn't go over $11...

maybe if we asked somebody to do it and then organized a GB  ::) ::)

True, would be nice if it were possible to just buy the dilda barrel without the internals.. But I don't think that'll ever happen. :(

Look at it this way though,, if you already own a DX200 red, this is a $34 upgrade (driver & open can) that should net you about a 90-120 mW gain.
 

IgorT

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Re: MEGADILDA - DX200 Red on steroids...

Did anyone notice how long the dilda diode is?

I only just extracted it today (also want to use the body for an open can), and i was surprised at how weird it looks.. It looks slim because it's so long. I wonder what's inside.. ;)

Did anyone ever de-can it perhaps?
 
Joined
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Messages
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Re: MEGADILDA - DX200 Red on steroids...

IgorT said:
Did anyone notice how long the dilda diode is?

I only just extracted it today (also want to use the body for an open can), and i was surprised at how weird it looks.. It looks slim because it's so long. I wonder what's inside.. ;)

Did anyone ever de-can it perhaps?

Crap, I wish I would have kept the one I accidentally crushed from my Dilda. It would've been perfect to disect in the name of knowledge since it was already half crushed. But I already chunked it in the garbage. :(

You're right though. They are noticeably longer than the GB diodes we're used to seeing.
 
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Feb 28, 2008
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Re: MEGADILDA - DX200 Red on steroids...

I bet the "dilda-diode" can be driven at a higher current than the stock driver does.. its probably a closed-can/long die setup.. I bet we could push 250mW out of it ;D
 

IgorT

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Re: MEGADILDA - DX200 Red on steroids...

I think the 6xBR writer drive has a similar diode inside...

Phenol was playing with one, and he says he thinks it's the same die as in the long open can...
 
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Feb 4, 2008
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Re: MEGADILDA - DX200 Red on steroids...

Glaserfan said:
I bet the "dilda-diode" can be driven at a higher current than the stock driver does.. its probably a closed-can/long die setup.. I bet we could push 250mW out of it ;D

Why are you people tempting me to pull apart my perfectly functioning dilda? Is it time for another lavadrive? I still haven't used the first one. My Titan cat Sparta has still not seen the light.
 
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Messages
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Re: MEGADILDA - DX200 Red on steroids...

Glaserfan said:
I bet the "dilda-diode" can be driven at a higher current than the stock driver does.. its probably a closed-can/long die setup.. I bet we could push 250mW out of it ;D


I bet you're right. That did cross my mind when I was taking the dilda apart.. But rather than take a chance on it I decided to go ahead and put in the proven long open can.

Now we just need someone to swap out the stock dilda driver with a Microdriver or Lavadrive and see how much the stock dilda diode can handle. Any takers? thejunkmonger?  ;D
 




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