My first red

Believe it or not I just built my first red diode laser today. I've been working on an adjustable lab driver circuit with modulation and the test today fit perfect with some goodies SenKat sent me. So I pulled out the old 16X I've had sitting around for a while and powered it up. Ah, nice and red at 650nm/125mW on the first try. The breadboarded circuit would actually be one heck of a nice lab driver for a top end 405nm diode so I may have to try that next. Max output with the current configuration is 200mA adjustable down to about 57mA. There is a portion of the circuit dedicated to a feedback diode and I still have to add TEC control to the feedback loop but the circuit works. Test points allow the completed driver system to display input current to the diode as well as adjustable external control.

Test points allow the completed driver system to display input current to the diode as well as adjustable external control.

Click to expand...

Thats a nice feature!

FrothyChimp said:

Believe it or not I just built my first red diode laser today.

Click to expand...

Welcome to the trenches One of the really cool things about you building it . . . .You probably actually understand what is happening with it, don't you? I just think that they're purty

So where are the pictures?

Peace,
dave

I was just going to tell you I don't have a camera at the office when I realized I have a camera in my phone so here are a few pictures. It's funny I've worked with tons of lasers and diodes but never built a red diode laser. Sorry these aren't the highest quality.

FrothyChimp said:

I was just going to tell you I don't have a camera at the office when I realized I have a camera in my phone so here are a few pictures. It's funny I've worked with tons of lasers and diodes but never built a red diode laser. Sorry these aren't the highest quality.

Click to expand...

Nicely done! Thank you.

I just noticed, you have windows! I envisioned you locked in a basement or bunker somewhere

Peace,
dave

Yeah that's a big drawback because we don't have enough wall space and we have to close the shades to operate anything powerful. There are 5 windows in the lab.

Lol, yea , the thread name and the your username next to it just didn't fit in my brain ;D ;D

All that equipment there, used to build a DVD laser So , so .... unusual!