Diode Pull, Please Help ID

Pulled from a piece of industrial equipment. There was a photodiode mounted behind it. Numbers on the side are 138 25 0106, I couldn't find anything.

Was there a manufacturer name on it? I'm curious to now.

Are you sure that's a laser diode? It looks to me like it could be an LED. The top bar could be a printed carbon resistor and the center square could be an LED emitter of some kind. Granted LED emitters are generally yellow and non metallic looking but this could be to emit something other than white light maybe. At least that's what it looks like to me. From my understanding to have a laser emitter you need a emitter running the same direction as the emitted beam so what appears to be an emitter facing perpendicular to what would be emitted makes me think it isn't a laser diode.

Yeah, doesn't look to me like a laser diode either.
It's probably a LED!

Jim

Dang, maybe I'll just throw an AA on it to see. Either way it got me excited enough to finally build my first laser. Prolly gonna start with a 50mw green.

Edit: Did nothing, maybe it was IR or I cooked it or it was already dead.

You might have reverse polarity killed it instantly XD

If you want to build a laser I suggest you go all out and make one from scratch. 523nm(green) lasers are generally just modules that you stick in a case and you have a laser lol. If you want to "make" a laser I suggest for your first you make a nice little single mode Osram 445nm or an LPC-826 650nm. Both can put out about 250mW reliably. An LPC-826 sells for about $10 vs the Osram for around $45.

LPC
http://www.cajunlasers.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=82

Osram
https://sites.google.com/site/dtrlpf/home/diodes/450nm-pl450-diodes

Thanks for the info. I really kind of have my heart set on green, and I've read enough around here to be comfortable assembling a kit of a module, heatsink and host. But I'm not knowledgeable enough yet to know how to match a driver to a diode, setting current, lens options, etc..

I like the idea of starting from scratch and picking up a $10 diode, but matching up all the other parts seems like something I can't do on my own right now.

I PM'd JayRob about his green kit, but it seems an expensive host. Nice though.

I also like DTR's 2W M140 w/ the best lens options, but I don't think that should be my first. I don't even have glasses yet.

DTR is a good person to go with for first builds. His work has always been flawless for me. You might want to consider his cheaper 1W option or the 800mW variant instead for a first laser. all you would need in addition to one of those rigs is a host with a heatsink and a contact board.

Can't go wrong with this host:
Survival Laser C6 Host Assembly
Contact Board from the same seller:
Survival Laser Driver

Or you could grab yourself a ready built 445nm from Yobresal or have me make you one custom. Here is Yobresal's thread:
http://laserpointerforums.com/f39/1...5-shipped-now-available-50-jad-kit-76555.html

Hmm, the "800mW+ 445nm Blue Laser Module W/Boost Driver & Glass Lens" + The two items from Survival would be all I need? That keeps this new hobby entrance fee to about a $100. I don't quite get how that contact board would install in the host but I'm sure I can figure it out. Would I be smart in buying a copper heatsink for future diodes that may be 2W?

Yes, that's all you would need but remember it is DIY so you have no warranty on anything. If you want to go this route I can show you a few pictures of how the parts will need to go together and give description on how it needs to be done. You will need a good solder iron, a steady hand, and some time.

How the contact board works is:
Inside the host is a pill that comes with the hosts from SL. You will need to put the brass ring around the contact board and press it there using some pliers so it looks sort of like this without the electronics on the board:
Survival Laser Driver
You then will need to solder the contact board to the brass ring so that the ring conducts to the outer ring on the contact board. Then you press the soldered ring+contact into the pill to look like this from above:
http://img.fw1.biz/resize/180261/sl-dpm1.jpg/500/500/0/

At this moment those are the best pictures I can find but I plan on making a tutorial of how its done some time soon.

I would suggest a copper heatsink for any M140 build as its just superior all around but you can get away with aluminum for just about any power if you feel like.

you could also get the $5 1.25A driver HERE at SL that would in turn give you less current so it would not be as powerful and lower the final cost by $15

and it would help us more if you told us where you lived...Survival lasers is great if you live in the US but if not there may be other sites that are located closer too you
:beer: Justin

If you feel comfortable soldering to the laser diode itself. It also probably would be very near the same current. Also, that driver is a cheap driver pulled from a flashlight and not designed from the ground up to be a laser driver. Either way would work.

I live in California. I think I'm going to stick with the driver built in to the 800mW. That host is very inexpensive but pretty ugly to me. I may just pay up for the SS one with the copper heatsink built in. Thank for the photos, and guide, apex, thats more than enough info.

Gonna need a 16850 and charger too. I have a Surefire light already so that will benefit.

Is there a forum member discount for DTR and Survival?

If you mean 18650 and charger, I would recommend PMing member LarryDFW. He is a very standup guy, carries great batteries, and is great on shipping times.

wannaburnstuff said:

If you mean 18650 and charger, I would recommend PMing member LarryDFW. He is a very standup guy, carries great batteries, and is great on shipping times.

Click to expand...

Thanks, but survival has what I need and free shipping.

Man glasses are expensive. (can't put a price on your eyes, I know)

If I get these: Eagle Pair® 190-540nm & 800-2000nm Laser Safety Goggles can I look at the beam and a spot on the wall? Or NEVER look at any spot over 5mW? if I cheap out and get the ones that only block 190-540 do I have to worry about IR 1064nm from these M140s?

I have a link to goggles that work in my signature. They run for about $9 and work enough to tame my 2W+ to be able to look at the dot less than 2 feet away and its only a glow. BTW, the hosts SL sells are all powered by two 16240s unless you buy the extension to use two 18650s.