DIY DVD burner laser.

Hey im sure almost everyone has seen the instructable of the red laser pointer made from a DVD burner diode and housed in a mini mag light.
Do I really need a driver for that mod? How long will the life of the diode be without a driver? Can anyone reccomend a cheap driver that will work? Any help would be great!

Yes u need a driver for any diode really. Else you won't be able to get the correct current for it and it could blow.

garrett13 said:

Hey im sure almost everyone has seen the instructable of the red laser pointer made from a DVD burner diode and housed in a mini mag light.
Do I really need a driver for that mod? How long will the life of the diode be without a driver? Can anyone reccomend a cheap driver that will work? Any help would be great!

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The diode will only last about 2 hours if you are lucky without a driver. Lurk around this forum and you will see plans for DIY drivers if you want to do it yourself or go to here http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?board=b_bst and buy one (recomended) from one of the members.

Its a cheap price to protect your laser project, and if you want to upgrade the project later you will be all set.

I have been looking at the micro-drive but how do i know what power to set it to? Also is it easy to adjust?

garrett13 said:

I have been looking at the micro-drive but how do i know what power to set it to? Also is it easy to adjust?

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Decide first if you want power or longevity. Obviously the higher the power the faster the diode burns out. Once you have decided, do some research on the forum for the power level that will suit your needs.  When you order the driver they can set it to whatever power you want. You can adjust it yourself but you run the risk of frying the diode.

There are tons of threads of tutorials and information here. You just have to do the homework and you will come out with a quality burner for cheap money. Plus you can upgeade it later if you get into the hobby. There is a lot of good people here to help you, but you have to do some of the leg work too.

Good luck  [smiley=thumbsup.gif]