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dropping laser pointers

inuboi8

inuboi8

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i know it isn't common practice to drop a laser pointer but how much stress can the average or even high end laser pointer take before the diode will malfunction? i know cell phone company's perform "drop tests" to ensure that their phones don't completely stop working if dropped to the ground, has anyone ever dropped their laser pointer from 3ft/5ft/10ft? and had it properly work (aside from any lenses cracking/breaking) I'm not planning on throwing my laser pointer around but its always good to know that if i do accidentally drop it everything is going to be ok :yh:
 





Pilgor

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It depends on a few factors. The type of host and whether the laser is DPSS of direct diode. DPSS will take more "damage" from falls as crystals can become mis-aligned

I once dropped my Evolution Pro from about 5' and it survived. The Evo Pro host is well built but other cheap Chinese lasers would probably not have survived.
 
inuboi8

inuboi8

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Pilgor said:
It depends on a few factors. The type of host and whether the laser is DPSS of direct diode. DPSS will take more "damage" from falls as crystals can become mis-aligned

I once dropped my Evolution Pro from about 5' and it survived. The Evo Pro host is well built but other cheap Chinese lasers would probably not have survived.
Click to expand...

What kind of surface did you drop it onto and how much abust can a diode itself take? Again not worrying about lenses cracking.breaking
 
millirad

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If the surface is the carpet in your living room or the grass in your yard the diode will probably survive, but longevity of the diode will be effected in some cases. If dropped on a hard surface such as hardwood floor or concrete, it is doubtful as to whether it would survive but possible. I dropped a cheap lithium ion rechargeable battery and it "popped" like a firecracker. And if it had been in a host the explosive pressure might have destroyed the pointer, assuming it hit a hard surface with enough force.
 
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Petacat

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If you upset the alinement of the crystals in a 534nm laser, no more light :(
 
Moebius

Moebius

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I dropped an 85mW 405nm pen from waist level onto a hardwood floor.
The momentary switch fell inside and the entire module began to slide around inside the host.
Wicked awesome...
So that's when I discovered that since lasers are round, they tend to roll..... :wtf:
 
Addonex

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I've found dollar store red pointers to be pretty much impervious to any kind of damage from dropping. Greens on the other hand I generally even put down on a table gently because I think of them as delicate devices.
 
inuboi8

inuboi8

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how do they make a shock resistant laser pointer anyways?
and isn't there a way to stabilize the crystals inside the enclosure
 
Blord

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I dropped my dilda red 200mW on marble floor from 1 metre. The light went on spontaneously but the laser has taken no damage except a small paint chip.
 
Benm

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inuboi8 said:
What kind of surface did you drop it onto and how much abust can a diode itself take? Again not worrying about lenses cracking.breaking
Click to expand...

The actual laser diode can take a tremendous amount of impact before it breaks. If you consider the component as a whole, its either a pin than snaps off, or a window that breaks before the die is nudged loose.

On a complete pointer, chances are that the circuit board breaks off a diode pin, or loses some solder joint on a bad drop. I think thats more likely than a lens breaking as long as those are fitted properly.

DPSS lasers are an entirely different matter. The point of failure in those is simply glue breakage, dislodging the glued on crystal set and expanding lens. If you were able to glue it back on in the exact same position and orientation it could be fixable, but thats very tricky to do.
 
inuboi8

inuboi8

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i wonder if certain brands of laser pointers are more prone to breaking when dropped does anyone have a story about a home build breaking due to being dropped???
 
randomlugia

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For a green pen, a 1 foot drop onto a hard surface has a definite chance of destroying it. I speak from experience...
 
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