2000mw laser diode?!

What do you guys think of this:

cgi.ebay.co.uk/2000mw-808nm-laser-diode-TO-3-Package_W0QQitemZ130248183187QQihZ003QQcategoryZ53141QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

?

Yeah, you can get lots of high power IR diodes for cheap on eBay.

Thing is though, you need a driver to work it. Generally they require large amounts of electricity. The beam specs are terrible. And of course they are IR, they aren't in the visible spectrum. So only useful to us for burning, which is tricky with the bad beamspecs.

isn't the driver just a voltage/current limited circuit? How much do you think an IR filter is?

that diode puts out nothing but I/R and lot of it at that a very dangerous
thing to play with unprotected :-?

Yeah, this thing doesn't output anything in the visible spectrum. It's completely invisible. An IR filter would just make it output absolutely nothing Though, at 2 Watts of pure IR it'll probably melt it, lol

I think you're thinking of green systems. That's 532nm wavelength. That do use diodes like this to pump the crystals, but of course you need crystals as well as the diode And it is not worth it at all to try and set up the crystals and diode yourself, unless you have professional equipment. I've never seen a decent DIY green before.

Actually this laser will be visible, but at 2W it would probably appear to be less than 10mW of red, it would be very dangerous to even think of turning on a diode so powerful without the proper safety eyeware.

im tempted... im trying convert my inkjet printer into a laser engraver. So far, it's been very easy..... i have an ordinary led to turn on when the laser needs too, all i really need is a laser head strong enough to etch.

Well, If you want to etch something without setting it ablaze, you might want to consider something less than 1W. 100mW will be able to etch wood. 500mW would to it quicker, but upwards of 700mW will probably just put deep gouges in your material or set it on fire. Unless you're etching metals. Then you need Watts. And a laser system like that won't fit into a printer.

If you use this 2W diode, how will you power it? The printer isn't built to supply 2.5 amps to a laser diode. Also, heatsinking will be a problem.

I would recommend a 200mW diode. Either red or IR. 500mW at the max. It would be easier to cool and mount... and to power.

RA_Pierce : powering it is no problem.. i have intense knowledge of electronics... the heat problem can be eliminated by having a small enclosed heat sink having water flow through it... but 2mw as you said, is probably too strong. thanks.. i will consider a 700mw...

However, what i had in mind, was to conditionally power the diode or have a PIC chip determine how long the diode needs to stay on forfor a particular material. For wood, the diode would receive limited power, but for something like a stone, it would receive full power. I think if i play around with the amount of time the laser stays at one point, and the amount of power it receives... I could create a well designed system which can take a wide range of materials...

RA_Pierce : If I power the 2watt laser for 1/4 of a second on 1 point, on wood (10mm MDF), would it still penetrate all the way through?

To etch something, the beam will have to be focused. The smaller the focal point is, the higher the energy density.
And etching stone would take a lot more power than what a diode laser is capable of.

Penetrating wood with 2W may be a little tough.
I doubt it would penetrate all the way through. But it will burn the surface very quickly. You would have to play around with it to determine what materials require a certain amount of time. The only way to program it is to set it up and see how it works.

Also, it may be easier to cool the laser with a TEC, rather than water. Larger lasers use water cooling systems. It would be excessive for a diode. TEC would be smaller, simpler, and probably easier.