10x optics in housing, How do i re- assemble?

I bought a spare lens to go with a laser i'm atempting to build, it's a 10x ready in housing from stone tec, being stupid i opened it up to see what was what, best way to learn.... : So now i have two small lens and one larger and one spacer, housing and screw end, i cant work out which ones go where and whether they are all optic front out or some in? my attempts to sort it has either ended up with a baseball beam at three meters or a tightish beam with lots of diffraction all round but with a definate loss of power instead of amplification or really tight focus. Please help!!

Wait... what?

Are you saying you bought one of the GLASS lenses that fit the Aixiz module and you took it apart and now can't figure out how to get it back together??

Um.... ok? :-?

I can't really tell you how they go back together as I've never taken one apart, nor do I plan to because that will just get dust and whatever else between the lens surfaces. I'm thinking you should just chalk that one up to a loss and buy another.

Unless you can clean them VERY well and not get any dust or scratches on the surface when reassembling (assuming you can figure out or someone can tell you what order/orientation for each), then you will end up with a lot of distortions

sounds like you have a beam expander. If that is what you've got then the lens orientation should be negative lens then positive.
Laser ---- neg. lens<<<< pos. lens ======
If the negative lens is a plano-concave orientation is (] curved side facing laser
It also sounds like you have gotten finger prints and/or dirt on the lens surfaces. I suggest next time you play with lenses you wear finger cotts which can be found in the first aid isle.

What does this item look like? Link to the page if possible.

No I don't think it's a beam expander. It's just the regular aixiz lens. It's made out of 3 lenses.That's why you get more power with meredith: one lens, less internal reflections.

Switch said:

No I don't think it's a beam expander. It's just the regular aixiz lens. It's made out of 3 lenses.That's why you get more power with meredith: one lens, less internal reflections.

Click to expand...

The OP says he now has two small lenses [go back and read]. Either both are positive or one is positive and one is negative. No matter what two lenses constitutes a beam expander unless both are negative. I doubt they are

one lens, less internal reflections

Click to expand...

Not always true. It's certainly not true if the lens is not AR coated, much more light can be reflected.

steve001 said:

[quote author=Switch link=1226013477/0#3 date=1226241553]No I don't think it's a beam expander. It's just the regular aixiz lens. It's made out of 3 lenses.That's why you get more power with meredith: one lens, less internal reflections.

Click to expand...

The OP says he now has two small lenses [go back and read]. Either both are positive or one is positive and one is negative. No matter what two lenses constitutes a beam expander unless both are negative. I doubt they are

one lens, less internal reflections

Click to expand...

Not always true. It's certainly not true if the lens is not AR coated, much more light can be reflected.
[/quote]
Ok, I'm gonna go back and read, let's see:

So now i have two small lens and one larger and one spacer    

Click to expand...

two small + one larger = 3 lenses. : And a collimating lens is not a beam expaner as far as I know.At least , we don't call aixiz modules beam expanders. And one lens has less internal reflections compared to a triple lens assembly provided the conditions (like coatings and treatment, material and quality) are the same.

Switch said:

[quote author=steve001 link=1226013477/0#4 date=1226243713][quote author=Switch link=1226013477/0#3 date=1226241553]No I don't think it's a beam expander. It's just the regular aixiz lens. It's made out of 3 lenses.That's why you get more power with meredith: one lens, less internal reflections.

Click to expand...

The OP says he now has two small lenses [go back and read]. Either both are positive or one is positive and one is negative. No matter what two lenses constitutes a beam expander unless both are negative. I doubt they are

one lens, less internal reflections

Click to expand...

Not always true. It's certainly not true if the lens is not AR coated, much more light can be reflected.
[/quote]
Ok, I'm gonna go back and read, let's see:

So now i have two small lens and one larger and one spacer    

Click to expand...

two small + one larger = 3 lenses. : And a collimating lens is not a beam expaner as far as I know.At least , we don't call aixiz modules beam expanders. And one lens has less internal reflections compared to a triple lens assembly provided the conditions (like coatings and treatment, material and quality) are the same.

[/quote]


Yup, I read it wrong that still doesn't change the fact this unit performs as a beam expander. All three lenses together act to accomplish this. A beam expander is either a Galilean or Keplerian system in design and is called that because it is a add on. That really is what distinguishes one from the other.

All things being equal of course one lens can have greater transmission. However a three lens system can still perform better if all is not equal