What can you do will optics form a DVD burner?

I think it was a old junker computer, and I have access to LOTS of dead computers with DVD/CD burners and so I took one apart before it hit the dumpster...

Anayways I got all of these optics and such, and was wondering how to make a scanner or attaching one of the glass pieces to a small motor to make circle effects... What can I do with all this stuff? it looks fascinating; especially the cube thing! Or is it just crap I should throw away? I can't remember the write speed and I was gonna build a LM317 thing and yadda yadaa... What are these optics called?

I also didn't have a solder sucker or braid so the diode might have gotten deep fried in the process , but I'm restraining myself from hooking it u without a driver...



All I got is a ~10mW geen and cheap red, and hopefully a ~1.5W 445nm (But that one will strictly be sky pointing) I don't even want to find out what happens if 1.5 watts gets scattered about the room. goggles or not... W

I know there are dichroic mirrors and beam splitters/combiners in there. Im impressed you got them out without them breaking.

PBS and dichros. Have a look at some threads about the PHR803T sleds, there have been lots of discussions about the optics and how to use them to combine the beams into a white laser. If you actually know the name of the sled you could try searching for that too. :beer:

This is great stuff guys; at least now I know the technical names for this stuff so I can get somewhere in my searches. PBS, beam splitters, and dichroic mirrors OHH-MY! I can take things apart with great ease, however assembling it again would prove disastrous.

there have been lots of discussions about the optics and how to use them to combine the beams into a white laser

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I have wanted to do this; I think when my professors and work stop hammering me I will look into buying all three diodes and a large flashlight to house all the optics and modules. Maybe a good 35mW.

However this brings up another question loosely related to optics (since I'm talking about white lasers)... If you combine the diodes each outputting 35mW is all three combined rated at 35mW? OR 105mW

Maybe a few years from now ill make a laser harp with guitar sounds...

105mW if all of em are running full power. You cant loose that extra 70mW to thin air.

Edit: well kinda. You can loose to refraction in your optics, smudges, and I guess fog in the air... dang science classes have me thinking in that theoretical world that I lothe and love so much again.

Chances are if you were to attempt a white laser youd have a bit more power.

To do it cheaply you could use a PHR803T ($10) 405 nm 80 - 100 mW diode, LPC 826 ($8) 250 - 300 mW 650 nm diode and a lower power green probably 30 - 50 mW ($10). So if you add all those up, and take off maybe 20 % for optics losses, you could have a white laser with anything between 290 - 360 mW!

Here are a couple of links:
http://laserpointerforums.com/f51/t...ser-using-white-fusion-kit-sightfx-41942.html
http://laserpointerforums.com/f64/fs-white-fusion-laser-mixing-kit-42013.html

:beer:


Edit: A 20 - 30 mW green might be better, considering the power of the red and purple:thinking: Also wanted to mention this build, probably one of the best I have ever seen of a RGB laser: http://laserpointerforums.com/f40/rgb-hand-held-laser-77311.html

Does the 405 show up that well? I guess the dot might look whitish, but wouldn't the beam Color be off due to the low visability of the 405 beam?

Nevermind, I looked into it... you just make it way brighter

Presentteck said:

Does the 405 show up that well? I guess the dot might look whitish, but wouldn't the beam Color be off due to the low visability of the 405 beam?

Nevermind, I looked into it... you just make it way brighter

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Why not 445 or a richer blue color? Why use 405?

Bacon said:

Why not 445 or a richer blue color? Why use 405?

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I believe that he's recommending 405nm diodes on the combined basis of price and power. With 405nm, you could achieve a fairly nice white-light laser for less than with a 445nm diode, on top of the fact that most 445nm diodes are going to be much more powerful than a 405nm diode, meaning that you would need higher powers for the 650nm diode and 532nm module as well. This may not sound horrible, but keep in mind that finding a single-mode 650nm diode that can spit out more than 250-300mW and is reasonably priced is tricky, from what I've observed at least. If you really wanted to make a white-light 'RGB' laser, rather than the 'RGV' that you would end up with if using a 405nm diode, then you could, I suppose, always use an Osram PL450B 450nm diode driven at about 80-100mW, but keep in mind that it will likely cost you a fair bit more than using a PHR803T for the same application.

DragonSoulSong said:

I believe that he's recommending 405nm diodes on the combined basis of price and power. With 405nm, you could achieve a fairly nice white-light laser for less than with a 445nm diode, on top of the fact that most 445nm diodes are going to be much more powerful than a 405nm diode, meaning that you would need higher powers for the 650nm diode and 532nm module as well. This may not sound horrible, but keep in mind that finding a single-mode 650nm diode that can spit out more than 250-300mW and is reasonably priced is tricky, from what I've observed at least. If you really wanted to make a white-light 'RGB' laser, rather than the 'RGV' that you would end up with if using a 405nm diode, then you could, I suppose, always use an Osram PL450B 450nm diode driven at about 80-100mW, but keep in mind that it will likely cost you a fair bit more than using a PHR803T for the same application.

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Price means NOTHING in the quest for... well...... science! LASERS!

Jut kidding my wallet is begging for mercy every two months or so... But can't one just modify the power to a cheaper 445 with a tweaked driver?

Bacon said:

But can't one just modify the power to a cheaper 445 with a tweaked driver?

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I'm uncertain, to be honest, and I would likely not be the best person to answer that question. My bet would be that you'd have a hard time driving a 445nm diode, such as an M140 or an A140, low enough to not find yourself wanting for more power in your 650nm and 532nm as well. The lowest that I can recall such diodes being driven is ~400mW, iirc. I'll look around a bit and see about that, but as far as power goes, your best bet, if you're bent on using a blue diode rather than a violet one, would likely be the 450nm that I mentioned above, run at about 100mW.

Dragon/Cody

Edit: I take that back. It looks, according to the graph here, as though if you were to use an M140, that it could be run at ~205-210mA to produce ~100mW of output. I've been proven wrong by my own research, it would seem. XD So, in reality, assuming that cost is no object, you could use your pick of a PHR803T, a PL450B, or an M140. Possibly even an A140 if you so desired. I'm sure that if I'm in any way incorrect, someone a little more educated than myself on such matters will speak up. ^_^

My issue with using an M-140/A-140/A-130/9mm would be the multimode aspect. If you are combining beams, then it seems to me you would want a single mode diode for all the inputs so you don't have ridiculous spillage. I may need to try the RGV setup mentioned above....it would be a cool thing to have.

wannaburnstuff said:

My issue with using an M-140/A-140/A-130/9mm would be the multimode aspect. If you are combining beams, then it seems to me you would want a single mode diode for all the inputs so you don't have ridiculous spillage. I may need to try the RGV setup mentioned above....it would be a cool thing to have.

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Oh, good point. I didn't think about that when I was posting above. Multi-mode blue would make for a much more dirty white beam than otherwise...so one would likely want to stick with the single-mode 405nm or 450nm diodes anyways for the sake of the quality of the mixed beam.

Dragon/Cody

Of course the single modes... Yes! You sure do have a point there Pun intended about single mode. This will surely keep disappointment to a minimum when finalized.

Now quickly, everyone gawk at this host (he uses those PBS cubes)
Might I add he also used 445nm. :na: (I mean if your making a white beast why not)
http://laserpointerforums.com/f48/build-tri-diode-laser-est-5-6w-79196.html