My first powerful red build, >300mW (SUPER PIC HEAVY)

Hi LPF,

This is my first real review so PLEASE have mercy on me! I decided I am going to put my first real red laser on my 100th post :bday:! Some of you might recognize this host from a previous laser I built, but it was a 5mW one, and I couldn't see this host go to waste because that laser SUCKED! I am a real DIY guy, and don't have a lot of money to spend, and shipping takes months to South Africa most of the time. That said, all I wanted to order for this laser is the diode, the lens, and the housing and batteries, so no custom heatsink or driver ordered! So don't expect this to be a "Mona Laser" or something, it consists of a lot of parts laying around. So the components:

1. LPC-826
2. 3 element glass lens
3. Special heatsink made in China somewhere (I like to call it "The Washer")
4. Aixiz housing
5. A LM2941 for a driver

The specs:

Current: 458mA
Power: >300mW (estimated):eg:
Wavelength : 658nm
Divergence: Focusable
Duty cycle: >1min
Batteries: Runs of two 14500 batteries
Reverse battery protection: Yes

Now some pics (Please tell me what you think about my photography and sorry for big photos!):

First off, the driver. I like to call this the "Kip Kay Driver" (irony intended) as this driver get soldered on directly to the diode and then you just press the pins of the driver into your flashlight, no soldering!

The top:



The bottom:


Partially inserted:


Fully inserted:


Current reading:


Heatsinked with a small piece of Cu:


Complete host with the driver:


Nice and roomy inside the head:


Diode in the module and Washers in place:


Laser while lazing (head):


The laser!!!:


A burn pic of my username:


and finally..... (drum roll):

Gratz on your first powerful red
Could you please PM me where did you get Aixiz housing and 3 element glass lens.

Wow! Not only is that a good first powerful build, but the host is stunning in colour! Where did you get the host from? Nice build!

^I struck it lucky, it was an old flashlight laying around, I should actually get one of those red focus adapters from survival lasers, would look great with it!(Sadly I have no money for it at the moment). Thanks for the compliments you guys!:thanks:

Thanks for the review:yh:

Nice thinking how you fit the driver in the host. But that washer doesn't provide much heat transfer the module. You will need a matching heatsink for the host to provide optimum heat transfer.

@Blord There is actually two washers, one that sits in deeper in the host, and the one visible on the host. The one that sits deeper is smothered in thermal grease transferring the heat actually very good to the host, and the other one on the front covers that one, up but I won't try that trick with a M140 or 12X. About the driver, the head is not screwed all the way in, I installed a bigger o-ring holding the head very tight in place, giving me just that little extra space needed for the driver.

Is that driver just LM2941 with 2 resistors?

Yes, it works great, it has a very low dropout voltage, has built in thermal protection and reverse polarity protection. I found the driver in the PDF in the attachment.

What resistors did you use?

Nice build! I like the host! It looks nice! With a propper heatsink to fit that would be an awesome laser!!

Nice clean build.....:gj:

Jerry

You can contact us at any time on our Website: J.BAUER Electronics

@Blord Sort off followed your advice, so I took it apart and rebuilt it with much better thermal properties, all the goes directly into the host now

@qwas789 I wanted 2.8 ohm's so I could just get above 300mW, so I used a 1 ohm and a 1.8 ohm resistors in series (just remember that the LM2941 has a reference voltage different from the LM317!)

Since I took it apart I thought I would give the visible washer a better look so I spray-painted it a very dark violet, looks great! I will post more beamshots and pics of the head later tonight.

I'll be honest with you. I do not personally like the host being red in color when the beam is also a reddish light. I personally think that a black host with a red laser coming out o it would look way more intense that the red you have.

But thats just me and i know nothing

Anyways, it is awesome. I do not understand half of the pictures, because i know nothing about building these.

Any tips for where i could go to get the basics down? Honestly, somebody shoot me a PM w/ some links

Cube777 could you please give us driver sceme and could it run on 3xAAA? I have perfect small host that i would like to use but don't wanna pay 26$ for flexdriver.
And i belive it's guidesman host u got http://www.cajunlasers.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=22