New red laser diode Dim?

I bought a brand new laser diode:
new 150mW 650nm Burning Red Laser Diode profession | eBay
and put it together with a new driver:
200mW red laser diode driver /150-350mA adjustable | eBay
but when I hooked it all up the diode seemed really dim. I have to put it like 1inch away from something to actually see the light. It doesn't matter if I put in 4V or 6V and it goes from 0mA to 400mA.
Did I get a defective diode or something?

You're either not providing enough current to start it, or you have destroyed it.

What a faint diode emission is called around here is "LED emission", similary, destroying the diode is called "LEDing the diode".

Contrary to popular belief, dead diodes DO give light. Just very faint one, like you're describing.

What batteries are you using to power it?

Can we see some pictures of how you installed it?

Hmm..I wonder how it got fried so easy. oh well, good thing it's only $4. I'll order it again and be more careful next time.

I'm using the AA size lithium ion batteries.

I don't think I'll be able to get pics up, but I know I hooked it up exactly by the instructions and polarities that came with the driver.

I also have a 405nm diode and I think I fried it but it's not LEDing or anything and it measures 18ohms across it. I'm 99% sure I fried it.

Sux being a noob at this stuff. haha:banghead:

Hi Edi. You may very well know more than I do about whats going on here, but I have a few observations from "the side".

First, the diode spec referenced states "OUT PUT: at 100mW (120ma/4.5V)". This of course, is just a sample current/voltage example, but the driver spec that is quoted states "Output voltage :2.5-2.8V". This would suggest to me that if the diode requires 4.5 volts to drive it at a 120mA current rate, which should yield an output of 100mW, that the diode is not going to be driven at a very high current at the driver's 2.8 Volt maximum voltage, and may be fairly dim.

Secondly, I'm not an electronics expert by any means, but I am quite familiar with Li-Ion cells. If your powering your driver with one 14500 Li-Ion cell (4.2 Volts), you should be OK. If however you're running two 14500 cells in series, this would be supplying the driver with 8.4 Volts. The quoted driver input voltage spec states "Input voltage :4-6V", so you'd be likely be overpowering the driver by a good bit, running two Li-Ion cells. It would appear that the driver was setup for one CR123A, one Li-Ion, or two CR123A cells, but not for two Li-Ion cells. There are quite a few flashlight drivers that are setup this way also.

As I said, you may know better what's going on here than I do, but I thought I'd share my thoughts. They may not be worth a damn, but hey, they're free!:crackup:

Dave

Thanks Dave,

Yea, I noticed the driver and diode spec as well but since the diode is only $4 I bought another one. I didn't get to try it out yet, will be doing that soon. If it doesn't work I guess I'll just have to buy a different driver.