Spider Arctic conversion to 635nm (@550mW)

Wicked Lasers Arctic - Conversion to 635nm RED Laser @ 550mW +

I'm not sure if anyone else has done this yet, and I'm not sure what I'll do with the resulting build (doesn't really fit in my collection - this is a BIG laser!) but I figured it was worth a go. Someone gave me an Arctic, and I wasn't sure what I would do with it since it was only putting out 110mW. So I decided to convert it into a 635.

After I familiarized myself with the driver a bit, I realized that I could actually integrate one of my own on-lead RED drivers without sacrificing the existing driver modes and smart-switch circuitry. So that's what I did! I also swapped out the existing glass lens and put in a RED-coated 3-element.



Ultimately, it's doing around 550mW in "ON" mode, and around 300mW in "Pulse".

Here's a video demonstration of the modes + LPMing for those interested:
Arctic Conversion to 635 - YouTube


I know everyone rags on this laser, but you've got to grant it one thing - it's a SOLID host. I'm not sure I've ever seen a Mitsubishi RED build hold its output as steady as this build - I watched it on my Ophir, and it's remarkable to barely see the digits change.

• At 15 seconds, it LPM'd at 550mW
• At 300 seconds (6 minutes) it LPM'd at 521mW
• At 600 seconds (10 minutes) it LPM'd at 496mW

495mW is the point at which the diode had dropped to 90% of its original output. The build held within 10% of it's max output power for slightly over 10 minutes into a duty cycle. That's pretty remarkable for a Mitsubishi RED build. I let it run until the 15 minute mark, and:

• At 900 seconds (15 minutes) it LPM'd at 479mW

That's a drop of just 13% of output power by the end of an irresponsibly long 15 minute duty cycle. I've never personally seen that kind of endurance from any other portable RED build I've done. It's a nice host. Even if it did take me 10 minutes to figure out the "smart" switch

Anyway, neat, fun, quick build... errr "conversion".

Great looking build! +1 when I can

Very nice build man :gj: +1 :beer: (whenever i can)
Did you use the original WL heatsink ?

Jim

jimdt7 said:

Very nice build man :gj: +1 :beer: (whenever i can)
Did you use the original WL heatsink ?

Jim

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Ya, but it was weird it wasn't really a "heatsink" per se, it was a little screw-in capsule/module with M9x0.5 threading. You basically press the diode into that capsule, and then screw it into the Arctic's body.

It seems WL is liking your red Arctic, they have it posted on their Facebook wall and they also added a poll asking "Would you like to see a high powered red Spyder 3?"

Wicked Lasers | Facebook

styropyro said:

It seems WL is liking your red Arctic, they have it posted on their Facebook wall and they also added a poll asking "Would you like to see a high powered red Spyder 3?"

Wicked Lasers | Facebook

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Lol, 220 "likes" is the most attention one of my builds has attracted. Not bad, for literally, one of the fastest builds I've done. It took longer to write this thread than to build the laser (not counting the time it took me to figure out how that darn "smart" switch worked!). Though to be fair, I had the driver reflowed already, and just had to grab it out of my parts box.

FYI - Steve from WL did ask my permission before posting that to FB, and I told him I was happy to have him post it.

Woah .. very nice build! +1
I really like the Arctic Host!

I did this months ago, but the Diode Killed after some days.

AMN said:

Woah .. very nice build! +1
I really like the Arctic Host!

Click to expand...

Thanks.

From all the hype/rhetoric about this laser, I expected it to be total garbage inside. I was really expecting to find something like the Lazerer.com or generic Chinese guts. IE, a tiny little anemic driver with parts falling off of it.

There's actually a fairly sizable driver inside, wrapped in Kapton tape for electrical isolation. Granted, I didn't full investigate it, but it certainly didn't "disgust" my sensibilities the way the internal workings of most pointers from China do (this is from China right?).

eytyxhs said:

I did this months ago, but the Diode Killed after some days.

Click to expand...

How did you try wiring yours that killed the diode?

rhd said:

How did you try wiring yours that killed the diode?

Click to expand...

I was trying to get more Output

eytyxhs said:

I was trying to get more Output

Click to expand...

Right, but I mean what was the circuit approach? Did you take the output of the Arctic's driver? Did that go into the diode? Did that go into something else, and then into the diode? etc etc etc

rhd said:

Right, but I mean what was the circuit approach? Did you take the output of the Arctic's driver? Did that go into the diode? Did that go into something else, and then into the diode? etc etc etc

Click to expand...

The driver was from Lazeerer.

eytyxhs said:

The driver was from Lazeerer.

Click to expand...

Right, ok. But what was the wiring scheme?

rhd said:

Right, ok. But what was the wiring scheme?

Click to expand...

There was no Smart Switch & Voltage Display, Driver was connected to +/- of the Host. Very simple and quick Build.

rhd said:

I'm not sure if anyone else has done this yet, but I figured it was worth a go. Someone gave me an Arctic in exchange for a custom build. I really wasn't sure what I would do with it, and it was only putting out 110mW. So I decided to convert it into a 635

I know everyone rags on this laser, but you've got to grant it one thing - it's a SOLID host. I'm not sure I've ever seen a Mitsubishi RED build hold its output as steady as this build - I watched it on my Ophir, and it's remarkable to barely see the digits change.

Click to expand...

I think the reason everyone rags on it is because of WL's "market to 12 year-olds" style of advertising and in the descriptions on their web pages.

All of the "most powerful laser in the world" and "most powerful laser you can legally own" really sets them back with the more informed laser enthusiast.

I don't doubt that they make some nice hosts and maybe even nice lasers, just wish they weren't so full of lies and crappy marketing.

Of course that is my own humble opinion. :yh:

rhd said:

Thanks.

From all the hype/rhetoric about this laser, I expected it to be total garbage inside. I was really expecting to find something like the Lazerer.com or generic Chinese guts. IE, a tiny little anemic driver with parts falling off of it.

There's actually a fairly sizable driver inside, wrapped in Kapton tape for electrical isolation. Granted, I didn't full investigate it, but it certainly didn't "disgust" my sensibilities the way the internal workings of most pointers from China do (this is from China right?).

Click to expand...

I've always thought WickedLasers' quality is very high.
The problem in my eyes is not the quality, it's just that from what I've heard, the power didn't reach that which was specified at sale.
I, personally am very happy with the quality and power of the 5mW Core I ordered from them. The shipping and service was also good.
But then again, it's only a 5mW pointer.
Also, they may have changed. I don't really know. I've got to try one of the Spyder III series lasers to find out.