Adequate Power Source?

I'm a new member. I've been reading this forum for over a month before joining, mainly to decide if this was something I wanted to get into and there's a ton of helpful information on here. Thank you for all the previous members contributing. So I decided to get a cheap 405nm laser module from Dino Direct during their holiday "deals". Here's the one I ordered :50mW 405nm Focused Line Violet Blue Laser Module M405L50-3-1670 - DinoDirect.com

First of all, based on other contributors postings, I do not believe this laser is up to the 50mw rating it claims. At any rate, it was cheap so I figured when just starting out it would be worth it to get my feet wet. I'm curious about the operating voltage listed as: 3-6V, 7-15V. I've powered it with 4 double AA's in parallel. But it seems to be underpowered and it drains the batteries super fast. I'm just curious what other ideas might be in powering this. Should I trust the wide spread of 3-15V? Please share your thoughts. Thanks in advance.

I would not trust the specifications. They are over-generalised and show more or less crammed up specs of all bluray modules.

Go with, if possible, one lithium ion battery. 18650 cells or 16340 and alikes will do just fine.

Other than this, Try two AA's in series, not in parralel. If you connected 4 in parralel, all you got was still 1.5 V, way too low for proper operation of the current-regulation circuitry.

Try with 2x AA, or 1x LithiumIon and let us know

EDIT - Oh yeah. $22 for 50mW of 405nm bare module is NOT cheap. You can get a 100mW-capable diode for that much. Or of you're more DIY person, $10.50 sled with that diode :
http://hightechdealz.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=34

Use a diode housing :
http://hightechdealz.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=40

Construct of buy a constant current source driver and you've got your very own 100mW bluray module/laser.

Thanks for the suggestion, I will pick up a lithium cell today and give it a try. I mounted the whole thing in one of those project boxes and wired in a battery pack with a switch. I needed to brush up on my soldering skills before I tried to do a for real build and this gave me the opportunity to practice. I'll update when I get it all put back together with the new power source.

So I got a lithium 18650 cell and guess what? Nothing. No light whatsoever. I rechecked my original 4 AA battery pack and realized it is in series, not parallel as I first thought. So I reconnected that source and still the light is quite dim. Just to check out something with a bit more juice, I hooked up a 9volt. I know this is not usually recommended as it can burn out diodes pretty quickly but, I did it AND it light up brighter than I've ever been able to see it. I'm certainly not comfortable hooking it up again because I've read too many stories about burned out diodes when people have done that. But it begs the question, why is it not working under 4-5 volts? Could the specs be right? Would it be safe to run it at higher voltage? Any input would be helpful.

It depends on if the diver is a BOOST or a BUCK. Let another member answer which it is as I don't know.