How to make a laser?

I went on you tube and asked a question how to adjust your driver so it will put the correct amount of amps into the device, i thought you could use a amp meter and he said this:

you'll also need to build a dummy load circuit to measure your driver's output. you can't just measure it with a multimeter directly.

also, there are procedures for connecting your diode e.g. you'll need to discharge the output capacitor on your driver first.

Is this true and do you actually need to do this? On other tutorials i have never seen this done :S... I thought you could just find the laser diode which is LPC-815 and the amps they recommend is 380ma, so i would simply get an amp meter and twist the srew untill 380ma. I am also getting the kit which the link is above, will the instruction for what the person said be in there or am i right and it is no more compliacted than setting up the driver than what i said? How do you set up the driver for the laser diode? How do i know how many times i should turn the screw so the right amount of ma is used.

Thanks, sorry about all the questions I just am i slow learner!

you need a dummy load to test the driver. if not you wont know what setting it is at. lets say your driver is turned all the way up and you don't know, then you just killed your laser...

now that you know why. it is up to you to decide if protecting your assets is worth the extra time.

michael.

What can be used as a dummy load, as i thought that you could just attach a amp meter on it then you could keep turning the screw until the full 380mA is displayed?

Thanks

on a linear driver you can do that. but a regular amp meter probably wont go down low enough. you need a multi meter that can read in the miliamp range.

never do this on a boost/buck type driver

michael.

Yes i have a multimeter, i will just use the multimeter to measure the amps going in to the diode. If you look above and i said in a list what i am getting. Can you look at the diode, it says that it can do 380mA, do you think i could run it on 400mA without any problems. How many Mws is 400mA?

Thanks

go to the b/s/t section and by an SFAW sled. it has a high powered red LCC diode good for about 250mw and a 6x blu-ray good for about 125mw's. all that for about 10 bucks. you cant beat that anywhere.

michael.