Pen Host (Newbie) Question

Hi all,
My name is Mick. From Australia. Just getting into the whole laser thing. Have spent two months reading the forums for clues and it's been a great help :thanks:

Started off by getting a 175mw pen from Optotronics, which is great, and then had my nice RPL 450 seized by customs. I have therefore decided to practice making them myself.

I have ordered some cheap modules from ebay with pen hosts (also some Eagle safety glasses too). One thing I have noticed with the pen hosts. Some modules screw straight into the end cap and that's fine. Other modules don't have thread and therefore need to be secured somehow.

What do people find is the best method to secure a module in place? Glue? some type of special bonding agent?

Also, what do people use as the rubber ring that normally goes around the spring (I assume to stop the spring shorting to the body)?

Once I get a few pens built successfully I plan to go to work on the modules I have ordered from DTR (a 1.7w blue and 1.2w green) with some survival hosts. The blue module has arrived and the green is listed as being in Australia. A little worried as I ordered the green first so maybe customs are having an extended look, but they should have no right to seize it.

Cheers
Mick

There is a tightening screw.

In addition I also use a bit of artic silver thermal epoxy just for better thermal conductivity.

This thread by Pman might be helpful. http://laserpointerforums.com/f51/share-your-inexpensive-builds-thread-83801.html

Best of Luck on your builds

~ LB

Thanks guys. I've read the thread and can't come up with the answer yet.

My problem is that the modules are 12mm but the hosts seem to be around 14mm in diameter.

One of the modules is threaded - like this one but cheaper and less powerful

One of them is not threaded - like this one


The threaded one screws right into the end cap of the pen hosts I got - like these

The one that screws in is simple. The other one is floating around inside the pen.

Just wondering how best to secure it in given that I need to maintain electrical conductivity with the host.

Thanks
Mick

Man I would be absolutely devastated if customs seized something that expensive :cryyy:

Whereabouts are you in Australia?

As for the module without threads you've just gotta start being creative

I'd use Auminium foil tightly wrapped around the module with AS5 until it fits relatively tightly inside the host.

Best of luck mate.

I believe Pman has used copper foil as well. The aluminum seems like a good idea too, haven't tried it.

Copper Foil Sheet

Good conductor. I've seen epoxy used too to hold diodes in for pen hosts.

~ LB

will manners said:

Man I would be absolutely devastated if customs seized something that expensive :cryyy:

Whereabouts are you in Australia?

As for the module without threads you've just gotta start being creative

I'd use Auminium foil tightly wrapped around the module with AS5 until it fits relatively tightly inside the host.

Best of luck mate.

Click to expand...

Hi mate,
Thanks for the aluminium foil tip. Will give it a go.

As for the customs seizure. I ordered a 150mw pen from Jack at Opto to deliver it to me when I was staying in Thailand for five weeks. All went well, but when I was moving locations I must have left it in the hire car. As it went so well the first time I got Jack to send me an RPL-450. There was a minor problem with the tail cap and I contacted Jack and I didn't read his email properly (probably due to too much beer). Rather just wait for a new tail cap I sent the whole laser to him at the wrong address (with my actual return address in Australia). After it bounced back from the incorrect address in the USA it went straight into the hands of Australian customs.

I think Jack was just as upset as I was.

Cheers
Mick

Lazerbeak said:

I believe Pman has used copper foil as well. The aluminum seems like a good idea too, haven't tried it.

Copper Foil Sheet

Good conductor. I've seen epoxy used too to hold diodes in for pen hosts.

~ LB

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info and the link.

Cheers
Mick