Power selector for Rkcstr?

I may go the way HIMNL9 suggested, thanks for the input. What is a realistic minimum power that would work with either a LPC or PHR diode? Most posts I can find are talking about the maximum power not minimum.

Minimum power for PHR is a bit incostant ..... i tried almost 20 of them, in the past ..... had some that start to lase at 30mA, some at 35 mA, one at 55ma and one at 22ma (the 55mA one was probably strange, but is still working at 120mA putting out 148mW in a lab-style heatsink, the one that started at 22mA is actually putting out 98mW at 85mA in my pen-size host, and still happily working)

I think you can try to set it around 35mA, and see if it lase ..... if not, increase the current 5 mA by 5 mA, until you get the power that you desire, and set it at that level ..... ofcourse, low powers for 405nm are very dim points and no visible beams (you can use a piece of common white paper for check it, cause white paper is fluorescent, so you can see better when the diode start to lase, on it)

One of my LPC diodes has a threshold of 80mA.

You would be better off using a Flexdrive by Dr. Lave, since it has more bridge options. However like someone else said, you're most likely going to make your device bulky, unless you don't care about that. I'd say a project box would be the best way to go, at least as a prototype. Once you see if it works, then I'm sure you can find a small switch, and a host that you will be able to drill a small hole into, and mount the switch into it. Good luck with this, let me know how you make out.

The lavadrive is NOT the way to go. Unless you're already a master solderer, there is no way that a beginner could solder to the tiny smd resistors on the lavadrive.
Besides, if you have a good spacial imagination and the right parts you could make the range selecting mechanism for the RKCSTR driver very small, but like you said, you would need a host that you can drill a hole in the side for the switch.

Jimmymcjimthejim said:

The lavadrive is NOT the way to go. Unless you're already a master solderer, there is no way that a beginner could solder to the tiny smd resistors on the lavadrive.
Besides, if you have a good spacial imagination and the right parts you could make the range selecting mechanism for the RKCSTR driver very small, but like you said, you would need a host that you can drill a hole in the side for the switch.

Click to expand...

Yeah true, once you posted I took a quick look at the lava drive, and seeing it on Dr. Lava's fingertip I said to myself "Yeah I doubt anyone could pull that off".

Don't diodes like to stay at one current for a while? I know I read it somewhere, but I can't find it now.