Lyra-G5 - good but a few problems PICTURES ADDED

I got my Lyra-G5 today from Laserglow. I PAID 10$ for 6-12 buisness day shipping and it took 16 buisness days, 3 1/2 weeks in regular days.  The packaging was good though. I opened it up, poped the batteries it came with in it, and turned it on. There was dust on the lens, and within seconds, it hopped to an ugly TEM01 (I think it's that but it is not TEM00). Somtimes it doesn't go to a diferen't travesere mode and other times it does. I've both fresh alkaline and Lithium batteries but no diffrence.

About the dirty lens, I tried cleaning it with a damp q-tip and compressed air but nothing works. The lens is really hard to get to. Now its even worse.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay so now I haven't been having problems with the TEM but the lens is still dirty. I put some rubbing alchohol on it and there its drying. There doesn't seem to be anything on it except the rubbing alcohol now. When it dries, I should expect a nice clean dot right? Also, should I hold it at a certain angle so it dries correctly?

With those flaws aside, it seems great. The output seems good because when it accidently hit my eye I had the little black blind spot for about 20 mins while my "5" mW Radioshack Green only makes a black spot appear for 5-8 minutes. The black spot is really annoying, thankgod it goes away soon! (with a higher power I would use safety glasses of course)

Any anwsering of my questions would greaty be appreiciated!

EDIT: Here is a picture after around 2 hours of the rubbing alchohol. When it dries it won't be all fuzzy right?

C:\Documents and Settings\Andrew\My Documents\My Pictures\crayfish\crayfish 029.jpg

Re: Lyra-G5 - good but a few problems

Are you sure you are experiencing a mode hop, as opposed to something else? A mode hop looks like two or more dots next to each other, sometimes joining and forming more dots.

The alcohol will take a while to evaporate. Give it a few hours.

If you are unsatisfied, then go ahead and return it.

Re: Lyra-G5 - good but a few problems

Jimmymcjimthejim said:

Are you sure you are experiencing a mode hop, as opposed to something else? A mode hop looks like two or more dots next to each other, sometimes joining and forming more dots.

The alcohol will take a while to evaporate. Give it a few hours.

If you are unsatisfied, then go ahead and return it.

Click to expand...

I'm positive it was a mode hop. I could even see two beams. It only hoped around the first half hour It's freezing out so maybe it was because it had to ajust from 30 degrees from 70 degreees (Farenheight). Will the rubbing ahcohol clean up the "fuzzy" or only big blotches? I'm hoping it gets clean, because if it does I'd rate it a 5/5.

I'm considering a lenspen, will that work with the Lyra?

Re: Lyra-G5 - good but a few problems

I don't get the TEM00 & TEM01 thing, too tecky for me. (if someone knows what it stands for that would be great)

as for delivery, once in the couriers hands, it's all down to them, not the company that sent the laser as it's out of there hands.

Re: Lyra-G5 - good but a few problems

JapanMan2 said:

I don't get the TEM00 & TEM01 thing, too tecky for me. (if someone knows what it stands for that would be great)

Click to expand...

Peace,
dave

Re: Lyra-G5 - good but a few problems

daguin said:

[quote author=JapanMan2 link=1231367669/0#3 date=1231373127]I don't get the TEM00 & TEM01 thing, too tecky for me. (if someone knows what it stands for that would be great)

Click to expand...

Peace,
dave[/quote]

I already saw that pic. I KNOW it was mode hopping. I had it turned on and it changed in seconds, and when I turned it off and on, it took another few seconds to get back to TEM 01. It's not problem anymore though, the laser was the same temperature as outside before it adjusted to room temp. Is it normal for the projection to be all fuzzy when the RA is drying?

Japman2: TEM is basicly what the laser projects. TEM00 is when it projects the normal dot.

Re: Lyra-G5 - good but a few problems

Transverse Electromagnetic Modes

Peace,
dave

Re: Lyra-G5 - good but a few problems

Jimmymcjimthejim said:

Are you sure you are experiencing a mode hop, as opposed to something else? A mode hop looks like two or more dots next to each other, sometimes joining and forming more dots.

The alcohol will take a while to evaporate. Give it a few hours.

If you are unsatisfied, then go ahead and return it.

Click to expand...

How many hours does it take? Does it need to be upright so it can evaperate properly?

Re: Lyra-G5 - good but a few problems PICTURES ADD

Bump

Re: Lyra-G5 - good but a few problems PICTURES ADD

A day later it's still the same  :'( :'( :'(. I really don't want to send it back but i'll see what any of you or Laserglow says. :'( :'( :'(

EDIT: I just called LG. There was this laidy who picked up who though I was talking about a green sticker on the end (sometimes companies like DL have a sticker on the end to protect dust from getting in) but when she realized what I was talking about she transfered me to the tech guy. I told him about the mode hopping and the dirty lens and how I previously emailed Justin about it (Justin ansers my emails that are sent through the "contact" website section). He said I probualy got a defective unit and that that the lens was probualy dirty in the back but I could get it replaced. He said I could send it back and then they would send it back and pay for 4-6 days shipping. He told me to forget about emailing Justin and email him and he gave me his email adress. I will email him later with the right information. Great customer service! I'm not happy about having to send it back but at least I'm getting it replaced.

Re: Lyra-G5 - good but a few problems PICTURES ADD

I would have recommended a little tiny bit of window cleaner on a cotton swab.

What I do:

Use compressed air (if you have it) to remove most of the particles
Dab one swab in some window/glass/lens cleaning solution (DO NOT touch the end of the swab with your fingertips as it will transfer your oils to the lens and make a mess)
GENTLY wipe the lens in ONE DIRECTION with the wet side
Repeat with the dry side of the swab
Check the output
Wipe in ONE DIRECTION again with another NEW dry swab if it's still dirty
Use compressed air again
DO NOT blow on the lens

Judging from your pictures, you probably would have been better off if you didn't try to clean it.

If it still switches modes, try new batteries, check battery contact with the tail cap, use it in warmer temperatures, let it "burn in."

Re: Lyra-G5 - good but a few problems PICTURES ADD

Andrewajt62 said:

A day later it's still the same  :'( :'( :'(. I really don't want to send it back but i'll see what any of you or Laserglow says. :'( :'( :'(

EDIT: I just called LG. There was this laidy who picked up who though I was talking about a green sticker on the end (sometimes companies like DL have a sticker on the end to protect dust from getting in) but when she realized what I was talking about she transfered me to the tech guy. I told him about the mode hopping and the dirty lens and how I previously emailed Justin about it (Justin ansers my emails that are sent through the "contact" website section). He said I probualy got a defective unit and that that the lens was probualy dirty in the back but I could get it replaced. He said I could send it back and then they would send it back and pay for 4-6 days shipping. He told me to forget about emailing Justin and email him and he gave me his email adress. I will email him later with the right information. Great customer service! I'm not happy about having to send it back but at least I'm getting it replaced.

Click to expand...

About the lens,
It took a few hours for the alcohol to evaporate. During this time the laser was sideways.

Re: Lyra-G5 - good but a few problems PICTURES ADD

RA_pierce said:

I would have recommended a little tiny bit of window cleaner on a cotton swab.

What I do:

Use compressed air (if you have it) to remove most of the particles
Dab one swab in some window/glass/lens cleaning solution (DO NOT touch the end of the swab with your fingertips as it will transfer your oils to the lens and make a mess)
GENTLY wipe the lens in ONE DIRECTION with the wet side
Repeat with the dry side of the swab
Check the output
Wipe in ONE DIRECTION again with another NEW dry swab if it's still dirty
Use compressed air again
DO NOT blow on the lens

Judging from your pictures, you probably would have been better off if you didn't try to clean it.

If it still switches modes, try new batteries, check battery contact with the tail cap, use it in warmer temperatures, let it "burn in."

Click to expand...

As I mentioned, the lens was dirty when I received it and just got a little worse, it is dirty on the back of the lens (according to Laserglow, and plus when I try to clean it I just have the same exact result), and it is not mode hopping anymore.

Re: Lyra-G5 - good but a few problems

Andrewajt62 said:

I'm positive it was a mode hop. I could even see two beams. It only hoped around the first half hour It's freezing out so maybe it was because it had to ajust from 30 degrees from 70 degreees (Farenheight).

Click to expand...

I guess it is to be expected, freezing temperatures are way below the operating parameters of such lasers, and somethings it can take quite a long time for temperatures to even out on the inside.

As for the lens problem: is it really dirty, or has in been damaged (scratched) in some way? You can clean and rub all your like, but if there are scratches in the glass there is nothing that will do any good (short of resurfacing it with hard polish).

If it is scratched, you could test for that by cleaning the lens with toluene, which should temporarely improve the situation until it evaporates (toluene has the same refractive index as common glass, so it can fill out any scratches as long as its there). Don't use toluene on coated optics though, its likely to ruin them!

Re: Lyra-G5 - good but a few problems

Benm said:

[quote author=Andrewajt62 link=1231367669/0#2 date=1231372829]
I'm positive it was a mode hop. I could even see two beams. It only hoped around the first half hour It's freezing out so maybe it was because it had to ajust from 30 degrees from 70 degreees (Farenheight).

Click to expand...

I guess it is to be expected, freezing temperatures are way below the operating parameters of such lasers, and somethings it can take quite a long time for temperatures to even out on the inside.

As for the lens problem: is it really dirty, or has in been damaged (scratched) in some way? You can clean and rub all your like, but if there are scratches in the glass there is nothing that will do any good (short of resurfacing it with hard polish).

If it is scratched, you could test for that by cleaning the lens with toluene, which should temporarely improve the situation until it evaporates (toluene has the same refractive index as common glass, so it can fill out any scratches as long as its there). Don't use toluene on coated optics though, its likely to ruin them!
[/quote]

It's dirty, not scratched. It's dirty on the back of the lens, and was like that when I've got it. I got a lemon. I've thrown everything I have at it (not literally lol), Q-tips, Q-tips with water, Q-tips with window cleaner, Q-tips with rubbing alcohol, compressed air, microfiber, and was always left with the same result. Laserglow will replace it, but it's annoying to work with them because they take to long to anser emails and it takes a few calls to get them to pick up the phone. When they do pick up the phone and anser emails, they're excellent people to work with.