Laser Barrels V2. GB. Second run. Kryton Groove

Re: Laser Barrels V2. GB. Second run. Kryton Groov

Actually I made a video tutorial.

http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1204788577/1222#1222

Re: Laser Barrels V2. GB. Second run. Kryton Groov

VW said:

I was wondering, did you ever put out instructions on how it's all put together?  I'll save the more annoying questions for when I get round to doing it, but it would be interesting to look over if you have.

Oh, also, what happened to the logo idea?  Did it not go ahead?  

Looks great though, a lot smaller than I had expected.  Will deffinately do an 803T justice...

Click to expand...

On page 62. http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1204788577/1220

Re: Laser Barrels V2. GB. Second run. Kryton Groov

VW said:

I was wondering, did you ever put out instructions on how it's all put together?  

Click to expand...

See page #62, Reply #1222

Re: Laser Barrels V2. GB. Second run. Kryton Groov

Actually HA-III CAN be produced in different colors, it's just harder and more expensive.

Re: Laser Barrels V2. GB. Second run. Kryton Groov

Thanks a bunch!

Re: Laser Barrels V2. GB. Second run. Kryton Groov

A note about my assembly experience.

First: these barrels are great! really classy, and the workmanship seems excellent.

I did have problems with the switch though.

The snap-ring was really tough for me to install - that's part because my right hand isn't very good these days; and part because my snap-ring pliers have a right-angle on the tip so they didn't go down in far enough to do the job right. Those factors, of course, are my fault and not a problem with the barrels! I need to get the proper tips for that tool, but it was loong after the hardware store closed and like a good addict I needed/wanted to get the laser assembled so I could show it off here...
[smiley=evil.gif]
But there was an issue that seems to be a design problem - unless I assembled it wrong??
After assembly, the battery was constantly connected - so there was a short somewhere. It was very late and I was tired, so I did not do enough to isolate the problem, for which I apoloogize.

I'm not sure whether the short was between the base of the spring and the snap-ring, or between the tip of the spring and the side of the case. I know that the former is a good possibility because there isn't much clearance when the spring is compressed. The latter is possible because the spring is rather too long for the space it's in, and floppy enough so the tip may hit the side when it's compressed.

I fixed it before figuring out which it was: I cut off about 1/3 of the spring at the tip, then bent the cut end over to make it slide smoothly when twisted. Having removed it from the switch, I re-installed it and made sure the tabs of the switch were securely holding it (they were too loose originally). Then I took one of the extra end-caps; removed the cover; enlarged the hole a bit; and placed it down over/around the spring to act as an insulator (photo below). After that everything worked great.

Re: Laser Barrels V2. GB. Second run. Kryton Groov

Yeah. the springs are too long for this build (and the last one). You just have to cut a bit of it off (like you did)

Kenom covers this in his video guide.

Peace,
dave

Re: Laser Barrels V2. GB. Second run. Kryton Groov

One more assembly note - this is true for any host where you screw on the diode-end seperately from the driver. This probably should be posted in the Tutorials section or something, but it fits here too...

Twisting wires causes problems, especially when one end connects to fragile things like a LD. And insulation is important, especially where the wire connects to narrowly-spaced pins.

So... I wanted some very fine wire, to decrease stresses when twisted; but it had to conduct current well; and the insulation needed to be high-temperature resistant so soldering wouldn't affect it much.

So I wanted a fine silver-plated wire with teflon insulation. But it's pricey, probably too expensive even for a rational group buy. BUT - I found an eBay site that has small quantities at reasonable prices!
  Johnswireshop.com
For example I got 20ft of 32awg silver-plated teflon-coated wire for $6.85... an affordable chunk that seems like not very much wire, but I'm only using it in 3-4" lengths.

oops - just found out:
Unfortunately, the shop is closed until the end of November because he's moving !!

Re: Laser Barrels V2. GB. Second run. Kryton Groov

daguin said:

Yeah.  the springs are too long for this build (and the last one).  You just have to cut a bit of it off (like you did)  

Kenom covers this in his video guide.

Peace,
dave

Click to expand...

oh... I didn't go past the first segment of video...

[smiley=undecided.gif] [sup]nevermind[/sup] [smiley=laugh.gif]

Re: Laser Barrels V2. GB. Second run. Kryton Groov

danq said:

Twisting wires causes problems, especially when one end connects to fragile things like a LD. And insulation is important, especially where the wire connects to narrowly-spaced pins.

So... I wanted some very fine wire, to decrease stresses when twisted; but it had to conduct current well; and the insulation needed to be high-temperature resistant so soldering wouldn't affect it much.

Click to expand...

Do you have a pic of that? I didn't think twisting wires was involved here. Aren't the leads from the diode soldered directly to the driver? I understand you wouldn't want the driver and the diode leads to get twisted while screwing on the cap. Are you using these silver wires in between the diode leads and the driver? [smiley=huh.gif]

Re: Laser Barrels V2. GB. Second run. Kryton Groov

This is how I (and some others) set up driver in the Kryton family of barrels



The driver is connected to the diode with short wires.  Then the wires are bent down so that the driver is sitting on the "head."  The driver is then attached to the head with hot glue.  The battery connection is a spring from the bottom of the driver.  You still don't want to unscrew the head with the batteries in it, but there should be no twisting of wires involved this way.

Peace,
dave

Re: Laser Barrels V2. GB. Second run. Kryton Groov

stealle said:

Do you have a pic of that? I didn't think twisting wires was involved here. Aren't the leads from the diode soldered directly to the driver? I understand you wouldn't want the driver and the diode leads to get twisted while screwing on the cap. Are you using these silver wires in between the diode leads and the driver? [smiley=huh.gif]

Click to expand...

yeah... sorry, I'm not being clear lately...

Most people will solder the LD directly to the board. In that case you would only have the battery connections subject to twisting (mostly).

I chose to have my driver board 'float' in the middle of the chamber. I can pull out the board and adjust its current, or change the driver (which I plan to do) without disturbing the LD.

I use heat-shrink tubing around the driver board (with a hole for pot adjustment) and around each LD pin and their connecting wires.

BTW, even though you can let the negative current path default through the case, I wired mine - from a contact board in the head of the battery chamber (also has the + contact&wire) to the driver board, and from the driver to the LD. I did not want to depend on the aluminum-to-aluminum connection between the head and body, because over time they can oxidize and get flaky.

edit: the battery + contact board is merely salvaged from one of the many cheap DX flashlights that I have cannibalized for various experiments and lasers. Can't get a photo of that without disassembly which I'm not wanting to do right now... but it's just a disc with a circle of plated copper around its rim (the neg terminal) and a smaller disc in the middle (the pos terminal); the flashlight driver circuitry was on the opposite side. Originally had a spring for the pos terminal but I left it off.

Re: Laser Barrels V2. GB. Second run. Kryton Groov

danq said:

So... I wanted some very fine wire, to decrease stresses when twisted; but it had to conduct current well; and the insulation needed to be high-temperature resistant so soldering wouldn't affect it much.

Click to expand...

Radioshack sells 30awg teflon insulated "wrapping" wire; 50ft for $3.99
http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...&cp=2032058.2032227.2032239&parentPage=family


Also, this guy who sells a lot of speaker stuff has silver plated teflon insulated wire, 24awg solid core for $0.17/ft, 26 or 24ga stranded for $0.09 or $0.10 per foot or $8.00 or $9.00 for 100ft, and there are larger gauges as well, however he has a $20 minimum order.
http://www.apexjr.com/wire.html#Teflon

Re: Laser Barrels V2. GB. Second run. Kryton Groov

Thanks Dave! You always explain things very well.

Re: Laser Barrels V2. GB. Second run. Kryton Groov

Ahhhhhhhh! ;D

The old floating driver trick, eh?

That would explain the confusion then.

Peace,
dave

Re: Laser Barrels V2. GB. Second run. Kryton Groov

rkcstr said:

Radioshack sells 30awg teflon insulated "wrapping" wire;  50ft for $3.99
http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...&cp=2032058.2032227.2032239&parentPage=family

Also, this guy who sells a lot of speaker stuff has silver plated teflon insulated wire, 24awg solid core for $0.17/ft, 26 or 24ga stranded for $0.09 or $0.10 per foot or $8.00 or $9.00 for 100ft, and there are larger gauges as well, however he has a $20 minimum order.
http://www.apexjr.com/wire.html#Teflon

Click to expand...

the Radio Shack item isn't teflon; it's Kynar with a max temp of around boiling water...
but that apexjr guy has great deals!! I only wish he had the 32 awg size... maybe I'll email and see if he can get the smaller wire.

thanks for the tip!

DanQ