cracked, I am sending your Key Chain CR2 kit (and other items) today. (Tuesday)

I glued your EzFocus adapter to the AixiZ focus ring for you. It is installed on your 405-G-1 glass lens assembly. I have included an extra AixiZ focus ring in case you ever want to try the 405-G-1 with a different laser. Then you can just unscrew the EzFocus adapter, and put on the extra AixiZ focus ring...

Let me know how your build goes!

Hey Jay just sent you some cash via paypal for cr2 kit and 405-G-1 thanks for your help!

Got your covered!

Shipping today...

Hope your build goes well. Please post back when you complete the assembly!

Jayrob, I received the cr2 kit and lens a couple days ago just to let you know thanks for the fast service, also excellent machine work really clean job By the way where can I get the cool black dust covers you put on your lens? Thanks again

I get them from DX:
DealExtreme: $1.71 Silicone Tailcaps for Flashlights (14mm Black / 10-Pack)

I'll drop one in the mail for you today...

That's the least I can do for you since you bought a kit and a 405-G-1 glass lens mod!

Jay, if you could spare another tailcap, that would be swell.

Progress report:

I'm waiting on my FlexDrive (they're out of stock) so I can't assemble the kit quite yet. :-(

...but I did at least fire up my GGW-H20L with a Micro-Drive:



(Fog enhanced. The photo looks blurry but the beam is focused to a pin point in person.)

I'm liking the 405-G-1 lens + EzFocus.

This is my first time playing with 405nm and I'm disagreeing with my power meter (Coherent LaserCheck). It's telling me:

100mA = 50mW (while everything the beam touches is smoking)
150mA = 80mW
185mA = 115mW (Vf = 5.42V)

This has no problem igniting a white-tipped friction match at 10 feet...so I think I'll be looking for a better power meter soon.

With any luck I'll get it into that host of yours soon without blowing anything up...

Nice beam shot!

Ok, I'll send you one too for you Key Chain CR2 kit...

It took me a couple of days to get to it, but here it is.

A couple of days ago I purchased this Jayrob "Key Chain CR2 Kit", used from DarkArmyofOne. I was busy yesterday and the day before so I couldn't get to it.

This morning I built it. I might not recommend it as a first build, but it is not as scary as it looks. The assembly was straight forward and followed JayRob's tutorial very well. I added a bit of electrical tape around the driver to help isolate it, but that is about the only thing I changed.

It took me about a hour this morning to get it done. It feels solid in my hand. With the focus ring adapter, focusing is fast and accurate.

It has an LG BH08LS20 diode in it (8X). It, of course, uses the flexdrive. I have some rechargeable CR2 batteries and am using one in this build.

The flexdrive is set at 370mA. The laser is putting out 440mW with the 405-G-1 lens. With 60 second burns the head gets to about body temperature. Body temperature is NOTHING to these diodes. With 30 second burns, it doesn't warm up at all.




Once again, Jayrob has built us up a winner!

Thanks JayRob

Now -- What do I do with it?

Peace,
dave

Nice build Dave!

Thanks for posting back...

'Now what do I do with it'? Ha ha! That's easy! That build is a keeper if I ever saw one!

Hey this is a good example of how the FlexDrive can handle more than Dr. Lava's 'conservative' estimate of 300mA's with an 8X. (but that was based on 6 volts of forward voltage)

We are definitely at the edge of the V4 capability. With my walwart set at 3V, the driver would not regulate the current. I had to turn the walwart up to 4.5V to get the current set. My little walwart only has the "switched" voltage choices so I do not know at what voltage between 3V and 4.5V the driver began to regulate the current.

Peace,
dave

Have you tried a 3 volt CR2 primary and checked the power output?

Also, I believe the CR2 rechargeable are available in two different voltages. One is a 3 volt battery that is 3.6 volts at full charge. And there is one that is a 3.6 volt battery that is 4.2 volts at full charge.

I have the 3 volt ones, that are 3.6 volts at full charge. I may be wrong, but I have seen some CR2's advertised this way... (as 3.6/4.2)

Dave, did you measure the voltage across that BH08LS20 at 370mA?

Good call. I had to search a bit, but found some primary CR2's. 440mW output. I will have to check out what the issue with my walwart is.

I have both the 3V and the 3.6V rechargeable CR2's


I did not. This was a straight up build to make an 8X Key Chain laser.

Peace,
dave

Hey Jay... you are exactly right..
I have been posting about the 2 different CR2 battery voltages available..

here is my latest review of a 200mW Green Laser using the 3 different
type of CR2 batteries available...

New Pocket Sized 200mW 532nm Laser Mni Review

It will give you an approximation of the different outputs of the batteries...

BTW... I don't want to hijack this Thread.... Just thought it was informative
in this case..


Jerry

Thanks for that link Jerry! Great information on the batteries...

I posted in your thread asking for a link to the 3.6/4.2 CR2's if you have one.

I can't seem to find them.

Hey Jay..
Here is one eBay listing I just found....

Ultrafire Rechargeable CR2 15266 3.6v Li-ion Battery x6 on eBay.ca (item 220357729310 end time 05-Oct-09 08:00:54 EDT)

You will need a charger that outputs 4.2Volts...
The charger for the 3.0V batteries will not fully charge
the 3.6V batteries..

This is even better IMO.... Comes with a charger...

http://cgi.ebay.ca/4x-CR123A-3-6v-CR...d=p3286.c0.m14

As a matter of fact... I just ordered the Batteries and charge in that last link..


Jerry

I should have known...

E-bay! Thanks for the link! (your second link is for CR123, but I see now, that there are plenty of CR2's of all three types on fleebay)

Ah!!! 440mw's!!! put my 408mW's to shame!!! but i used a BDR-203, and was VERY weary of putting too much current to it. it was 408mW @ 297mA in that exact host daguin is holding "using" in the photos. same one , it's an honor.

I have built smaller, but they were based on the 10440 battery and the 10180 battery. There was actually plenty of room in there. I assembled and tested the driver/diode/module/battery contact assembly first. Then I just pushed it into place.

After that it is simply tighten the set screw. Insert it into the body. Put the battery in and screw on the tail cap. Screw in the lens and push the button.

I ALWAYS get a little thrill the first time I push the button on a new laser. Although I did get the "rush" of the first button push, with following JayRob's tutorial and seeing what was in front of me, there was no doubt in my mind that it would light.

One of the really cool things about this little host/kit is that you can actually carry this in your pocket! The configuration of the tail button is so smooth that it doesn't catch on anything. Also the push is deep enough that it will NOT accidentally get turned on in your pocket

I have almost an hour on the laser (I give my lasers hell for a week before I sell anything) with no degradation.

We NEED IgorT's destructive test to know if we can push these higher or if we have already exceeded their limits. We may also need a newly designed driver

Click the "murder" link below and donate

Peace,
dave

I am finally getting two of these for Scopeguy and myself to put 6x's in!

Will post photos when finished!



I should also get some more and offer lazor builds perhaps?
I need some PMs if there is interest.

EDIT: Seems too be a popular kit, Jay!

Awesome tutorial, as always!

Igor, I sent Glenn's Key Chain CR2 kit yesterday, and I am sending your's today. (Tuesday)

I think it's a great idea that you are offering to do builds with my Key Chain CR2 kit!

Not only do you offer a choice of tested diodes, but you have such high quality building skills, and you make probably the best blu-ray driver available. The only driver out there can be compared with Lava's driver. (IMO)

Hey, I wanted to look at the host a bit more, do you have a link to it online somewhere?

The one and only place I found this host does not have good pictures of it...

I had to just buy a couple to see for myself how they were. Then I bought more!

I have very good pictures of the host in my first post of this thread...

Do you have any statistics on it as just a flashlight?

It's weak as a flashlight...

Well, when I say weak, it's because I'm used to at least a Q5 over 200 lumens as a minimum.

But this host has a glass lens with reflector. (plastic reflector, not aluminum)

Still, it would probably be a good light to modify with a P4, or even a Q5 emitter running direct off of a CR2 rechargeable for a bright little Key Chain light!

I would make a tiny heatsink to mount the Q5 emitter onto...

The only thing that may be a problem, would be the plastic reflector. I could easily modify an aluminum reflector from one of my Pocket Mini hosts on my lathe to fit this Key chain host, and then it would be a very nice, tiny Q5 mod!

I think I'll go ahead and do that. I had thought about it, but have many flashlight mods already. Even a much smaller (in diameter) Key chain flashlight mod: http://laserpointerforums.com/laser_...ad.php?t=34174