465nm/470nm 6W peak (lots of build pics)

So, I had $ sitting with DTR for quite a long time watching and waiting to see what I might spend it on as he had said a while back that he had many diodes to test that might be up to snuff to release for sale. This has been out for a bit now although I would certainly call it new still. Really wasn't too interested to be honest in the 7W capable diode as I have so many units my desire was a different wavelength.
I already own 2 of the 462nm (although I rather call it a 464nm) at 2.2W one being in a custom host and another in a 510 adapter. Looking at the 464nm side by side with any other blue I had made all those other look very purple in comparison and I was concerned that the 465nm wouldn't be different enough.
After many others psted about how easy it was to get a wavelength shift by pushing it I finally decided to go with the whole shebang that Jordan offered which was the complete module in copper with the external SXD and G-2 set to at least 4.5A which should get me close to 470nm which should also give me a visible discernible wavelength change to make the purchase worth my while. I bought it with the G-2 so I could have another one on hand even though I have many other glass lenses as it is more cost effective to buy it with the complete module. I prefer 3-element lenses on most all of my units although I'm interested in trying out the G-7 from Podo if I remember correctly.
Upon arriving I noticed first and foremost how much I love the all copper module. Before this point I hadn't purchased anything that had it. This is a serious great upgrade over the common ones and this diode really needs the extra cooling in my opinion.
I had had Ehg make me up some custom heat-sinks at least a couple months ago for some larger units including a Dorcy side button and both a mag D and C (2) cell at a fantastic price. Work was done quickly and to my specs and am very pleased. He had preciously also made me up some focus knobs of various shapes/sizes so I have a bunch to choose from for that finishing touch.
Anyways, here is the build from yesterday and there's a lot of pics to share. I have only taken a couple beam shots so far but I figured I would get this up.

Here we have the heat-sink with the module already pushed in place and the driver just dangling. I really like that DTR used a thicker gauge wire than on the much lower output modules he sells so I didn't have to change them:




You can see the 8 and 5 chip that need to be heat-sinked above 3.5W although I would recommend they always be sinked:


Sinked using Arctic Silver onto the diode sink opposite the diode. I would mention that I held the driver down for over an hour with my fingers as I watched a part of a movie. It wasn't that easy to keep strong pressure for that long but it did turn out exactly as I wanted it too:




Just showing that when I am building I always put a cheapo plastic lens in to keep any debris away from the diode:


Here's the pill I had to work with:


Already removed the LED and started to dremel though it:


I needed a way to solder the negative so I took a copper ring and used my dremel to make it small to fit inside but also very tight:


Here it is inserted after adding solder all the way around it so I could choose anywhere I wanted to attach the negative:


Inside of flashlight showing the pills contact point for switch:


In place:




Here's the head and complete sink in place but without the top ring to hold the sink from moving:


Soldered everything and left enough wire so I could screw the head on and easily see that I wasn't twisting the wires as I spun the sink at the same time. It's important to get the soldering iron hot enough to easily make a good connection to the copper as it needs to be hotter than normal as the pill acts like a sink pulling the heat away from the copper ring


The tail cap with spring that I didn't have to modify. Yes I could have used a longer spring instead of the spacer that I made for proper battery length but I had already made the spacer months ago specifically for this purpose and it gives the perfect length to the OEM spring:


This flashlight was purchased maybe 4 years ago from Sears and came with a rechargeable 4.8V 700mAh Ni-Cd battery system with a ring that you could spin down to reveal the charging port as it also came with a wall wart. At the time I purchased an extra battery. The light cost $50 but I don't remember how much the extra battery was. I believe it was rated for 150 or 200 Lumens and before I decided to use it as a laser host it worked just fine:






Batteries are (2) 18490 cells with a small spacer I made to fit exactly as the Ni-Cd length would:




This is the unit with the GITD O-Rings before I did any labeling. I have never seen anyone else use this host:




Here's the size although I do have small hands. It is as long as a (2) D cell mag and the head is just as wide:






Turning on this close my camera pleads for mercy:


With batteries the weight is basically 1 pound:


Finished product:









A pic using side button for on/off (not a momentary switch) in comparison to a 464nm:


Night and day difference in wavelength. See how it makes the 464nm look purple. It is this large of a difference in person When I had tested the module out before doing anything with it my Fluke 381 showed 4.8A to diode. I also have apparently received quite the diode as it will peak just over 6W upon 74F room temp start

Just realized that I have been here 3 years now. Happy Birthday to me I guess.

I have't done a side by side with my 1.5W 520nm but the relative brightness calculator says that the 520 should be about 23% brighter for beam and twice as bright for spot.

Nice build Pete! +Rep for you. Congrats on the 3 year versary. That's quite some time. You chose a really nice host for this build, haven't seen it around anywhere else yet.

Great build. Many steps to building a laser like this. Did you say how long it took you to complete the whole thing?

And we've all sat there holding components while the arctic silver sets. Luckily it's no toooo bad!

Thanks guys and it took about 4-5 hours when you include letting the arctic silver set as I added more around the edges where there weren't any components on the driver to really make it hold strong plus doing all the labels.

Diggin it! I really like the yellow accents you added to the host- gives it a nice unique touch.

Nice build, I like the heavy heat sink, these diodes do make a lot of heat. :gj:

Yeah, yellow on black is very striking.
Absolutely. These diodes build heat quick.
No animals were harmed in the making of this build

Great build Pete! :beer:
I really like that host; you ought to get some decent run times with it.

:gj: +rep

Very nice and unique, thank you for sharing the build pics.

Nice and unique build, +REP for You :beer:

Great build. Glad it all came together so nicely.:beer:

Very nice. I can't remember, is the diode expected to have a shorter lifetime with being run at such a sketchy current that's so close to dropoff?

Thanks guys.
By the way, I thought Jordan had set the driver wrong when it arrived but I've been sicker than normal and my eyes weren't focusing well and I didn't have my glasses on. I immediately PM'd him and he responded before I got to tell him that I rechecked and it was my fault and I apologized for my error. All good. I was embarrassed although all I sent was "Is there some reason why you didn't set the driver for 4.5A? It is set for 3.5A."
I would never allow myself to blame someone else for any error on my part. I would rather admit wrong and be embarrassed than live with the internal guilt.
As far as your question goes Gabe I would just assume that running any diode outside of the manufacturers test data conditions for lifetime isn't "good" for it unless you can go above and beyond their specs.
Yeah, I know that is kind of the obvious answer but I just look at what we are doing with all diodes as risk and most builds are not in a controlled environment so they blow a lot. Every single time I turn any of my units on I wonder if they are going to blow so I just have gotten myself in a place where I assume they will fail at any time so it doesn't bother me so much if it happens regardless of cost. I have too many units to let that be a real concern otherwise I wouldn't sleep at night.
I HIGHLY recommend this diode as it is seriously different than the 462/4nm when you give it some gas. It really is like the pics show in comparison. Don't know if you would see a visible difference between them if you don't push the 465nm. Both of my 462/4nm look exactly the same in wavelength at 2.2W. If you are on the fence between a 7W 445 or this one I think it's a no brainer to go with this one or at least get this one first and then the other as most would already own a 445nm. I haven't measured it with a 3-element but if we took 30% off the brightness and it was running at 4.2W that is still as bright as a 7W 445nm and the dot is brighter by 23%. Yes the 445nm should burn better but I personally don't care much about that.
When I first joined it was about seeing the amazing inexpensive 532nm beam and I still love that a $5 pen or module is an amazing site, a 405nm pen made focus-able can fluoresce and easily light matches, pop ballons and a 650nm pen which are almost all over 100mW can also light matches and pop balloons.
The point is not to lose the wonder/magic regardless of how many, output or wavelengths you own It's why I have stayed away from a lot of the really technical aspects of the hobby. For me it would ruin some of the fun.

Great job. It looks beautiful. Really like the GITD O rings. Very unique host

Great work and you have a way with colors yes yellow and black sure does look good.....I came back to look at the build pic(mabey some day) but is that your Pman symbol on the tail cap!? Nice touch

Thanks guys.
I see Sinner posted and I would like to say that if anyone is looking for a beautiful heavy quality host please look into his cypress or its called something like that. Get the all copper with heavy chrome. It is beautiful and the whole host turns into a heat-sink. Trust me, you will NOT be disappointed. I just commented on a recent build using one as the basis for a high powered build with a beam expander. Think it was using the hot newish 445nm diode. If you haven't seen that build yet please take a look.