Acquiring 445nm diodes direct from manufacture.

I just wonder when this is going to happen. Because right now everybody gets the 445 diodes from the Casio projectors. But what happens when somebody manages to get them direct from the manufacturer?

Even paying $850 for a projector, the diodes work out to be $35 or so each. Which is still one heck of a deal for a rare blue laser diode that is brand spanking new to the market. Especially for the amount of raw power it dishes out!

I can only imagine how dirt cheap these diodes are going to be without the overhead cost of the projector. They might just be getting sold within the next 4 months for $10 or less.

Unless of course 90% or more of the Casio projectors cost is due to the diodes.

leukoplast said:

I just wonder when this is going to happen. Because right now everybody gets the 445 diodes from the Casio projectors. But what happens when somebody manages to get them direct from the manufacturer?

Even paying $850 for a projector, the diodes work out to be $35 or so each. Which is still one heck of a deal for a rare blue laser diode that is brand spanking new to the market. Especially for the amount of raw power it dishes out!

I can only imagine how dirt cheap these diodes are going to be without the overhead cost of the projector. They might just be getting sold within the next 4 months for $10 or less.

Unless of course 90% or more of the Casio projectors cost is due to the diodes.

Click to expand...

So true. Is it possible to get them directly from the manufacturer? That would be extremely uberl337 epic for the history of laser hobbyists. I would buy them in groups of 10

The main problem, about this, is that producers, selling to manufactures, start with "low quantity orders" of 5000 or 10000 pieces .....

probably if you buy 10000 of them, you can get 4 or 5 $ each, but, does it worth the effort ?

HIMNL9 said:

The main problem, about this, is that producers, selling to manufactures, start with "low quantity orders" of 5000 or 10000 pieces .....

probably if you buy 10000 of them, you can get 4 or 5 $ each, but, does it worth the effort ?

Click to expand...

Yes, LOL $5 for 1 watt blue diode :O
If I had the money I would buy and do the gb definitely..

Silvershot said:

So true. Is it possible to get them directly from the manufacturer? That would be extremely uberl337 epic for the history of laser hobbyists. I would buy them in groups of 10

Click to expand...

I am sure pretty soon one of the LPF members with connections will manage to get tons of diodes directly from the manu or indirectly from a third party (like somebody who works at Casio).

Who knows.. it may never happen.

The vast majority of red and bluray diodes are still ripped from sleds, not bought in batches of just diodes.

Looking at it that way, i'm quite sure that the LOC diode in a LPC815 sled doesn't cost as much as the rest of the sled, but i haven't seen a source of manufacturer-new diodes that are cheaper than complete sleds yet, despite these things have been around for years.

Benm said:

Who knows.. it may never happen.

The vast majority of red and bluray diodes are still ripped from sleds, not bought in batches of just diodes.

Looking at it that way, i'm quite sure that the LOC diode in a LPC815 sled doesn't cost as much as the rest of the sled, but i haven't seen a source of manufacturer-new diodes that are cheaper than complete sleds yet, despite these things have been around for years.

Click to expand...

Perhaps this may be another option we will see shortly... Simply buying a replacement 'diode block' for the projector. (I don't know what the housing is called that holds all 24 diodes in it.)

Already asked ..... Casio representative replied me that they don't sell lamp blocks (at least, not here in Italy), and that the broken projector must be sent to Casio tech center for the repair ..... maybe in some other countries it's different, i don't know .....

HIMNL9 said:

Already asked ..... Casio representative replied me that they don't sell lamp blocks (at least, not here in Italy), and that the broken projector must be sent to Casio tech center for the repair ..... maybe in some other countries it's different, i don't know .....

Click to expand...

It is the same here in the US

Plus, the "parts houses" want more for the diode array than a new projector costs!

Peace,
dave

Trust me i tried to get the laser array it is not easy. i got alot of info on them via acting a a casio service rep with a surplus of broken projectors and even still they will cost 400-650$ per array if you can get them.
I keep checking on it tho that would make things alot better.

AixiZ tried too -- not do-able-- they are geting them from projectors just like we are and WL is. Casio OWNS the rights to the laser diode....they (the S. Korean maker)cannot sell them-- been tried. China cannot even get the projectors-- they get them from the USA,--go figure. all the above is old newz-- try a search next time before you make your 'predictions'.

there is still some hope but its not much i got a source that get them for 775$ for a140 arrays but at that price for a bit more i get a whole projector full of goodies.

kiyo worked his butt off to try get arrays- a lot of folks have tried-

- but whats the point?? at this point??

they are so much cheaper than only 7/8 months ago.. IMO the price will go up. not any lower.

^^^I'm with Hak..

Unless another source of these diodes in quantity shows up, then the source we have now is too limited. Casio will someday stop making this line of projectors, and there is no guarantee that whatever laser sources they use next will be so hobbyist friendly. Hopefully there will be some folks out there who will be willing to take the dive and buy projectors to find laser sources. Until something new is found I'd keep a few extras of these around while they're prevalent, because it might not always be so.

Only companies like Casio with huge buying power are going to get deals that are dirt cheap. If you contact nichia right now for a few hundred or even a thousand diodes you're not going to like the price they quote you.

hakzaw1 said:

kiyo worked his butt off to try get arrays- a lot of folks have tried-

- but whats the point?? at this point??

they are so much cheaper than only 7/8 months ago.. IMO the price will go up. not any lower.

Click to expand...

The only way prices will go up is if Casio stops making the projectors and doesn't use the diodes in anything else. Otherwise they will keep pumping out projectors and pumping out diodes. And as time works with technology, the prices will steadily drop from this point forward. They don't raise unless the demand is there and the supply is low.

These blue diodes are going to be eventually making their ways into laser TV's and various other display related electronics within the next few years I think. Especially once they start manufacturing green diodes, the market will now have direct diodes for red, green and blue which is all the colors needed to make any color display possible. And at that point, things such as laser TV's and probably even higher resolution projectors will start hitting the market and the 445nm diodes will be everywhere for dirt cheap.

Casio isn't going to be the only ones making these for long. A cheap blue laser with incredibly high output is going to be essential for various display electronics over the coming years. All that is next is cheap green diodes, which from what I read might start being manufactured sometime in 2011.

1W Green diodes would be sweeet.

If you have RBG diodes running in on of these tv's and say the blue was running at 1W. Wouldn't the green be of lower power due to that wavelength's visibility?