New 445nm Build Tutorial - Need Kit Maker

Just one pet peeve: when you take a laser diode, driver, host, etc and bung it all together and turn it on, you haven't actually built a laser. you've assembled a laser. i say this to differentiate it from actually building a laser which to me means making one from scratch, vis a vis http://laserpointerforums.com/f43/successful-diy-co2-laser-made-scratch-52801.html

It might seem like semantics, but I dont really see anything very complex about soldering some wires, measuring some current and flipping a switch. then again, maybe i am jadded back back in the day when someone said they "built a laser" they meant from scratch, like the guy above. I've seen all manner of gas and solid state lasers built from scratch at the university I went to where they would dope materials and excite using IR CO2 lasers and latter solid state pumping. not to mention some of the ruby laser experiments.

Build vs assemble.

Just semantics.
Its always possible to go lower. Like saying "I built my house!". Did you dig the materials, make the bricks, make the cement, cut up the trees, etc? Probably not. Just like people say "I built my computer!" which is less complicated than the average "some assembly required" childrens toy. There should probably be some sort of defined number of minimum parts combined to consider something being built vs assembled, but oh well. I sort of draw the line at, if all the pieces were purchased as a kit, then you "assembled a kit", thats just a personal definition though.

ah I didnt realise you were one of those big youtube tycoons

i've made youtube vids before, not with the intent of views, but its annoying they get so few. and no wonder, if i type in the exact title it ends up 6 pages down lol. its some big conspiracy against me.
your vids look nice though, straight to the point and good quality. I always end up with the vid of some douche who takes a good 5minutes inbetween things to explain things in a longwinded way that i could sum up in seconds.

So far my black 18650 kit has been readily available...

I got behind on orders when I got hit with a lot of orders at once, and had to wait on DX shipping. But I have stocked up on hosts now... (just need to get caught up)

But I recommend this kit because of it's versatility... The host has a final retaining ring that allows easy access to the heatsink set screw in case you need to make adjustments in the module position to adjust your lens/focus adapter position at focus.

It also makes an easy access to replace the diode if ever needed.

The only problem with making a video tutorial, is that there a lot of options with the kit! :crackup:

Perhaps just the most recommended options or something...
http://laserpointerforums.com/f39/fs-18650-build-kit-easy-assembly-blu-ray-red-43857.html

The main thing I would ask if you end up making your build video about this kit, is to be sure and make it very clear that 'jayrob does not sell laser diodes'... But the kits are basically just a flashlight with a heatsink. And that the buyer must get thier own laser diode to build it into a laser...

Fonduman said:

ah I didnt realise you were one of those big youtube tycoons

i've made youtube vids before, not with the intent of views, but its annoying they get so few. and no wonder, if i type in the exact title it ends up 6 pages down lol. its some big conspiracy against me.
your vids look nice though, straight to the point and good quality. I always end up with the vid of some douche who takes a good 5minutes inbetween things to explain things in a longwinded way that i could sum up in seconds.

Click to expand...

I used to attempt explaining my videos myself instead of using subtitles, but I would get confused and say things that didn't make sense. So after failing miserably with that I just record everything at first and type everything later. Then I can stop myself from rambling on and on.

jayrob said:

So far my black 18650 kit has been readily available...

I got behind on orders when I got hit with a lot of orders at once, and had to wait on DX shipping. But I have stocked up on hosts now... (just need to get caught up)

But I recommend this kit because of it's versatility... The host has a final retaining ring that allows easy access to the heatsink set screw in case you need to make adjustments in the module position to adjust your lens/focus adapter position at focus.

It also makes an easy access to replace the diode if ever needed.

The only problem with making a video tutorial, is that there a lot of options with the kit! :crackup:

Perhaps just the most recommended options or something...
http://laserpointerforums.com/f39/fs-18650-build-kit-easy-assembly-blu-ray-red-43857.html

The main thing I would ask if you end up making your build video about this kit, is to be sure and make it very clear that 'jayrob does not sell laser diodes'... But the kits are basically just a flashlight with a heatsink. And that the buyer must get thier own laser diode to build it into a laser...

Click to expand...

I knew your kits were great, I just wasn't sure you would want the extra orders and publicity. Now that I know you are cool with that, I think I'm good to go. With the new price of the Arctics, your kit looks great. In my video I will make sure it is more of buying a flashlight to hack instead of buying a laser kit.

I'm planning on using a flexdrive and I saw this:
"You could fit a FlexDrive inside the pill, but then you would have to let me know you would like me to drill out the top of the pill and leave the heatsink a little longer. ($10 dollars extra) But there is room for the driver on top of the pill..."

So is it $10 extra if I want to use it for a flexdrive?

In the video I think I'm gonna go with the basic kit, but I'll link here so the viewers can choose if they want any extra options.

Give me a few days to earn some funds to buy this kit, I'm a little low on funds after paying for new brake lines on my car (my brakes went out on me...that was interesting lol). Anybody want some PHR-803T sleds??

I wrote that because the host will fit a FlexDrive or a Micro BoostDrive on top of the pill...

But if you wanted to mount the driver inside the pill, I would drill out the top of the pill, and leave the heatsink a little longer for an extra $10 bucks. (recommended)

When mounting the driver on top of the pill, there is room. But you may need to clip the long pins on a 445 diode in half. And also bend the wires over after you heat shrink them. (bend wires, not pins)

IMHO if we really want to ensure safety with this video the goggles must be required.
By required I mean the kit/host & heatsink will not be sold unless you buy goggles along with it or post a pic of goggles with your username.

We have to remember a lot people think they are invincible or they can be careful & we are over reacting. Teenagers feel invincible as an effect of their neurological development not actually being complete. Its a problem we should take into account.

A youtube vid directing people here will bring morons & kids along with the others.
Who wants to read "10 year old girl blinded by laser her brother ordered from LaserPointerForums.com as a kit. Kid said he ordered the laser because it can set magazines on fire & burn holes in plastic"

"If it doesn't burn a hole in the wall then it's okay for my eyes." *cute little smile*

Sure this can still happen if goggles are required but we still need to do the best we can to ensure safety.
Personally I would like to see a kit with a microcontroller lock. Everett's is open source & ready to go 445nm Pointer build with Laser Lock security system

This post became longer then I intended & is starting to feel like a rant... It is not intended as a rant & not meant to be directed toward Jayrob's kits.

I'm attempting to keep the 445nm diodes in stock. using the A130 diodes. I'm not so sure how long I'll be selling these though.

-Kendall

If laser videos had not been on YouTube, I may not have found this place. However, the niggle I have with this idea is that it may be teaching people to build rather than just spend cash, and that may lead to learning about safety but is a 445nm, 1W laser really one for the beginner? I personally don't think so. I also feel the ones who know this will come here through other means, or likely are already here, and the ones that don't will be buying prebuilt anyway.

This is no rant either and I cast no aspersions on those developing a partnership but I had the spare change so threw my 2 cents this way.

M