Welcome to Laser Pointer Forums - discuss green laser pointers, blue laser pointers, and all types of lasers

LPF Donation via Stripe | LPF Donation - Other Methods

Links below open in new window

ArcticMyst Security by Avery

TEC mag 445nm "The FireFarter"

Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Messages
3,145
Points
83
That's right FireFarter. I named it after the fact that everything I focus on spits out a flame kernel and a popping sound.:evil: Pyro posted in a thread a while back and from what I gather this is a name for a stage device the pops up a massive bursts of propane. MUUUUHHAAA:eg::eg::eg:

Enough of the intro lets see the guts....:beer:

9mm 445nm DTR
TEC 40mm MPJA
Sunan 20mm fan E-Slave
2 X-drives 1@1.1 & 1@2A
Copper 9mm mod. from DTR.
1 AixiZ 405nm-445nm lens
2 32600 Batt. KD

The challenge as most TEC builds was dumping the heat, in this case the heat generated by both the diode & the drivers. Moving the heat from the sink into the peltier, then of course, into a large aluminum mass and finally into the host/air. My concept meant having channels built into the device for both airflow and room for wiring;) I built a groove in the sink just wide enough to sandwich the 2 X-drives into. The peltier was big for this build (40mm @12V 2.6A rating).
IMAG0409.jpg

IMAG0410.jpg
IMAG0411-1.jpg


With over 30 solder joints in this build it was very time consuming I had multi testing sessions on everything from peltier current setting to fan speed and finally toward the end cooling test runs (very fun stuff):wave:
IMAG0425.jpg
IMAG0422.jpg

At this point without the diode I felt like 1.1A was the final sweet spot to run the TEC. I did not feel as though chilling the diode was achievable without all the dreaded condensation problems. I felt that room temp. would sufice and it does.

Here is the little beast wired up... this was a very fun process.:beer:
IMAG0461.jpg
IMAG0459-1.jpg

IMAG0443.jpg

I had to put a smooth angle on the bottom of the peltier sink I did NOT want to have any scuffed wires... I came up with plenty of ideas for the next build PLENTY.

One thing that I worried about was heat dumping back into main heasink from the host... well I sanded just a mm of the top of where the threads are in the neck of the mag light and what do you know it lifted the whole device up and now the top of the heatsink is pressing on the rubber o-ring and ever slightly away from the host that little lucky deal WILL go into the next build cause it isolates the entire upper heasink.:bowdown:

The final assembly:
IMAG0466.jpg


IMAG0474.jpg
IMAG0482.jpg
IMAG0481.jpg

IMAG0485.jpg


Here is a short vid if you listen you can hear it popping (popping real good about 45sec. mark) while it's lazing... it literally does this to everything and with only my laserbee USB 2.5W LPM to measure it tops that out in seconds.


Well It does what I wanted... at the main heatsink it is a tick above room temp at 5 min mark @2A I do not want to push this diode further. The rest of the unit from the neck down gets really hot makes me nervous for the batteries.

I'm having a real problem putting this bad boy down it's that much fun. Thank you for reading and feel free to ask questions.:thanks:
 





Joined
Jun 19, 2010
Messages
1,487
Points
63
Very nice build!!

I love the tiny fan and holes in the head for venting. The finished product is very clean as well. :beer:
 
Joined
Jan 29, 2012
Messages
3,164
Points
113
Wow fantastic! You're definitely on a roll with some cool builds lately! :) One question why the 3 ele lens? I once heard rumours that the 3 element lenses arent good for high powered builds due to internal reflections?

In any case your farts will be more potent with the G variety!! :crackup: :beer: and +1 if I can...
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Messages
3,145
Points
83
Wow fantastic! You're definitely on a roll with some cool builds lately! :) One question why the 3 ele lens? I once heard rumours that the 3 element lenses arent good for high powered builds due to internal reflections?

In any case your farts will be more potent with the G variety!! :crackup: :beer: and +1 if I can...
Thank you guys.... To answer your question I like the dot produced by that lens. It seems to me to be cleaner no wings no backsplash. Another reason is I'm waiting to get the barrel needed for this build.;)
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Messages
3,145
Points
83
Thanks jay man... I always considered you the "father" of the mag builds. Your TEC mag is what gave me the idea. My only thought was to try a bigger peltier I had a bigger fan, but space is always a concern.
 

Benm

0
Joined
Aug 16, 2007
Messages
7,896
Points
113
Excellent job - i like both the design and craftmanship in this build.

I love the creative way you installed the TEC on this. It will probably heat up the end that holds the batteries, but considering the fan and size of the host i hope this will not prove to be much of a problem.

I suppose this is one of the better ways of going about it, keeping the cold part of the tec at roughly room temperature so you have no condensation issues but still better heatsinking then doing without the tec.

How long do the batteries last powering this thing though?
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Messages
3,145
Points
83
Excellent job - i like both the design and craftmanship in this build.

I love the creative way you installed the TEC on this. It will probably heat up the end that holds the batteries, but considering the fan and size of the host i hope this will not prove to be much of a problem.

I suppose this is one of the better ways of going about it, keeping the cold part of the tec at roughly room temperature so you have no condensation issues but still better heatsinking then doing without the tec.

How long do the batteries last powering this thing though?

Thank you Benm, well I've been playing with this beast for more than a couple hrs. today. I've been showing it off to just about everyone that will listen, so far the timed 5min. mark is the longest I'm very happy having a 9mm that will run as well as this unit does. To describe it if you do the usual 1min. on 1min off then that's defeating the purpose now 3 to 5min. on and 5 to 6min. off seems better simply because its easier for the peltier to keep it at temp than have a soaked sink and try to bring that temp down with the diode on. The next best thing would be to power the fan without the peltier or the fan and peltier without the diode, but hey its a maglight.
 

ARG

0
Joined
Feb 27, 2011
Messages
6,772
Points
113
Wow! That's a beautiful build! It must have taken forever to wire that all up.
 

Benm

0
Joined
Aug 16, 2007
Messages
7,896
Points
113
I guess you could easily make this laser run safely continously (for as long as full batteries will last it anyway). This may require a slight reduction in output power, but i think its very convenient to have a laser that you can just turn on, experiment with, and never worry about overheating.
 
Joined
Jul 4, 2008
Messages
2,499
Points
113
WOW!!
I wished I had seen this earlier.
What a cool idea.. literally. Using micro TECs to cool down ...great idea!!

+1
 

AUS

0
Joined
Apr 12, 2012
Messages
565
Points
28
Woah that's amazing. I have one of these diodes in a big host with a lame linear driver running at an LPM'd 1.8 watts. Hmmmm, I have an old mag light somewhere too...
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Messages
3,145
Points
83
WOW!!
I wished I had seen this earlier.
What a cool idea.. literally. Using micro TECs to cool down ...great idea!!

+1


That's one big Tec. I had to make a passage way in between the contacts on the peltier for a channel that the wires could pass through.

This booger not only holds the diode at room temp pass the 5 min mark it also has 2 drivers it cools also and X-drives really get hot pass the 1.4A mark.

I had this unit on for over 5 min. now and it's just warm. The problem is after you turn it off the stored heat really show itself. The next build will have a three way switch for the purpose of allowing the fan to stay on when the unit is not running.

Thanks for the rep and the kind words not only is this a very worth while build, but man this thing farts fire at everything it touches:can:
 

AUS

0
Joined
Apr 12, 2012
Messages
565
Points
28
That's one big Tec. I had to make a passage way in between the contacts on the peltier for a channel that the wires could pass through.

Wow talk about micro surgery!

So you don't have any holes in the host, the fan just blows the internal air around the case?

EDIT sorry just looked at the photos again, missed the holes first time I looked!
 
Last edited:




Top