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

Duty cycle???

FokoF

FokoF

0
Joined
Jun 24, 2007
Messages
508
Points
0
Can anyone please explain what duty cycle is, i get that a laser with a 60sec duty cycle can run continuously for 60seconds and then rest. How do laser show lasers get around this problem? and can i run my 5mw lasers without worrying about them burning out?
 





Kenom

Kenom

0
Joined
May 4, 2007
Messages
5,629
Points
63
Duty cycle is exactly like you said. if it has a duty cycle of 60 seconds you only leave it on for 60 seconds. If you exceed that then you heat up the laser and possibly damage the laser itself.

The lasers in scanners and whatnot have very good active cooling so they do not have a duty cycle.

A 5mw laser has a pretty high duty cycle. Like for example a leadlight or a DX has a very long duty cycle. However only you can determine with a 5mw laser if it's getting too hot. You will feel the barrel of the laser actually getting warmer than your hand. If that's the case then you will wanna start using a shorter duty cycle and allow the laser to cool a bit in between uses.
 
FokoF

FokoF

0
Joined
Jun 24, 2007
Messages
508
Points
0
So basically you can extend your duty cycle if you just keep it cool?
 
T

Tallaxo

0
Joined
Feb 1, 2007
Messages
810
Points
0
You could always make a heatsink like these. These have been tested on up to Viper 125mw pen laser to give 100% duty cycle.

Jase.
 

Attachments

  • sink.JPG
    sink.JPG
    306.8 KB · Views: 263
T

Tallaxo

0
Joined
Feb 1, 2007
Messages
810
Points
0
Not CNC, Just Hand turned on a lathe I have access to at work.

I made one for Senkat and Timelord, TL tested his 125mw viper on it, with new Lithiums, he ran it till the batteries died, the laser never even got warm.

Jase
 
FokoF

FokoF

0
Joined
Jun 24, 2007
Messages
508
Points
0
Too cool for school! ;D
Might turn a few on the mill and see how they do.
 
S

SenKat

Guest
DANG ! EVERYONE has access to a lathe but poor little old me ! LOL ;D ;D
 
S

SenKat

Guest
Well, since it is an all metal construction - the heat flows nicely. When Stevetexas made his heatsink for his DX laser, he scraped the paint off the barrel where he attached the heatsink, to provide for better heat transfer. The heat sink that Tallaxo made for me is a little loose - I guess my diode housing is a little smaller than his was, so I wil get some copper tubing, and slide over the diode housing, and insert the whole thing snugy into the heatsink, thus increasing the heat transfer abilities :)
 
D

DJElectfire

0
Joined
Sep 27, 2010
Messages
1
Points
0
couldn't you just use PWM to run the laser? I mean if the power to the laser is pulsed than it wouldn't be in a solid on state for longer than its duty cycle - and if the PWM is high enough POV would make us think that it is actually steadily on and not rapidly cycling on and off. :lasergun:
 
Arshus

Arshus

0
Joined
Dec 14, 2010
Messages
402
Points
18
There have been a few necomancer noobs as of late, lol do people just not look at dates?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.




Top