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Learn From Mistakes That Can Happen To Anybody...

Solder Blob

Solder Blob

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Dec 5, 2010
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Great info. This is where we are all brought to our knees! Here's my two cents.

My favorite red from a GGW was lasing fine at 400mA and producing some really mind blowing skull effect. But after reading about another member's 500mA setup, I won't mention any names, I had to bump mine up to 485mA. Well, unlike daguin's!! driver pumping out 500, mine decided to get a life of it's own and pump 505mA. The little red guy bit the dust the next morning at first light!(pun intended) I'm not sure why it hit 505mA when I set it to 485, but that's what it read when I took it apart and re-tested. Pot may have moved from squeezing it into a keychain build or maybe it just got to warm. It was the coolest looking skull. I'd hit the wall in a restaurant or mall and it was sooo big and sooo red. Nobody knew where it was coming from. I don't think I'll see another one like it. Here's some mug shots of "THE RED SKULL" in action!
LaserSkull1.jpg
LaserSkull3.jpg

LaserSkull2.jpg

I have to say, these images do not do it justice.
Blob
 
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H

Hank

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Aug 19, 2010
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Wow now i feel retarded for killing a diode connecting it straight to a 9V battery when i first started.
 
Solder Blob

Solder Blob

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Dec 5, 2010
Messages
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Here's two more cents worth. If you set your flexdriveV5 using magnets on the ends of a battery as your test power source, you may get some pretty strange readings. I watched the meter go from 35 to 435 and back down and all around again. Very frustrating. One time you look at it and it says 200mA. The next minute as you hook it up again, it says 450mA! You don't know what to blame, the driver, a loose wire or the diode that you just blew out.

I set a nice red to 485mA (pushing the you-know-what out of it) and it was ok for a while, but after it blew and I re-checked the current, it was up over 500mA.(Now I know why it happened as in my previous post above) I popped a nice blu the same way. Don't use frickin' magnets! Sure, they're ok on battery chargers, but Mr Flex goes ape. Sometimes it appears normal, but you can't trust it. I quit using magnets and haven't had any trouble since.
 
Toaster

Toaster

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Aug 4, 2010
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Dont tap a laser on your palm to see if the inside lens assembly is loose, I LEDd a 50$ 405 that way.
 
Eudaimonium

Eudaimonium

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@ Solder Blob:

I was reluctant to use magnets on the PCB of my LM3410X drivers (makeshift heatsinks) because I'd suspect they would heavily change properties of the coil which is one of the main parts of the driver. I though I might be getting too careful around that, but you've confirmed my suspicions that magnets close to the coil of a boost drivers cause troubles.

@Toaster, tapping a laser on the palm of your hand should not harm the laser in any way. Perhaps there was a loose part you forgot about? Perhaps piece of some metal shavings (what host did you use?) that landed on the driver shorting something out?
 
Toaster

Toaster

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It was an Ehg host. I think I did it "too hard because it was a lot like when I dropeed my 445.
 
vk2fro

vk2fro

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Nov 30, 2009
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Building my first go at an argon laser power supply I decided to use veroboard - this i found out to be a big no no. There must have been a flaw in my construction on the veroboard, for as soon as the preheat delay expired and the system fired up tube +, there was a bright green flash accompanied by a loud crack and lots of smoke.

Result: most components on the veroboard toasted, 3 tracks blown clean off the board, and 2 pass transistors were open circuit.

Stank the place to high heaven too, and scared the crap out of me.

BTW Dave, I've killed a hene supply in the same manner 240v into a 12v driver. - almost as scary as the veroboard going bang.

edit: I think i recall on the argon supply that the opamp had been blown clean in 2, one half was still there, and the other probably went up the vacuum cleaner a few days later.
 
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Flaminpyro

Flaminpyro

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Two years ago when GGW sleds were $65.00 I was pressing the 6x diode into an
Aixiz module with a piece of tubing and a vise, well a piece of tubing is not self
centering and I cut off the + lead so that diode was toast and I went out to
the shop and made my first self centering diode press and have been making them ever since ;)
Now there are "innie" presses and "outtie" presses avable so you don't have to make the same mistake :D
 
Elektrotechniker

Elektrotechniker

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Nov 10, 2008
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Oh well I just damaged a 445 diode by applying too much heat while soldering the driver wires to its pins. the damned wires would not stay in place ffs. the diode still works but its not putting out enough power..
So, do not keep your iron on the pin for more than 2 seconds at a time..
 
Leodahsan

Leodahsan

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Aug 7, 2010
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@Silvershot

Maaaan I have killed (100% not Led'd, full kill) many reddies like this. You know how I learn't?
I remove the diode and heatsink it on Aixiz (I don't remove the wire ribbon, if it has one)
I turn my soldering iron on and leave some solder on it. I keep the solder there when it melts, I count to 20 (seconds) and turn it off and solder :) Very fast too. Never killed a diode since then :)
(neither when a blob of solder dropped on the diode.. the whole thing heat up but he still worked.. IR Diode haha :))

hope that helps.
 
LaZeRz

LaZeRz

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Feb 19, 2011
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I dropped my first LOC on the floor......... I was thirsty after tearing the dvd burner apart so I went for a glass of water and placed the diode on the edge of the table where it rolled off.... Luckily it was a free burner from a computer store :) now i got my new LOC pressed in an aixiz ready to be put in a hotlight, it serves me as a kipkay labby now (yup no driver :D)

I am freaking so nervous about using a a-140 diode.... lol im not too careful with things, ive dropped everything ive touched on the floor at least once :(
 
Bluefan

Bluefan

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Aug 15, 2009
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I regularly swipe stuff fo my desk too, that's why I keep important parts away from the edge. No driver isn't a good idea. 445nm's can take more abuse but don't go kipkay on such a nice diode.
 
Toke

Toke

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Jul 25, 2010
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I made a heatsink at work for a $1 AA light, it fits smoothly with a 15.5mm dia, 5mm deep recession at the end for the driver components.

Now coming home to the driver I find that it is at least 8mm high.
And I am not back with the lathe for another 4 weeks. :(
 
Toaster

Toaster

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Bluefan said:
I regularly swipe stuff fo my desk too, that's why I keep important parts away from the edge. No driver isn't a good idea. 445nm's can take more abuse but don't go kipkay on such a nice diode.
Click to expand...

I believe LarryDFW Direct drove a 445 with a Li-ion.
 
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