I built my first laser today with a lg 16x diode but it only pulls 100ma even strait to the batteries. Do you think it is a bad diode? It is very bright though.
personally i know nothing about ma and the such, i still haven't made a DIY yet, but i wouldn't recommend hitting the diode directly to the battery, it wont kill a diode that strong right away but it will shorten its life a bit
You do not state:-
Type of battery/ies or the measured voltage under load....
It may be that 100ma is all the supply is capable of....and is probably what has saved your LD from death. Use a driver ,supplied with the recommended voltage and see what the LD will do then.
I put it on a 3V 20A power suppy. voltage under load is 2.998 volts. but the diode will pull as much as it can when right to the power. Iam working on a driver now. does this look ok?
laserpointerforums(dot)com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1185701612<------can't post links yet.
Dont tell me you just hooked the diode straight up to that 3V 20A power supply? laser diodes draw as much current as they can get. If they can get 20A, they will pull 20A. If you did, youve now got a LED
That is what I am saying. I can hook it strait to the power suppy and it only draws 100ma. It is a laser and i can see the beam at night the dot is bright it just will only pull 100ma.