Ebay items: newbe woes

HeNe may be, 'plug and play', but don't go touching that tube while running, or even after it's been running, as it may bite you with a few thousand volts!

Those things can hurt you too but you ain't gonna burn a thing with them!

All diodes come with an unfocussed beam. They all need corrective optics to collimate an output.

Diodes are perhaps not as fragile as you think. It's easy to destroy them with inexperience but we've all done it, (and continue to do it), but with proper mounting, driving and heatsinking they are pretty potent components that will take a surprising amount of punishment beyond most manufacturers ratings. Even a 300mW IR diode can be made to burn without collimation if treated correctly, (not at any distance or with much control). This should not be attempted, however, until your eyes are adequately protected. I would put these diodes aside for many months and come back to them. Build up your knowledge with well understood reds and blurays and move on to the invisible, (slightly visible), wavelengths.

I'm glad you saw my post in the right way. Next on your list for purchase should be eye protection. Then you can start looking for the bits to get a laser up and running.

M

Here are some alternative module housings with lenses. I also have drivers- don't run the diodes on batteries directly.
Yes, it's a commercial link, i'm the seller.
Will
lasers4u items - Get great deals on Business Industrial, Electronics items on eBay.com!

If you're the seller can you tell me if the lens modules for red laser pointers are able to focus IR wavelengths ?

Update I bought a pair of glasses designed work for most everything between 200 and 2000 nm
with an optical density of 5 for most wavelengths and 4 on the one it's not as good against.

This should be good for all of my future experimentation unless I need an extra pair or 2 .