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First Build Nerf Gun mod

aidacity154

aidacity154

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hey all, I am new to the forum, as you can see, and have recently found an old nerf nitefinder. I extracted the crappy "fake laser" which is a focused red LED and also modified the power of the gun, removing the air restrictors. Then I was going to use a 405nm ~100mw laser to make the crosshair, but then decided that Modwerx's 20mw 635 would be a cooler color. Then I proceeded to build the setup with a rheostat potentiometer, and, well, it's pretty cool. I am not sure what current i am running, but the beam is very bright. Here is the setup and the laser beam, no crosshair feature.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/521/photoon20120201at1950.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/197/photoon20120201at19502.jpg/

EDIT: It CAN in fact burn black things. I am guessing that this means i am driving it to the 30-40ish mw range. I'd like to hear your thoughts
 
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mikesnap99

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Hmm very interesting design there. If you plan on keeping this build around for awhile I would highly recommend you wire a driver in there. Although the POT works for now all it takes is one slip of the hand and you could be powering the poor little diode with most of the power those AA batteries can give out. Also don't change the current to fast using the pot those spikes can kill a diode quick. Good luck and also :wave: Welcome to the Forum :wave:

Mike
 
aidacity154

aidacity154

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ok thanks, ill keep that in mind, but i do not have a driver that can provide such a small amount of current. what type of driver do you recommend?
 
mikesnap99

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I would recommend a groove2 for this type of build. Also id stay clear of those AA too. Contact Clif at CajunLasers.com , he may be able to preset a driver for you to use for this build. He sells some rechargeable lithium cells that would provide longer run-times and more stable out puts (mW). Clif's a great guy and don't hesitate to ask anymore questions to me or him. I've learned most of my laser knowledge from Clif. Also remember this is >5mW laser so proper safety ware is needed as dim as the laser seems to be.

Mike
 
aidacity154

aidacity154

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Thanks again. I am working with an 83 milliamp current and ~ 36 ohms of resistance since watts/volts = amps and and when i found the amps i plugged it into volts/amps = ohms and got around 36. I think my setup would be better with a resistor instead of a pot to avoid the dreaded slip. I think that I wouldn't need a driver if i obtain the desired ohms or resistor.
 
Tech_Junkie

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Bright beam, burns stuff, no driver, ect? Dude you're going to toast the diode.
 
Tech_Junkie

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Do some reading in the driver section, You can build a driver for just a couple of dollars, or order a Chinese one for around $5.

You have to worry about spikes, and ripples. The pot wont do much to help that.
 
Sigurthr

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No real heatsink in there either! 'Tis doomed, me laddie, 'tis doomed.
 
aidacity154

aidacity154

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i have the standard aixiz heatsink, pic: Amazon.com: AixiZ Aluminum Mount for 12mm Diameter Laser Modules: Everything Else

It may be a bit shabby, but it does work well.

I do know of the ddl circuit, and have seen and used variation of it only using the lm317 and resistor (styropyro version.)

I think i need to get a resistor sufficient to supplying a certain current so i dont have to fear the dreaded slip. When i get the chance, i can include a pic of the final build because i am pretty much done.
 
aidacity154

aidacity154

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i found an old flashlight with a usable heatsink yesterday, and it is working out wuite nicely. It fits very well. pics of it coming soon. Also, I did find a suitable driver, i believe it is the rckstr, whom i am assuming is someone on the forum. I will order one soon. Pics of the full build coming soon also.
 
Tech_Junkie

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You'll need 9-12v input for your Rckstr driver. But dont use a 9v battery, because it will drain really fast. A lot of people have success using 2 X 3.7 lithium cells.
 
Tech_Junkie

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Yes. They should have a higher capacity than a 9v.

But you should consider 3.7v rechargeables. They dont cost that much, and will last longer. The only problem is you'll have to wait a few weeks to get them if you order them from China.

2x 18650 Digital Battery Charger - Free Shipping - DealExtreme
TrustFire 2000mAh 3.7V TR 18650 Battery (2-Pack) - Free Shipping - DealExtreme

The upside its cheaper in the long run, and if you get into the laser/flashlight hobby, these batteries are used in most models.
 
aidacity154

aidacity154

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the problem is that the nerf gun cannot hold that size battery. is it okay if I use 2 AA batteries and try using a 20mw modwerx diode? Those have seemed to be pretty reliable in the past. I would only use those because the nerf gun doesnt have capacity for more than 2 AA batteries. I could use a low powered blue diode and use a 9volt correct? I might actually try the blue diode.
 
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