how to easily focus any gball diode without deccaning(tutorial)

How about a tube cutter like for pipe. They make small ones. Do it in a bag filled with argon. Just make sure to short the diode for static. Then mount it and put the lens in. It will stay for a while and slow the decay. Can we buy flats the size of a lens? Screw that in and seal it.

kecked said:

How about a tube cutter like for pipe. They make small ones. Do it in a bag filled with argon. Just make sure to short the diode for static. Then mount it and put the lens in. It will stay for a while and slow the decay. Can we buy flats the size of a lens? Screw that in and seal it.

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What ?

Tubing cutters leave a knurled edge, but what are you talking about using a tubing cutter for, and working in a plastic bag is not a reasonable idea, a glove box is the right way. The nub diodes already have an anti static built in, a flat of what....I don't understand what you're trying to say.

yeap i was about to say the same thing that all nubmxx have build in antistatic protection,i don't have access and experience with any kind of gases so i can't help your ideas,someone has to try somethink like this by himself like i did with the focusing gball's and share his results

I got a nubm42 in today and it has an awful focus, so I tested with the GBall intact the backwards G2 followed by a 3E and it does focus down to a 1/4 inch by 1mm bar at 6 feet.

The output from the G2 which was touching the GBall was longer and thinner than usual but still in the typical raw output large plank pattern covering the wall, there may have been some extra clipping but all in all this setup works to get a better beam.

I also used a misc. doublet and got a 3/8 inch by 1mm bar at 6 feet refocusing the GBall output, so with a 25mm wide lens and hosuing GBalls could be refocused with a wider diameter lens, the length/range would need to be determined for the range of GBall factory settings, I was 1 inch from the Gball to focus at 6 feet so it's reasonable, granted I would rather use a nubm44 or ndb7a75 but when future Gballs are double strength we will want a ready solution, a wider module and lens/lens set may be appropriate for a wider bean focused to target.

This is the GBall's output, it's terrible.



This is after the backwards G2 and 3E, it was reduced to a 1/4 inch by 1mm bar at 6 feet from that huge rectangle above.

nice,im happy that worked out for you,im waiting 1 nubm42 also and i'll do a power testing to see if it is any different from the nubm08.

yeah this method mostly helps out when we have a unique diode like the nubm07 or the new nugm03 that is 525nm,on those options we don't have any alternate options to get a diode with window can.
also i prefer the nubmxx 455nm diodes than using a nubm44 or nubm06 cause i love this ligher blue that 455nm is,latelty we got an option for cheaper ndb7a75's to work with instead of nubm05-08 but there will be newer diodes with gballs that we have to work with if we want to use them.

I see you using a dremel to cut the gball out. The tube cutter will not leave the crap from grinding on the diode inside. It will also leave a flat end you can seal. The baggie idea is a whole lot more practice than saying get a glovebox. It's also a lot small volume of inert gas that needs back filled and purged. For that matter you can buy glove bags used for asbestos if you want to get fancy.

Now you have a clean tube and a diode without dust and junk all over it and your in an inert atmosphere and it only cost a few dollars to do. The question then is how to seal the tube and add the required collimator without a lot of loss.

Frankly it seems simple to me to decan the diode in the inert bag/box your choice and machine a holder that the diode presses into with an ar window fitted to it. AR window rounds are a few dollars.

https://www.thorlabs.com/newgrouppage9.cfm?objectgroup_id=1117

there examples are expensive but an example but sure they or something can be found cheaper or maybe even cut from arcylic that can handle the energy and not solarize.

So now its a copper or brass holder with a window assembled in inert with maybe a ring to hold the window down. Screw in usual collimators. I can draw it if someone can made it. Heck even a microscope cover slip might be cut to do the job. Can we buy the windows the diode manufactures use?

bigger than I like but cheap

http://www.amscope.com/100pc-pre-cl...dubBRB2bX_QuJN1Zj-I1KEkDJC8zhP0RoCcOsQAvD_BwE

https://www.thorlabs.com/newgrouppage9.cfm?objectgroup_id=9704

cover slip looks the way to go. Heck even put it in at brewster angle to stop back relections or add line filters to clean it up

You could remove the GBall can but cutting it with a tubing cutter will only shatter the lens, I have many and have cut a lot of tubing, they work by applying pressure to the cutting wheel that you rotate around the circumference and it always leaves a knurled in lip, it works on pressure not abrasion or cutting by material removal.

As far as removing the GBall can and pressing the diode into a fixture flooded with inert gas that will also mount an AR window, that could work, but the window will need a gasket or sealer, but sealer could out gas and damage the facet, the window also needs to be fused silica or quartz and in order to use a short FL lens such as G2 will need to mount close to the P/N junction, it's possible to do it that way but sounds like more work than the replacement window can.

It's all academic anyway unless someone is going to spend the time/money to do it, if I were going to spend my time/money I would use a replacement window can.

Interesting thread-- TY for all the input...

I agree a replacement window can is the best but where to get such an animal and then how to install it. I am not interested in keeping the gball lens. I do think once you fill with Ar (nitrogen is actual reactive), it will stay in here a long time. There is no reason it wants to migrate out like helium. Ar is a large atom/molecule. It will over time but it would take a while.

https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/948a15942a9ac71f7c08edb85cb28c88d3d3cfdf for those inclined.

Looks like a market is open to make something. IF it works there will be lots of takers for converted diodes. I'd pay extra for the service knowing the diode will last. Plus the housing can be reusable.

a can could be extracted from the cheapest 9mm diode even by destroying the diode or simple extracting it,a tiny bit of thermal silicon could be used to secure it on the new diode,thermal silicon has strong hold and don't leave any residue to to optics or the emmiter.

I found a source for windowed cans to fit 9mm diodes before and even posted about it, they had a wider window but that's no problem, I can't seem to find the site now, maybe I will search this weekend if anyone wants to buy some, but I don't think there is a market right now, most buyers just want cheap cheap cheap, and many don't care about reduced lifespan or even know about it.

RA_pierce said:

It seems to me that the blue-balls are a blessing in disguise - we just need to come up with a better optic mount standard than the teeny-tiny aspherics we always use.

Anyone have some blue-ball lenses to send me so I can experiment? :angel:

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LewDude said:

RA, I might have a couple-few lying around. About 1/2 the time the ball cracks when de-canning, but if I scrounge some up this evening, I'll PM you!

Edit: I found 1, but know I likely have more...also I had not seen RCB's post, more great stuff!

Also, I kinda hope "blue-ball" sticks, much funnier than gball! :crackup:

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Just 2 months later...

I came across a couple today that were not shattered - one looks to be from an m08/m01 and the other is from an m05. @RA_pierce - PM me if you'd like them sent your way.