Tutorial: Side Button 'Pocket Pal' Laser Build!

This is one my favorite host yet! It's small, but feels nice and 'weighty' in your hand with my heatsink in there!

Except now this light is out of date and can't be found. I have a 'New Side Button Build' shown here:
http://laserpointerforums.com/laser_pointer_forums_3/forum/showthread.php?t=22607

* Small package, large capacity. Only 7/8" longer than my tail switch 'Pocket Pal' build: http://laserpointerforums.com/laser_pointer_forums_3/forum/showthread.php?t=36799
* 3 X AAA batteries. (option to use rechargeable AAA's as well)
* FlexDrive
* Nice side button clicky! (on/off)
* Easy diode access design!
* Choice of AixiZ or Meredith module. (kind of my 'trademark design trait')


This one puts out more mW's than mA's fed!... using the Meredith glass lens. My nicest 803T diode yet! (measured with my Coherent PM5200)



You can buy the heatsink from me, and follow this tutorial. ($25 plus shipping) Or,


The host starts out as a combination laser pointer/flashlight...

It is made by VicLight. You have to check with the suppliers to see if they have the correct one though. (read down in this thread to learn about the differences)

You can try here:
http://www.physlink.com/estore/cart/Viclight8LEDandLaserPointer.cfm

Or here:
http://www.xump.com/Science/Viclight8LEDandLaserPointer.cfm?SID=126

Please post links if you find it elsewhere!

Caution: There is a similar looking light from VicLight (shown below by Silent_Dawn, take a close look and make sure you get the ones with the 'thick' metal bump out under the switch as shown in my pictures) UPC code: 853195008173


First step:



It's easy to take the switch out... Just bend the positive contact straight, so that you can slide the plastic piece out...


The rubber switch cap is formed to the roundness of the barrel. Just take note of this when you replace the switch...


Next:


A couple of points here....

1. The switch has two load leads. One for the 5mW red laser, and one for the flashlight. You can connect the two together and make one lead for the Flexdrive input. (this is because the switch turns 'off', after each side is 'on'. So if you connect them together. You will simply get 'on', 'off')

2. It is difficult to unscrew the head. It is glued on. It is easy to scratch the host. Be careful...



Business end:


Here, I made a 'flat' spot with some 'Quick Set Putty'. I will mount the FlexDrive there with some 'strong, red' double sided tape.

Notice the ground feed for the FlexDrive is just 'stubbed out' here. I will show you why...



I am using the heatsink to 'pinch or press' the ground wire to the case, when the head is tightened down onto the heatsink. This is a very good and stable grounding method for this build.

Important: Using this grounding method means that you will have to use your finger and press the ground wire very tight onto the host for setting the FlexDrive current. This can be a way to 'switch' the driver on and off for setting the current.

Note: Do not power the FlexDrive without a test load. It can damage the driver.


Final steps:



* Set driver current
* Have your diode and module mounted into the heatsink with leads soldered on.
Tip: Use very fine, flexible wire. (the best I have found is in a mouse cord)

After soldering your diode leads to your driver leads, and insulating the connections with heat shrink tubing...
Carefully tuck your wire's into the space under the heatsink... (nice heatsink design huh?)

Notice the ground wire...


Just don't let the heatsink 'spin' or 'twist' when you screw the cap down into place!


This one got scratched when I was taking it apart. So I had to do a little custom lathe work to 'dress' it up a little...

One more thing...

The battery holder (whether it be black or clear), has these small 'tabs' at a couple of points where the POSITIVE end of the batteries need to make contact with the flat metal contact points...


Use a knife and 'snap' or cut the tabs to make sure your batteries make good contact. The thickness of the tabs can cause a weak connection, or no connection at all...


It really is a great host with a very nice side button clicky switch! Hope you enjoy it! These heatsinks will be $25 plus shipping...
Jay




Kryton EzFocus Adapter! - Must See!
http://laserpointerforums.com/laser_pointer_forums_3/forum/showthread.php?t=22510

Key Chain Laser Build!- Awesome!
http://laserpointerforums.com/laser_pointer_forums_3/forum/showthread.php?t=20124

Side Button Build Kit!
http://laserpointerforums.com/laser_pointer_forums_3/forum/showthread.php?t=22607

Re: Tutorial: Side Button 'Pocket Pal' Laser Build

it seems like there are many different hosts with almost this exact same design....i bought a laser pointer/multi LED light (<5mw red and 9 LED lights) from a gas station which looked alot like that (even same plastic piece on the inside, and same exact switch..
fairly sure it's exactly the same (the thread on the top were even glued too!)

i may go see if they are still selling them, it was $5.99 when i bought it. if so i may order a heatsink from you.

Re: Tutorial: Side Button 'Pocket Pal' Laser Build

Sure thing... Just let me know!

If it is the same light, it will have VicLight on the back side (behind the switch): Here you can see the thick metal 'bump out' in the center of the barrel. VicLight makes a similar light that is smooth there, and it is not a good host to modify because the head does not screw on and off, but is pressed on.



P.S. I am offering complete builds as well as heatsinks only...
http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1222931054/0

I will be on vacation until 10/12/08. In case anybody is trying to contact me. I may be checking in on LPF, or at least my e-mail...
Jay

Re: Tutorial: Side Button 'Pocket Pal' Laser Build

IMO the one after you did the lathe work looks alot better.

Re: Tutorial: Side Button 'Pocket Pal' Laser Build

Thanks! I thought it was a 'nice save' myself... This has become my newest 'favorite' blu-ray!

For prospective buyers of the complete build, you might end up with this look if I scratch the host when taking it apart!
Jay

Re: Tutorial: Side Button 'Pocket Pal' Laser Build

You aren't kidding that this can be difficult to disassemble...

Mine seems to be different...The top end cap is not screwed on and glued.  Its pressed on and glued...NOT fun at all..  The middle section of the case that holds the switch assembly does not seem like it comes apart.

I ended up melting the clear lens and digging out the insides from the top and wiggled the top end cap free.

The internals seem the same. Just the case is assembled differently.

I bought mine from physlink.com this past weekend.

Re: Tutorial: Side Button 'Pocket Pal' Laser Build

Here's a method that I am finding works very well so far... (I just used this method on both of the hosts that I bought from physlink.com)


If you have some pliers that have 'curved' jaws like in the picture, it will work better.


Heat around the joint, turning it and heating it evenly. Get it pretty warm... So it starts to feel too warm to hold.


Use a thick rag to grip the head, and you will be able to unscrew the two parts by inserting a thick punch (or similar) into the switch hole...


Both of my physlink.com hosts came apart pretty easily using this technique!
Jay

Re: Tutorial: Side Button 'Pocket Pal' Laser Build

I'll shoot some pics of my setup...I was guessing you did the same thing I was going to try to do...Heat it and stick something in the switch hole for more leverage. But I quickly found out that the middle half does not come apart...Yet it still has a lip on the inside to stop that plastic piece from coming out. Then I found that the top end cap does not twist at all...It wouldn't budge. So after I melted the insides I started carving them out with pliers...and noticed that the end cap was rocking back and forth...So I did a lot more of that and it ended up being pressed on very tightly and glued...Not screwed with threads. So that kinda sucks that the end cap does not screw on. And its more difficult to make a clean disassembly. The middle section not coming apart just kinda hinders you from getting everything out, because you can't remove any of that until you get the end cap off.

I'll snap some pics when I'm not too busy.

Re: Tutorial: Side Button 'Pocket Pal' Laser Build

Yeah... that would not be a good host to modify if it didn't have threads.

I have only taken apart 4 of them so far, and all of them have had threads.

Does yours say 'VicLight' on the barrel - opposite side of the switch?
Jay

Re: Tutorial: Side Button 'Pocket Pal' Laser Build

Yeah, its the vic light..I bought 4 of them the weekend before last, got them that week.  They are all the same. Other than having 2 blacks, 2 gun metal.  I don't know what the deal is...I used the same link you posted to order them.

Poor light and no good white balance...sorry.
Can you compare UPC codes? 853195008265











The little raised area in the middle on mine is more "flat" and does not thread together.  This case is 2 pieces, not three like yours.

Re: Tutorial: Side Button 'Pocket Pal' Laser Build

I can see from the pictures that your hosts are different looking on the outside as well.

They do not look like the pictures of the lights in the links that I linked at the top of this thread.

Notice the 'bumped out' area of the host just under the switch. (where the battery compartment threads to the bottom of the switch section)

Your hosts are smooth there. (not 'bumped out')

You can see from my pictures that the host is the same as the ones pictured at physlink.com, as well as the one pictured at xump.com.

The UPC code is the same except for the last 4 digets. My last 4 are 8173...
Jay

Re: Tutorial: Side Button 'Pocket Pal' Laser Build

Yes, I did notice the "bump" is more smoothed out and that mine do not look like the ones on the site. That is very strange....I'm not having any luck with building any sort of side button...I hope you don't have the same problem with ordering more...I'll order another two...see what happens. I'll sell the ones I have left at the store, lol.

Re: Tutorial: Side Button 'Pocket Pal' Laser Build

I'm sorry but could someone give me a tad more information on this. I'm just confused with this one part.

You show a big metal silver heat sink that the driver fits into. This is part of the flashlight right? Do you have to drill it out to fit the driver? Because there the problem. If I wanted to eventually build a laser that burns in a few months, well, I don't have a drill to cut through to open a bigger slot for the flex driver

Re: Tutorial: Side Button 'Pocket Pal' Laser Build

The big metal silver heat sink piece is not part of the flashlight when you get it. Jayrob custom machines those. You can order them from him. He drills them so that they allow plenty of room for the driver to fit. His heat sinks make the whole build worth it. You basicly get rid of everything currently inside the flashlight and add that heat sink in its place.

Re: Tutorial: Side Button 'Pocket Pal' Laser Build

Killa-X said:

I'm sorry but could someone give me a tad more information on this.  I'm just confused with this one part.

You show a big metal silver heat sink that the driver fits into.  This is part of the flashlight right?  Do you have to drill it out to fit the driver?  Because there the problem.  If I wanted to eventually build a laser that burns in a few months, well, I don't have a drill to cut through to open a bigger slot for the flex driver

Click to expand...

That first post is kind of long huh? Lol... with all of the pictures and stuff. But at the end of the first post, I mention the heatsink and price.

I sell the complete builds as well:
http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1222931054/0

If you DIY, make sure you get the right host! Silent_Dawn found out that VicLight makes a similar looking host that is not the same as the one I make the heatsinks for. Check the thread carefully and you can find out the difference...
Jay

Re: Tutorial: Side Button 'Pocket Pal' Laser Build

For those one pens, with 100 seconds on, 30 seconds off duty cycles, Would adding a metal ring (multiple thick metal rings) around the head, help cool it down? Or doesn't it work like that? Wanted to improve the time it can be on and decrease off time to cool...