Cel
0
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2012
- Messages
- 742
- Points
- 28
-- 450nm NDB7875 @ 2A in PL-E --
- Intro -
I have owned (and I still do) this laser for a few years (2 at the time of writing) now. It is still as awe-inspiring and fun as from the day it was assembled (by me
).
I don't have a name for it, I just call it "The Laser".
So, here we go. Read on.
- Build -
Host
I've ordered the host a few years ago from Gray (JetLasers). Gray has answered my countless questions and has been very helpful. Many thanks to him! :beer:
The host is made of anodized aluminium, but the core is copper (which was custom built/machined).
I've used thermal paste between the 12mm module and the copper core, which is screwed into aluminium outer shell.
Needless to say, the laser has superb thermal conductivity and cools the diode remarkably well.
The duty cycle is unlimited. It warms up in a few minutes, but doesn't become hot at all. It just stays warm indefinitely, as long as it is lasing.
The host, main parts:
Assembly complete:
The host is beautiful. It is definitely among the best looking ones, and in person it looks much better than on-screen. It's also well-made and does its job really good.
It feels pretty heavy (it weighs around 1 kg). Its diameter, knurling and button positioning makes holding it pure joy. And that is before it fires blue photons!
More photos:
Here you can see the indicator LEDs in action (meaning the laser is on):
I love knurling:
And now, the assault crown:
Finally, the tailcap:
An extraordinary host indeed!
Diode & Driver
NDB7875 is the heart of the laser, lasing at 450 nm. It is regulated by X-Drive set at 2 A.
The laser diode and the driver are enclosed in 12mm module.
I got the diode and the driver from DTR, many thanks to him! :beer:
Photo of the module with lens:
3-element glass lens is used for collimation, but can easily be swapped with another lens.
The focusing is done by rotating the ring located right behind the assault crown (it has grooves similar to the ones the tailcap has).
Power Source
The laser holds 2x26650 Li-ions, or 2x18650 with sleeves to keep them in place. 2x18350 / 2x16340 can also be used if sleeve is inserted and extension battery tube is removed.
Frankly, the laser looks much better if the extension tube is used. The battery extension tube makes room for larger batteries, so the total capacity can be higher,
therefore longer run times can be achieved (without the need for recharging the batteries).
I use 2x26650 Li-ions. Their capacity is about 4000 mAh, which gives the total running time of a little over 2 h (the current draw at the tailcap is 1.8 A).
On the opposite side of the power switch, an input jack is located. Using an AC adapter (that outputs 8 V and at least 2 A), the laser can be run on AC too! So you can lase indefinitely!
A pretty neat feature, if you ask me.
I have custom built a simple circuit that includes side switch and indicator LEDs, and connects internal electric components together.
It is located between the batteries and the heatsink, under the switch and the indicator LEDs.
I like having 2 power switches: the first one, the master switch, is on the tailcap; and the second one is the side switch.
- Beamshots -
It was really hard for me to take photos showing how the laser really looks like in person, while lasing.
The photos I've posted show the laser almost as it looks like in the reality.
The photos were taken with a mobile phone camera.
- Conclusion -
I am extremely satisfied with this laser. It is the jewel in the crown of my collection.
Unfortunately, it doesn't fit in a pocket. On the other hand, it can be deployed as a beacon.
I reckon it outputs about 2.5 W optical power (a guesstimate).
3 element glass lens is used to collimate the lovely blue photons.
At long range the dot becomes a line, which is normal for multimode laser diodes.
Superior beam visibility more than makes up for that.
It can burn stuff when focused to infinity up to a few meters, but when focused properly, it vaporizes almost anything it touches. :eg:
Lighting matches (the hard way too), engraving wood, burning leaves - no problem!
It can also charge glow-in-the-dark stuff!
Nevertheless, I prefer watching the beam, and pointing it at objects. Beam quality is more important to me than raw power.
As always, proper precautions must be used when handling a powerful laser like this one!
With great power comes great responsibility.
Thanks for reading! :thanks:
- Intro -
I have owned (and I still do) this laser for a few years (2 at the time of writing) now. It is still as awe-inspiring and fun as from the day it was assembled (by me
). I don't have a name for it, I just call it "The Laser".
So, here we go. Read on.
- Build -
Host
I've ordered the host a few years ago from Gray (JetLasers). Gray has answered my countless questions and has been very helpful. Many thanks to him! :beer:
The host is made of anodized aluminium, but the core is copper (which was custom built/machined).
I've used thermal paste between the 12mm module and the copper core, which is screwed into aluminium outer shell.
Needless to say, the laser has superb thermal conductivity and cools the diode remarkably well.
The duty cycle is unlimited. It warms up in a few minutes, but doesn't become hot at all. It just stays warm indefinitely, as long as it is lasing.
The host, main parts:
Assembly complete:
The host is beautiful. It is definitely among the best looking ones, and in person it looks much better than on-screen. It's also well-made and does its job really good.
It feels pretty heavy (it weighs around 1 kg). Its diameter, knurling and button positioning makes holding it pure joy. And that is before it fires blue photons!
More photos:
Here you can see the indicator LEDs in action (meaning the laser is on):
I love knurling:
And now, the assault crown:
Finally, the tailcap:
An extraordinary host indeed!
Diode & Driver
NDB7875 is the heart of the laser, lasing at 450 nm. It is regulated by X-Drive set at 2 A.
The laser diode and the driver are enclosed in 12mm module.
I got the diode and the driver from DTR, many thanks to him! :beer:
Photo of the module with lens:
3-element glass lens is used for collimation, but can easily be swapped with another lens.
The focusing is done by rotating the ring located right behind the assault crown (it has grooves similar to the ones the tailcap has).
Power Source
The laser holds 2x26650 Li-ions, or 2x18650 with sleeves to keep them in place. 2x18350 / 2x16340 can also be used if sleeve is inserted and extension battery tube is removed.
Frankly, the laser looks much better if the extension tube is used. The battery extension tube makes room for larger batteries, so the total capacity can be higher,
therefore longer run times can be achieved (without the need for recharging the batteries).
I use 2x26650 Li-ions. Their capacity is about 4000 mAh, which gives the total running time of a little over 2 h (the current draw at the tailcap is 1.8 A).
On the opposite side of the power switch, an input jack is located. Using an AC adapter (that outputs 8 V and at least 2 A), the laser can be run on AC too! So you can lase indefinitely!
A pretty neat feature, if you ask me.
I have custom built a simple circuit that includes side switch and indicator LEDs, and connects internal electric components together.
It is located between the batteries and the heatsink, under the switch and the indicator LEDs.
I like having 2 power switches: the first one, the master switch, is on the tailcap; and the second one is the side switch.
- Beamshots -
It was really hard for me to take photos showing how the laser really looks like in person, while lasing.
The photos I've posted show the laser almost as it looks like in the reality.
The photos were taken with a mobile phone camera.
- Conclusion -
I am extremely satisfied with this laser. It is the jewel in the crown of my collection.
Unfortunately, it doesn't fit in a pocket. On the other hand, it can be deployed as a beacon.
I reckon it outputs about 2.5 W optical power (a guesstimate).
3 element glass lens is used to collimate the lovely blue photons.
At long range the dot becomes a line, which is normal for multimode laser diodes.
Superior beam visibility more than makes up for that.
It can burn stuff when focused to infinity up to a few meters, but when focused properly, it vaporizes almost anything it touches. :eg:
Lighting matches (the hard way too), engraving wood, burning leaves - no problem!
It can also charge glow-in-the-dark stuff!
Nevertheless, I prefer watching the beam, and pointing it at objects. Beam quality is more important to me than raw power.
As always, proper precautions must be used when handling a powerful laser like this one!
With great power comes great responsibility.
Thanks for reading! :thanks:
Last edited:
