CNI GB 6th round!

jayrob said:

I have been trying not to say too much, because Glenn must be feeling 'giver's remorse' :crackup:

I don't know how he let it go. Really a great guy...

Click to expand...

You should see the one he kept! :crackup:

scopeguy20 said:

I never took one apart, but Yobresal did, and it has a trimmed C-mount in there, so I think it is usually a 1W 808 pump diode. Just guessing! -Glenn

Don't worry Jay, I won't feel bad, I sure hope the guys who I couldn't get a 20+ mW to are not too jealous though. Guys, Jay deserves such as he supplies, really great stuff.

Click to expand...

Too much Glenn... I'm speechless.

Glenn, as much as you buy from them, I would think they would tell you some specs like that if you asked huh?

Getting information from folks in that country is, usually not easy... LOL! -GH

Yes, they never share too much useful data when asked specific questions...

I once asked if their lasers are powered by constant current, the answer was so hillarious, i should go dig it up!

jayrob said:

It did come directly from CNI via Glenn... (Thanks Glenn!)

But it is drawing 790mA's from an Energizer e2 lithium primary CR2 battery. Also, the current draw is steady as a rock!

Click to expand...

Yes, CNI makes AWESOME low dropout, higher efficiency linear drivers!
Every single one i tested was stable too!

Did you measure the voltage of the energizer?
Otherwise, why don't you use a 3.6V Li-Ion tho? Unless if this results in more heat created by the driver and hurts the lasers power, the laser will run for longer. I use a 3.6V rechargeable in mine... Or, more heat from the driver could even make it peak higher!

But don't try this until i measure the current in mine first from a 3.6 and then from a 3V battery!!!



This is an Aquarius, right? I have one of the engraved series from Nova, the 14-15mW...

Yours is pulsed as well, right? I've heard of a 60mW one that was "pot-modded", but died in a short amount of time... Pot modding is something that has to be done with extreme caution with the driver on a dummy load, not on the pump, unless powered by a current limiting PSU which would block the current from exceeding a preset amount!

jayrob said:

I have been trying not to say too much, because Glenn must be feeling 'giver's remorse' :crackup:
I don't know how he let it go. Really a great guy...

Click to expand...

Oh yes, Glenn really IS a great guy!

He helped me so much over the last 18 months, i couldn't have done anything without his help! He even helps me import diodes without having to pay a fortune in Custom fees, by extracting them all, and declaring them as Photo Diodes..

Because of that i never even saw a GGW sled until two months ago... :thinking:
(our customs are the strictest in this part of the galaxy! every smallest package needs an invoice with <$23 on it! :yabbmad

It's really annoying, they want to suck me of all my money, even when someone sends me a gift, they want the invoice!



Otherwise, "giver's remorse" is one of the funniest things i've heard all day long!

jayrob said:

Edit: I tested it last night and this morning as well. It peaked at 36mW's with-in the first 20 seconds! I'm almost afraid to
use it. Because it's so good, that I feel like it's too good to last...

Click to expand...

Wow, 36mW! What i wouldn't give to see that in BLUE! :drool:
What i wouldn't give to have a 50mW 455nm diode!


I hope you were able to see this gorgeous beam too and not just measure it! :angel:

Mine is a "little" less powerful, but the beam is lovelly in smoke! :yh:

Ok, Jay, i measured the current in mine...

It's 580mA... :thinking:


I'm 100% sure this diode can take at LEAST 650mA like the one in my 150mW Green from CNI!

I should really do the one thing i hate the most, the expression i dare not even say, remove the driver, and turn the pot. Please nobody tell IgorT!!! :shhh:

I feel like a total noob now. :yabbem:

But hey, at least i can test for perfect current from my OmniDrive TM first! :evil:

If ONLY i can open it safelly!!!!

Glenn, good luck for the aqarius pro

IgorT said:

This is an Aquarius, right?

.... Did you measure the voltage of the energizer?
Otherwise, why don't you use a 3.6V Li-Ion tho? Unless if this results in more heat created by the driver and hurts the lasers power, the laser will run for longer. I use a 3.6V rechargeable in mine... Or, more heat from the driver could even make it peak higher!

But don't try this until i measure the current in mine first from a 3.6 and then from a 3V battery!!!



.... Otherwise, "giver's remorse" is one of the funniest things i've heard all day long!




Wow, 36mW! What i wouldn't give to see that in BLUE! :drool:
What i wouldn't give to have a 50mW 455nm diode!


I hope you were able to see this gorgeous beam too and not just measure it! :angel:

Mine is a "little" less powerful, but the beam is lovelly in smoke! :yh:

Click to expand...

I believe it is an Aquarius... here's the picture:


Yes, I did measure the battery voltage at 3.04 volts/790mA's current draw...

I just checked it again at 2.99 volts/788mA's current draw. (steady)

I have not tried a rechargeable, because I don't want to even chance that this beauty will die on me. It's so nice that I'm afraid that it's too good to be true!

The beam in the dark is amazing... I put it side by side with my 40mW RPL and it is very comparable. Hardly any difference visually, but a much smaller and nicer host!

I even compared it visually to a 17mW green in the dark side by side, and the Aquarius it brighter! I love this thing...

Your very lucky with that thing.

jayrob said:

I believe it is an Aquarius... here's the picture:


Yes, I did measure the battery voltage at 3.04 volts/790mA's current draw...

I just checked it again at 2.99 volts/788mA's current draw. (steady)

I have not tried a rechargeable, because I don't want to even chance that this beauty will die on me. It's so nice that I'm afraid that it's too good to be true!

Click to expand...

It IS an Aquarius, mine is engraved, from Timur... Got it as a trade for a GGW laser... I have to say i LOVE it!

But it hurts me that i might have to tweak the pot...

However it seems the minimum should be 650mA, not 580, i have to measure again from a full Li-Ion...


Otherwise, Jayrob, i know you are used to seeing Chinese lasers go to a higher power, when using a 3.6V Li-Ion instead of a Lithium Primary or 3V rechargeable...

But Jay, this is NOT a cheapo Chinese laser! This is a CNI LAZOR!!!

It has a driver that ACTUALLY WORKS!

I once tested their linear drivers outside of a laser, they work with as little as 0.3-0.4V overhead, and the IR needs 1.8-2V! So the minimum voltage for regulation is basically 2.2-2.3V.. But you have to consider the voltage sag under a 780mA current draw too!

Your Lithium may have 3V when full and unloaded, loaded it goes to 2.8V or less immediatelly.


However, since it works so beautifully, i am NOT gonna try to convince you to put a Li-Ion in there... :yabbem:


I am however gonna ask you to keep measuring the Lithium's voltage, and the current draw, to tell me how long it stays constant, ok?

I am guessing it will stay constant down to 2.7V unloaded voltage, which would be an empty Li-Ion... :evil:



And no, again, i'm NOT trying to convince you to stick a Li-Ion in there, cos you're gonna loathe me later, even if something happens for a completelly unrelated reason afterwards... :angel:

jayrob said:

The beam in the dark is amazing... I put it side by side with my 40mW RPL and it is very comparable. Hardly any difference visually, but a much smaller and nicer host!

I even compared it visually to a 17mW green in the dark side by side, and the Aquarius it brighter! I love this thing...

Click to expand...

I know, Jay, even my 1-15mW beam can easily be seen outside in the dark! :bowdown:
Mine takes a while to peak tho! It has to warm up first....

Does yours peak immediatelly?


I just went to recharge the Li-Ion for mine as well as a 3V rechargeable...
It dropped too low to keep the current constant, cos the power was only 1mW just now....:undecided:

I guess i can't use a 3V afterall, or my Li-Ion was REALLY REALLY low!

That's the other thing! It peaks with-in 5 or 10 seconds!

I hate to go on and on, but because of these kind of characteristics, I like it better than my 40mW RPL!

I just hope it lasts...

jayrob said:

That's the other thing! It peaks with-in 5 or 10 seconds!

I hate to go on and on, but because of these kind of characteristics, I like it better than my 40mW RPL!

I just hope it lasts...

Click to expand...

better than the RPL? Interesting. Is it the 30mW blue model that averages at 40mW?

It's an RPL 35 that peaks at 40mW's...

And just to clarify, I'm not saying that the Aquarius is a better laser. But just that I like it better because of not only it's size and elegance, but also because of it's characteristics on power up and stability.

jayrob said:

It's an RPL 35 that peaks at 40mW's...

And just to clarify, I'm not saying that the Aquarius is a better laser. But just that I like it better because of not only it's size and elegance, but also because of it's characteristics on power up and stability.

Click to expand...

hmm, good to know. I've gotta send my "70mW" 473nm RPL to jack for an adjustment. Hopefully it looks much better after it's fixed.

jayrob said:

It's an RPL 35 that peaks at 40mW's...

And just to clarify, I'm not saying that the Aquarius is a better laser. But just that I like it better because of not only it's size and elegance, but also because of it's characteristics on power up and stability.

Click to expand...

You're never selling or trading that one, eh? :cryyy:

bryce007 said:

hmm, good to know. I've gotta send my "70mW" 473nm RPL to jack for an adjustment. Hopefully it looks much better after it's fixed.

Click to expand...

I hope he can get it to put out 70mW for you. That would be really awesome.