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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Casio seems to be potting projectors

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Well I just bought a projector to harvest the diodes from, and they were potted in from behind with thick black epoxy. The screws in front were tri-wing, and also smothered with loctite. Instead of attempting the impossible feat I just broke a resistor on the board, put it back together, and sent it back as broken. I didn't think to take any pictures, but I felt I had to pass the info on to this place I found on google. You people seem to live eat breathe and sleep lasers.
 





JLSE

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Hmmm, those sneaky b@stards :tsk:

Pics would have been a plus...
 
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Where there is a will theres a way.
Like the new 150s there is high chance they used a glue to better align the lasers. if thats true there is a way around it. just have to break them out of the glue. kinda like sled harvesting.
 

JLSE

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Where there is a will theres a way.


This goes without saying around here :whistle:

I just hope there isnt epoxy all over the back of the LD's.

We have been pampered with the simplicity
of removing the ribbon and 24 little diamonds falling out :D
 

cd520

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I think they are just making themselves more trouble than its worth with returns now.
 

JLSE

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I think they are just making themselves more trouble than its worth with returns now.


I would agree with this. But this may also work in our favor
if retailers begin to sell 'refurbished' projectors.. This will
be something that drops the price. Not a bad thing at all.
 
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Heat or chemicals could be used to break the stuff down - potential solutions:

Paint stripper gun or blowtorch + knife (with careful temperature control)
Silicone sealant remover
Dichloromethane - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia or paint stripper
Acidic bath (suspended with only the legs in - held carefully pside down)

Do the above at your own risk - though it might become the only way to get these diodes if they are indeed potting them.
 
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I would agree with this. But this may also work in our favor
if retailers begin to sell 'refurbished' projectors.. This will
be something that drops the price. Not a bad thing at all
.

I like the way you Think.:whistle: That would be a Great deal if it would start to pop up soon. We will see.:)
 
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Where did you buy it? What model?

It was an xj-140 from newegg. It was potted with the same stuff you see on cheap chinese circuits.

96010full.jpg
 
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Acetone works pretty good for desolving things and if that won't do it
try mixing acetone/methyl alcohol/ethyl alcohol/N-Heptane/naptha, then
suspend the assembly so only the glue/epoxy part is in the solution.
This will remove or soften most any glue or epoxy.
Where there is a will, there is a way ;)
This is only a speed bump on the highway of laserdom...
 
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We'll have to see pictures and time will tell, but in my experience with electronics potting epoxy, if this epoxy is in contact with the diode and bonding it in place, it's not going to come off without ruining the diode in the process. there may be some strong solvents that may help, but they will also melt the diode themselves. Not to say that one or two out of a projector could be successfully harvested if the potting epoxy coverage was spotty on some of them, but it's going to mean you may only get a fraction of them out and as soon as Casio gets back a returned projector from a customer who said it was DOA that they determined was tampered with to get the diodes out, then they'll put even more effort into making sure they are not harvestable at all.

Just my opinion, we need pictures to see this.
 
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I just ordered 3 from an eBay seller. I am hoping that he has had them in stock for a while and that they will not be potted. If they are though I will take photos.
 

DTR

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I would like to know when he got it from Newegg. My second I ordered Sunday and it showed up Tuesday. Bot projectors I did just had those tri-wing screws. No junk on the diodes. Also Is he saying that he was able to see it before he pulled the array from the heatsink?
 
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well, it's not surprising manufacturers would take these measures, assuming this is true.

think about it. they likely do not want to make it easy for DIYers and whippersnappers to get access to a 2 watt laser diode.
 

JLSE

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We'll have to see pictures and time will tell, but in my experience with electronics potting epoxy, if this epoxy is in contact with the diode and bonding it in place, it's not going to come off without ruining the diode in the process. there may be some strong solvents that may help, but they will also melt the diode themselves. Not to say that one or two out of a projector could be successfully harvested if the potting epoxy coverage was spotty on some of them, but it's going to mean you may only get a fraction of them out and as soon as Casio gets back a returned projector from a customer who said it was DOA that they determined was tampered with to get the diodes out, then they'll put even more effort into making sure they are not harvestable at all.

Just my opinion, we need pictures to see this.


If too many LD's could get damaged because of casio's measures,
we may just have to give in and start making single 24+W lasers.. :eg:

That will teach 'em. :whistle:
 




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